Messengers 1660-1870

Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 1, Treasury Officials 1660-1870. Originally published by University of London, London, 1972.

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'Messengers 1660-1870', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 1, Treasury Officials 1660-1870, (London, 1972) pp. 92-94. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol1/pp92-94 [accessed 19 March 2024]

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Messengers 1660-1870

At the Restoration the Treasury had nominally at its disposal the four Messengers of the Receipt and the Messenger of the Chamber. These officials appear usually to have exercised their functions by deputy and to have failed to provide an adequate service. As a result the Treasury was obliged to employ additional Messengers. At first these were not fixed in number but from 1689 to 1714 there were two receiving salaries which finally became fixed at £20, one paid out of the civil list and the other out of the secret service. The recipient of the former was usually the deputy Messenger of the Chamber while the post to which the latter was attached appears to have been the same as that known after 1714 as the office of Bag Carrier.

Between 1714 and 1793 the salaries of several of the subordinate staff were carried on the civil list. Apart from those attached to the posts of Office Keeper, Bag Carrier, Bookranger and Messenger of the Chamber, a varying number of such salaries were made available for Letter Carriers or Messengers. Beginning at one in 1729 they were increased to two in 1736, to three in 1758 and to five in 1772. (fn. 1) The salaries themselves, originally £20, were raised to £40 in 1736 and to £50 in 1780. (fn. 2) While they had at first been intended for working Messengers, the salaries came in the course of time to be attached to the offices of the four Messengers of the Receipt and the deputy Doorkeeper who regarded them simply as additional perquisites. (fn. 3)

In 1793 these salaries were discontinued and provision was made for the employment of a distinct body of Messengers for deliveries paid at a weekly rate out of the fee fund. (fn. 4) These Messengers were at first four in number. They were increased to five in 1809, to six in 1817 and to seven in 1824. They were reduced to five in 1831. (fn. 5) The employment of a Messenger by the Revenue Department was authorised in 1809 and from 1822 a former Office Keeper was retained on the establishment as an extra Messenger. (fn. 6) The remuneration of these Messengers was originally fixed at £1 1S a week. This was raised to £1 5s in 1799 and to £1 7s in 1803. (fn. 7)

From at least 1771 it was also the practice to employ Messengers who were paid weekly out of the incidents. In 1786 there were three such Messengers, two of whom were attached to the Joint Secretaries on a permanent basis. (fn. 8) In 1806 the Assistant Secretary was authorised to appoint a Messenger. (fn. 9) In 1808 the remuneration of the Messengers to the Secretaries was fixed at £100 a year each. (fn. 10)

In 1835 a comprehensive reorganisation of the subordinate staff took place. They were integrated into a unified structure, placed under the supervision of the Office Keeper and divided into three classes. Provision was made for a first class of three consisting of the Messenger of the Registry, the Messenger of the Chamber and the Doorkeeper with salaries of £120 each; a second class of six Messengers for deliveries with salaries of £100 each from whom were selected the three Messengers to the Secretaries who received additional allowances of £20 while serving as such; and a third class of four Messengers for deliveries with salaries of £85 each. (fn. 11) In 1842 a temporary increase of one in each class took place when the three Messengers attached to the office of Paymaster of Civil Services were absorbed into the structure. In 1853 the first class was increased to four to accommodate the Bookranger. In 1856 it was further increased to five on the appointment of a Superintendent of the Messengers on the upper floor of the Treasury. (fn. 12)

In 1868 the subordinate staff was again reorganised. The post of Messenger of the Chamber was recognised as an office distinct from the other Messengers. Provision was made for the first class of Messengers to consist of four-the Superintendent of the Upper Floor, the Messenger of the Paper Room (Registry), the Bookranger and the Doorkeeper-with a salary scale of £120 rising by annual increments of £5 to £130; for the second class to consist of five Messengers for deliveries with a scale of £100 rising by annual increments of £2 10s to £110; and for the third class to consist of three Messengers for deliveries with a scale of £85 rising by annual increments of £2 10s to £100. The Messengers to the Secretaries were to be selected from the second or third class and to receive an additional £20 while serving as such. (fn. 13)

