Secretary of State 1794-1870

The Secretary of State entered office on receiving the seals from the Sovereign and took the oath at a meeting of the Privy Council, usually held on the same day. (fn. 1) His authority lasted until he handed the seals back to the Sovereign. Originally appointments were formally embodied in letters patent under the great seal granting the office during pleasure. This practice was abandoned after the appointment of Carnarvon in 1866. (fn. 2)

In 1795 the salary attached to the office was fixed at £6000. (fn. 3) Dundas, its first holder, declined to take more than £2000 as he already enjoyed a salary of £4000 as Treasurer of the Navy. On ceasing to hold the latter office in 1800 he drew £4000 as Secretary of State, a course followed by his successor, Hobart, between 1801 and 1804. (fn. 4) After 1804 all Secretaries of State drew the full amount of £6000. In 1831 the salary was reduced to £5000. (fn. 5)

On the formation of the department in 1794 provision was made for one Under Secretary. (fn. 1) In 1806 a second under secretaryship was established with particular responsibility for war but was discontinued in 1816. (fn. 2) Both these offices were 'nonpermanent' in character and were usually held by members of the House of Commons. In 1825 the office of second Under Secretary was revived on a permanent, nonparliamentary, basis. (fn. 3) For a brief period in 1827-8 there was a third, unsalaried, Under Secretary. (fn. 4) In 1831 the distinction between the Permanent and Parliamentary Under Secretaries, which in fact dated from 1825, was accorded official recognition. (fn. 5)

The salary attached to the office in 1794 was £1500. In 1799 it was raised to £2000 with provision for an increase to £2500 after three years' service. In 1817 the period of service required to qualify for the increase was extended to seven years for future occupants of the office. (fn. 6) In 1822 the salary was fixed at £2000 without any increase for length of service. In 1831 the salary of the Permanent Under Secretary was fixed at £2000; that of the Parliamentary Under Secretary at £1500. (fn. 7)

Assistant Under Secretaries 1834-70

In 1834 provision was made for the Secretary of State to designate one of the officials of the department to serve as Assistant Under Secretary without additional salary. The Counsel, James Stephen, was thereupon appointed to the post. After his promotion to the office of Permanent Under Secretary in 1836 the office remained unfilled. (fn. 1) In 1846 provision was made for an Assistant Under Secretary with a salary of £1000, half of which was to be borne by the Colonial Land and Emigration Board of which he was to be a Commissioner. This arrangement lapsed in the following year when Rogers, the individual in question, was confined solely to the work of an Emigration Commissioner. (fn. 2)

In November 1847 Merivale was appointed an Assistant Under Secretary with a salary of £1500 but this was a temporary measure pending the completion of the arrangements for Stephen's retirement as Permanent Under Secretary. The appointment ceased when Merivale succeeded Stephen in the following year. (fn. 3) Also in November 1847 an office of Assistant Under Secretary was established on a permanent basis with a salary of £1500. (fn. 4)

In 1854 an additional Assistant Under Secretary was appointed, also with a salary of £1500, to deal with the additional business caused by the outbreak of the Crimean War. (fn. 5) This office ceased when Mundy, the individual in question, was transferred to the newly created department of Secretary of State for War later in the same year. In 1870 permanent provision was made for two Assistant Under Secretaries in the Colonial Office, each with a salary of £1200, one of whom was to be a barrister of at least five years' standing. (fn. 6)

Chief Clerks 1794-1870

On the formation of the department a Chief Clerk was appointed with a salary of £1000. In 1801 provision was made for the salary to be increased to £1250 after five years' service. In 1822 it was fixed at £1000 rising by annual increments of £50 to £1250. (fn. 1) The office was abolished in 1833 but revived in 1840. In 1870 it was provided that one of the Senior Clerks should have the title of Chief Clerk together with an additional allowance of £50 rising by annual increments of £50 to £250. (fn. 2)

Between 1801 and 1806 there was an additional Chief Clerk for war business but this office was not an established one, its occupant receiving his salary of £1000 from the contingent fund. (fn. 3)

Clerks 1794-1822

On the formation of the department provision was made for five Clerks apart from the Chief Clerk. The number was increased to seven in 1801, to eight in 1805, to eleven in 1806 and to twelve in 1807. (fn. 1) After being reduced to eight in 1816 it was increased to nine in 1819. In 1822 these nine Clerks were distributed amongst the newly created grades of Senior, Assistant and Junior Clerk. (fn. 2)

The salaries of the five Clerks were originally fixed at £650, £450, £300, £200 and £150. The seven Clerks subsequently added to the establishment received salaries of £140, £130, £120, £110, £100, £80 and £80 respectively. (fn. 3) In 1809 provision was made for the salary of each Clerk to be increased according to length of service, the amounts being £80 after five years, £200 after ten years, £300 after fifteen years and £400 after twenty years. (fn. 4)

