Dependent Sub-departments: House and Wardrobe Keepers 1660-1837

House and Wardrobe Keepers 1660–1837

The house and wardrobe keepers were responsible for looking after the sovereign's houses and the furniture within them, respectively. They were under the authority of the lord chamberlain, who appointed them. Some of these officers held by patent for life. (fn. 1)

The under housekeeper and wardrobe keeper at Audley End was paid £150 in salary, £120 for keeping the garden and £100 for house cleaning under Charles II. This was reduced to £250 under William III. The position was abolished in 1702. (fn. 2)

The housekeeper at Brighton, first established as part of the main household in 1812, made £112 plus £64 10s in board wages and an allowance of £455 for ten housemaids. (fn. 3)

The housekeeper at Carlton House, also first established as part of the main household in 1812, made £110 in 1823. She was also given an allowance of £455 for ten housemaids. The position was abolished by the Establishment of 1831. (fn. 4)

The keeper of the standing wardrobe and privy lodgings at Greenwich received 8 [?shillings] per diem under Charles II. This was commuted to £225 per annum by the reign of William III. (fn. 5)

At Hampton Court, the housekeeper's position was linked to the rangership of Bushy Park This position seems to have been unpaid and was usually held by letters patent by a peer. The under housekeeper at Hampton Court made £23 6s 8d per annum under Charles II, £250 under William III, £320 by 1720. In 1782 the under housekeeper's position was merged with that of the housekeeper at £320 per annum. This fell to £250 under George IV and William IV; however in 1825 the under housekeeper reported receiving an additional £393 4s in fees for showing the palace. The keeper of the standing wardrobe and privy lodgings made £51 11s 8d under Charles II, £200 by the reign of William III. (fn. 6)

At Kensington, a single house and wardrobe keeper (held jointly by successive married couples 16891727) made £300 at the Exchequer and £127 15s from the cofferer per annum. Under William III, the de Briennes received an additional £36 10s for a servant. In 1782 the housekeeper's place was reduced from £486 18s to £300 per annum, which remained its remuneration to the end of the period. This officer also received £12 in lieu of wine. Under George III the wardrobe keeper made £100. The Housekeeper at Bayswater made £30 per annum in 1746. (fn. 7)

The housekeeper at Kew made £120 13s under George III. In 1823 a second housekeeper's position for Kew House was established at £112, augmented by an allowance of £136 10s for three housemaids. Finally, the keeper of the Cottage at Kew made £46 per annum. (fn. 8)

At Ludlow Castle, the keeper of the standing wardrobe received poundage on bills under Charles II. No payment is listed by the reign of William III. The housekeeper's position appears to have been honorary and unpaid. Both positions fail to appear on household establishments after 1702. (fn. 9)

Under Charles II Newmarket House was kept by an under housekeeper whose remuneration has not been determined. In 1689 a housekeeper and wardrobe keeper was established at £200 per annum. This figure rose to £210 by 1782, but was reduced in that year to £120. The position was abolished by 1823. (fn. 10)

The housekeeper at the Queen's House (later Buckingham House) made £450 under George III and George IV. (fn. 11)

In 1831 a housekeeper of the Queen's Lodge at Bushy Park was established at £112. (fn. 12)

The housekeeper at Richmond made £78 per annum under William III. (fn. 13)

At St. James's, the housekeeper's and under housekeeper's positions were combined until the middle of Anne's reign at a salary of £80 per annum and 8d per diem. Thereafter the positions were split: the housekeeper's place became a sinecure at £92 3s 4d and the under housekeeper, who presumably did the duty, received £60. In 1717 George I abolished the housekeeper's position by purchasing it from Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford for £7,500. By 1782 the under housekeeper's total emoluments had risen to £650 4s 6d, but this was reduced to £300 in that year. The keeper of the standing wardrobe received £110. This position was abolished as part of Economical Reform in 1782. On the Establishment of 1823 the housekeeper to the State Apartments at St. James's rose to £300 per annum. She also received £260 for lodging and £6 6s in lieu of wine. A deputy housekeeper was established at £112 in 1824. The 1831 establishment at St. James's was comprised of the housekeeper of the State Apartments at the above salary; a housekeeper of Old St. James's Palace and one of New St. James's Palace (favour of herself and her i.e., Buckingham Palace) at £112 apiece. (fn. 14)