LIST OF APPOINTMENTS

1660 Smeaton, T.
1669 Teare, E.
1683 Lowndes, W.
1683 Wekett, W.
1689 Cohoon, M.
By 1690 Bailey, W.
Peirce, J.
1692 Hurst, J.
1698 Green, R.
1700 Farra, J.
1703 Williams, E.
1729 30 Sept. Richards, W.
c. 1735 Barnsley, S.
1736 Brooks, J.
1758 Barnsley, W. W.
c. 1761 Barnsley, S. J.
1771 Clubb, G.
1777 Carter, J.
1780 Nov. Williams, J.
1788 Johnston, T.
1791 12 Aug. Hare, R.
1793 Knell, T.
1793 Watford, J.
1793 Hatwell, J.
By 1796 Fazan, L.
By 1802 Cleaver, T.
By 1809 Fencock, D.
Smith, S.
Reymann, J. F.
Brock, J.
1809 12 Dec. Emmans, T.
c. 1810 Muckworthy, J.
1814 5 April Greenwood, C.
1817 28 March Halligan, T.
1820 6 March Morten, L.
By 1822 Taylor, T.
1822 6 March Rose, E.
1822 8 Oct. Ready, W.
1822 18 Nov. Manning, W.
1824 5 March Minet, J. W.
1824 8 March Richards, J.
1824 10 June Weller, J.
1824 5 July Harvey, J.
1829 29 Jan. Mitchell, S.
1829 15 Dec. Worsfold, W.
1831 18 Feb. Oliver, J.
1834 22 July Foot, G.
1835 3 Feb. Bowman, P.
1835 20 April Boddy, J.
1835 20 Oct. Bradley, D.
1836 15 March Kelly, T.
1836 29 July Tyler, J.
1836 12 Aug. Lowman, J.
1836 12 Aug. Grove, J.
1836 22 Aug. Rose, E.
1837 25 May Burrell, W.
1837 13 Oct. Fitness, J.
1839 12 Feb. Whiting, W.
1839 12 Feb. Young, T.
1840 9 March Scorey, J.
1840 3 Nov. Long, C.
1841 30 June Bailey, J.
1842 29 March Scott, C.
1842 29 March Broster, J.
1842 29 March Long, G.
1844 27 Sept. Ford, B.
1852 24 Dec. Biggs, R.
1853 16 Sept. Purvis, R.
1854 16 June Davidson, W.
1854 18 Aug. Bawcutt, J.
1856 2 Oct. Maddams, G.
1856 15 Dec. Benn, G.
1859 2 June Gabbitas, J. R.
1860 13 April Fisher, D.
1861 30 April Hannam, W.
1862 3 Feb. Stafford, J.
1863 25 May Foster, T.
1863 10 June Dawson, C.
1864 23 April Forward, G.
1865 15 Feb. Rossiter, W.
1865 26 April Hughes, T.
1865 26 June Maguire, R. H.
1866 14 Feb. O'Shaughnessy, J.
1866 4 July Rogers, G.
1868 25 Aug. Hambling, H.

Footnotes

  • 1. TM 30 Sept. 1729 (CTBP 1729-30, 145); T 53/38 p. 371; T 53/46 p. 10; T 53/52 p. 63.
  • 2. TM 30 Sept. 1729 (CTBP 1729-30, 145); T 53/38 p. 371; T 53/54 p. 130.
  • 3. 2nd Rept. on Fees, 77-80.
  • 4. Order in council 21 June 1793 (15th Rept. on Finance, 288); TM 22 June 1793 (T 29/66 p. 22).
  • 5. TM 8 Dec. 1809 (T 29/103 p. 411), 28 March 1817 (T 29/147 p. 632); T 41/4-8.
  • 6. TM 8 Dec. 1809 (T 29/103 p. 411), 8 Oct. 1822 (T 29/214 p. 143).
  • 7. TM 22 June 1793 (T 29/66 p. 22), 8 Nov. 1799 (T 29/75 p. 186), 10 Aug. 1803 (T 29/81 p. 362).
  • 8. 2nd Rept. on Fees, 80-1.
  • 9. TM 27 March 1806 (T 29/86 p. 338).
  • 10. TM 16 Dec. 1808 (T 29/98 pp. 159-60); in 1822 these salaries were transferred from the incidents to the fee fund (T 41/5).
  • 11. TM 21 Aug. 1835 (T 29/368 pp. 481-7). The office of Messenger to the Registry had been created by TM 3 Feb. 1835 (T 29/362 pp. 55-9).
  • 12. TM 29 March 1842 (T 29/447 pp. 579-84), 12 Aug. 1853 (T 29/552 pp. 353-4), 1 Oct. 1856 (AB, iii, 322-3).
  • 13. TM 27 April 1868 (AB, iv, 301-5).