Extra Clerks 1798-1816

Extra Clerks were employed in the department at most times during the period covered by these lists. Broadly speaking they may be divided into two categories: temporary Extra Clerks who were engaged as and when required mainly to undertake copying and similar tasks and permanent Extra Clerks who were drawn increasingly into the substantial work of the department. Only the latter are included in these lists. They were employed from 1798 and were paid at varying rates out of the contingent fund. In 1816, when they numbered five, the permanent Extra Clerks were discharged. (fn. 1)

No further permanent Extra Clerks were employed until 1828 when the practice of appointing such Clerks as Supernumeraries to the ordinary establishment began. (fn. 2)

Senior Clerks 1822-70

The grade of Senior, or First Class, Clerk was created in 1822 when provision was made for three such Clerks. The number was raised to four in 1824. In February 1825 a fifth Senior Clerk was appointed but this post was abolished in August of the same year. In addition G. L. Wilder was appointed a supernumerary Senior Clerk in 1822. Wilder, who was appointed Registrar in 1824, was in 1825 accorded the special position of second Clerk on the establishment 'acting as Registrar' and a rank at the head of the senior grade. (fn. 1)

In 1833 Wilder was fully absorbed into the senior grade whose membership was then fixed at five. One of the clerkships was left vacant between 1836 and 1839 while a temporary appointment of sixth Senior Clerk, held by the Précis Writer, existed between 1846 and 1847. The number of Senior Clerks was reduced to four in 1867 while in 1870 it was provided that there should be five such Clerks, one of whom should be selected to fill the post of Chief Clerk. (fn. 2)

In 1822 the first of the Senior Clerks was accorded a salary of £700 rising by annual increments of £20 to £900 while the remainder were granted salaries of £600 rising by annual increments of £20 to £800. In 1833 a scale of £600 rising by annual increments of £25 to £1000 was provided for the whole grade. In 1857 the starting level was raised to £700. In 1870 it was provided that the Clerk selected to serve as Chief Clerk should receive an additional allowance of £50 rising by annual increments of £50 to £250. (fn. 3)

Assistant Clerks 1822-70

The grade of Assistant, or Second Class, Clerk was created in 1822 when provision was made for two such Clerks together with two supernumeraries. In 1824 the number was fixed at four with no supernumeraries. It was raised to five in 1825, to seven in 1857 and to eight in 1870. (fn. 1)

The salary scale attached to the grade in 1822 was £350 rising by annual increments of £15 to £545. In 1857 the upper limit was raised to £600. (fn. 2)

Junior Clerks 1822-70

The grade of Junior, or Third Class, Clerk was created in 1822 when provision was made for three such Clerks. However, until 1824 there was only one Junior Clerk since the two others in the grade were serving as supernumerary Assistant Clerks. In 1824 the number of Junior Clerks was fixed at four. It was raised to five in 1825 and to six in 1833. It was reduced to five in 1846 but increased to six in 1860 and to thirteen in 1870. (fn. 1)

The salary scale attached to the grade in 1822 was £150 rising by annual increments of £10 to £300. The starting level was raised to £160 in 1857 but reduced to £100 in 1870. (fn. 2)

Assistant Junior Clerks 1825-70

The grade of Assistant Junior, or Fourth Class, Clerk was created in 1825 when provision was made for three such Clerks with salaries of £100 rising by annual increments of £10 to £150. The number was increased to eight in 1848, reduced to five in 1857 and increased to seven in 1860. The grade was abolished in 1870. (fn. 1)

Supernumerary Clerks 1828-49

In 1828 the department began to employ permanent Extra Clerks, paid out of the contingent fund, who, after a probationary period of twelve months, were eligible to be placed on the establishment at the next vacancy. (fn. 1) Originally known simply as Extra Clerks they came in the course of time to be designated 'Supernumerary Extra Clerks' or 'Probationary Clerks'. (fn. 2) For the sake of consistency they have been described as Supernumerary Clerks throughout these lists.

The number of Supernumerary Clerks was not fixed. There were usually five in employment at any one time. They received salaries of £100. (fn. 3) Between 1830 and 1832 the two most junior served without remuneration. (fn. 4) In 1848-9 the Supernumerary Clerks were absorbed into the grade of Assistant Junior Clerk. (fn. 5)

Précis Writer 1799-1870

This office was created in 1799 with a salary of £300 but discontinued in 1816. It was revived in 1825 with a salary of £300 rising by annual increments of £15 to £500 but abolished in 1833. (fn. 1) In 1843 the duties of Précis Writer were assigned to Murdoch, a Clerk on the establishment. (fn. 2) In 1847 the post was revived as a distinct office with a salary of £1000. It was finally abolished in 1870. (fn. 3)

