Messenger of the Chamber 1660-1870 and
City Messenger 1827-35
The Messenger of the Chamber was in origin one of the corps of such Messengers
which formed part of the Royal Household. From the Restoration the Messenger in
question was attached to the Treasury on a permanent basis. The right of appointment
rested with the Treasury (fn. 1) although until 1702 the connection with the Household was
maintained to the extent that, on entering office, successive messengers were sworn
in by the Lord Chamberlain in pursuance of a Treasury Warrant. (fn. 2) During the later
seventeenth century the Messenger of the Chamber employed a deputy but for most
of the eighteenth century he appears to have been a working official. (fn. 3) In 1827 part of
the duties of the office were assigned to a distinct City Messenger. (fn. 4) At the time of the
reorganisation of the Messengers in 1835 the latter office was abolished and the
Messenger of the Chamber was placed in the first class, ranking after the Messenger
of the Registry. (fn. 5) In 1865 he was promoted to first place and in 1868 the office was
made distinct from the messengerial structure. (fn. 6)
The remuneration originally attached to the office of Messenger of the Chamber
amounted to £121 13s 4d a year composed of two separate salaries of 3s 4d a day, one
paid out of the customs and the other out of the civil list. From 1721 a further salary
was paid from the civil list and carried on the Office Keeper's bill. This was at first
£20 but was raised to £30 in 1780. (fn. 7) In 1793 the payments from the civil list ceased and
a salary of £60 from the fee fund was substituted. (fn. 8) In 1827 the payment from the
customs was discontinued and the Messenger of the Chamber was accorded a single
salary of £100 paid wholly by the Treasury. (fn. 9) This was raised to £120 in 1835. In 1865
a progressive scale was established beginning at £120 and rising by annual increments
of £5 to £150. In 1868 the starting level was increased to £130. (fn. 10) The salary of the
City Messenger was fixed at £100 in 1827. (fn. 11)
LISTS OF APPOINTMENTS
Messenger Of The Chamber
|
|
|
| c. 1660 |
|
Reeve, J. |
| By 1663 |
|
Greene, T. |
| 1663 |
5 Dec. |
Gregory, R.
|
| 1677 |
21 July |
Langwith, J. |
|
1692 |
14 Oct. |
Wekett, W.
|
| 1694 |
27 Feb. |
Thurkettle, J.
|
| 1720 |
4 Oct. |
Thurkettle, T.
|
| 1735 |
4 March |
Jones, J.
|
| 1742 |
10 Feb. |
Bryant, E.
|
| 1762 |
30 April |
Barnsley, W. W.
|
| 1765 |
14 June |
Gibbons, T.
|
| 1769 |
14 Nov. |
Barnsley, S. J.
|
| 1795 |
5 July |
Wood, T.
|
| 1807 |
27 July |
Woodger, T.
|
| 1827 |
2 Oct. |
Haines, J.
|
| 1829 |
3 April |
Child, J.
|
| 1835 |
21 Aug. |
Harvey, R.
|
| 1836 |
25 July |
Halligan, T.
|
| 1853 |
12 Aug. |
Grove, J.
|
| 1854 |
11 Aug. |
Boddy, J.
|
| 1863 |
24 April |
Long, C.
|
| 1863 |
27 May |
Ford, B. |
City Messenger
|
|
|
|
1827 |
2 Oct. |
Bowman, P.
|
| 1830 |
23 April |
Halligan, T. |
Footnotes
| 1 |
Between 1663 and 1807 appointment was by Treasury constitution; thereafter by Treasury
minute. |
| 2 |
CTB, v, 688; ibid. viii, 12; ibid. ix, 166, 1865; ibid. x, 512; ibid. xvii, 21. |
| 3 |
2nd Rept. on Fees, 79. |
| 4 |
TM 2 Oct. 1827 (T 29/274 pp. 41-2). |
| 5 |
TM 21 Aug. 1835 (T 29/368 pp. 481-7). |
| 6 |
TM 11 April 1865 (AB, iv, 178-80), 27 April 1868 (ibid. 201-5). |
| 7 |
T 53/28 p. 369; T 53/54 p. 130; 2nd Rept. on Fees, 79. |
| 8 |
Order in council 21 June 1793 (15th Rept. on Finance, 288); TM 22 June 1793 (T 29/66 p. 22). |
| 9 |
TM 2 Oct. 1827 (T 29/274 pp. 41-2). |
| 10 |
TM 21 Aug. 1835 (T 29/368 pp. 481-7), 11 April 1865 (AB, iv, 178-90), 27 April 1868 (ibid.
201-5). |
| 11 |
TM 2 Oct. 1827 (T 29/274 pp. 41-2). |