Librarian 1807-70 and Assistant Librarian 1824-70

The office of Librarian was created in 1807. It was originally held by a Clerk on the establishment who received an additional allowance of £200 out of the contingent fund. In 1814 the post was conferred upon an Extra Clerk with the same allowance which was increased to £280 in 1819 and to £400 in 1821. (fn. 1) In 1822 the office was placed on the establishment with a salary of £350 rising by annual increments of £15 to £545. In 1824 this was increased to £600 rising by annual increments of £20 to £800. (fn. 2) The office was abolished in 1870. (fn. 3)

The office of Assistant Librarian was created in 1824 with a salary of £200 rising by annual increments of £10 to £400. It was abolished in 1870. (fn. 4)

Translator 1814-19

This office was created in 1814 and discontinued in 1819. It did not form part of the establishment, its holder being paid out of the contingent fund. The salary, originally £200, was increased to £280 in January 1819. (fn. 5)

Registrar 1824-70 and Assistant Registrar 1825-33

In 1824 provision was made for a Registrar with a salary of £400 rising by annual increments of £15 to £545. The office was in fact filled by G. L. Wilder, a supernumerary Senior Clerk who was in 1825 accorded the special position of second Clerk on the establishment 'acting as Registrar'. (fn. 1) In 1833 Wilder was fully absorbed into the senior grade and the position of Registrar ceased to exist as a separate office. (fn. 2) The office was revived in 1848 with a salary of £300. It was finally abolished in 1870. (fn. 3)

The office of Assistant Registrar was created in 1825 with a salary of £150 rising by annual increments of £10 to £300. It was abolished in 1833. (fn. 4)

Superintendent of Copyists 1835-52

Between 1835 and 1852 an annual allowance was made available out of the contingent fund for a Superintendent of Copyists. Beginning at £150, this allowance was increased to £200 in 1838 and to £230 in 1845. The post ceased to have a separate existence in 1852 when its holder was appointed to the office of Registrar. (fn. 1)

Clerk of Parliamentary Papers 1852-70

In 1852 an annual allowance of £300 was made available out of the contingent fund for a Clerk of Parliamentary Papers. In 1856 the duties of the post were assigned to a Clerk on the establishment. The annual allowance was reduced to £200 at the same time. (fn. 2)

Accountant 1868-70

This office was created in 1868 with a salary of £600 rising by annual increments of £20 to £700. (fn. 1)

Private Secretaries to Secretary of State1794-1870

On the formation of the department an annual allowance of £300 was made available for a Private Secretary to the Secretary of State. (fn. 1) When Clerks on the establishment occupied this post they received this allowance in addition to their ordinary remuneration. The payment of the allowance was suspended in the case of a Private Secretary with a seat in the House of Commons.

The office of Assistant Private Secretary to the Secretary of State originated in 1867. In 1870 an annual allowance of £150 was made available for its holder. (fn. 2)

Private Secretaries to Under Secretaries 1825-70

In 1825 the two Under Secretaries were authorized to appoint Private Secretaries, selected from the Clerks on the establishment, with additional allowances of £150 each. (fn. 1)

Office Keepers 1794-1870

On the formation of the department provision was made for two Office Keepers, each with salaries of £100. In 1851 the salary of the senior Office Keeper was raised to £200 while that of the junior was fixed at £150 rising by annual increments of £10 to £200. (fn. 1)

Housekeeper 1794-1846

On the formation of the department provision was made for a Housekeeper with a salary of £100. The office was discontinued in 1846. (fn. 2)

Office Porters 1795-1870

Two Office Porters, paid out of the contingent fund, were appointed in 1795. In 1825 they were placed on the establishment with salaries of £136 17s 6d each. These salaries were reduced to £120 in 1851. (fn. 1)

Counsel 1801-36

This post, which had previously been attached to the Home Office, was placed under the authority of the department on the transfer of responsibility for colonial affairs in 1801. (fn. 1) It ceased to exist as a separate office in 1836 when Stephen, its then holder, was appointed Permanent Under Secretary. (fn. 2)

Originally the Counsel did not form part of the ordinary establishment of the office but was employed on a part time basis, receiving from the Treasury Solicitor a fee of three guineas for each report that he made. In 1823 it was provided that his remuneration should be made up to £1000 a year from this source. (fn. 3) In February 1825 the office was incorporated into the establishment with a salary of £1500. In July of the same year the Counsel was given the additional post of Law Clerk to the Board of Trade and it was, in consequence, provided that a third of his salary should be borne by that department. (fn. 4)

Legal Adviser 1867-70

This office was created in 1867 with a salary of £1200. It was abolished in 1870 when its holder was transferred to the post of Assistant Under Secretary. (fn. 1)

Footnotes