At Somerset House, a housekeeper's position was not established until 1714, when it received £200; that of the under housekeeper until 1707, when it received £100. The wardrobe keeper's position was established at £120 per annum under Charles II. By the reign of George III this had fallen to £100. The post of housekeeper was abolished as part of Economical Reform in 1782. (fn. 15)

The keeper of the wardrobe at the Tower of London made £36 per annum under Charles II. This position was apparently eliminated from the household rolls by 1685. The keeper of the lions was generally held by patent. (fn. 16)

The housekeeper at Westminster had custody not of the whole of the Palace of Westminster but only that part of it which came to be associated with the House of Lords, whence the holder derived his or her popular title. As such the housekeeper received 6s 8d per diem (£9 2s 6d per annum) payable at the Exchequer and an allowance of 5s 8d per diem (or £121 13s 4d per annum) payable by the treasury of the Chamber. The history of this position is complicated. Although the housekeeper was, as a rule, admitted to office pursuant to a lord chamberlain's warrant, the right of appointment appears to have been vested effectively in the Crown. In 1660 the office was held by John Wynyard by virtue of a grant for life made in 1635. In 1673 he obtained a reversionary grant in favour of his wife Margaret and their daughter, Grace. Both were dead by 1676 when he obtained a further reversionary grant in favour of his two daughters Elizabeth and Anne successively. On John's death in 1690 Anne, the sole survivor, succeeded to the office. Shortly before her death in 1705 she surrendered her life interest and was granted instead a lease of the office for thirty-one years in favour of herself and her husband, John Incledon, and their heirs and assigns. In 1718 Incledon executed a deed assigning the unexpired portion of his lease to his daughter Jane Grace and his son Charles and their heirs successively. On Incledon's death in 1720 the office passed accordingly to Jane Grace who subsequently married Nathanial Blackerby. On Jane Grace's death without issue in 1726 the office was vested in her brother who was, however, immediately bought out by Blackerby. In the following year Blackerby surrendered the remainder of the lease and obtained a new grant of the office for thirty-one years. On his death in 1742 it passed in accordance with the terms of his will to his daughter, Anne. In 1756 Anne surrendered her interest and received in exchange yet another lease of thirty-one years in favour of herself and her younger sister Elizabeth and their assigns. Elizabeth Blackerby predeceased her sister in 1780. Thereafter, a certain amount of confusion ensued. The lord chamberlain seems to have assumed that the office was vacant since the annual allowance of £121 13s 4d was transferred to Margaret Tolpay who received a warrant of appointment in 1782. However, Anne Blackerby continued to receive the salary of 6s 8d at the Exchequer until the expiry of the lease in 1787. Both salary and allowance were then transferred to Margaret Quarme who received a grant of the office by letters patent in 1789. In 1823 the position was slated for abolition at the next vacancy. The keeper of the armoury at Westminster made £13 6s 8d plus of £26 13s 4d in 1689. (fn. 17)

At the beginning of the period, Whitehall had the most extensive establishment, as befitted its status as the largest and principal residence of the Sovereign. First, the housekeeper made £138 per annum under Charles II; this was raised to £650 under William III. He was supported by an under housekeeper at £13 per annum in wages, 4s per diem in board wages. This was raised to 5s per diem under William III. At the beginning of the period there were two keepers of the galleries and privy lodgings at £50 in wages, £100 in board wages and £6 18s 4d in livery. The figure for board wages fell to £54 15 s under William III. A theatre keeper made £30 per annum under William III. Finally the keeper of the standing wardrobe made £32 5s in wages, £127 15s in board wages ( i.e., 7s per diem) under Charles II. This became £200 under William III, then £160 under George II. The housekeeper's and under housekeeper's positions continued to be filled into the reign of George III, long after the destruction of Whitehall Palace in 1698, thereby becoming among the most notorious sinecures at the Hanoverian court. In 1755 a housekeeper of the cockpit at Whitehall was established at £60 per annum. In 1782, this last office was merged with that of the housekeeper. (fn. 18)

The housekeeper at Windsor made 8d per diem. By the reign of William III this became £320 per annum. His remuneration rose to £408 by 1782, but was reduced to £300 in that year and continued at this rate in subsequent reigns. Towards the end of the period there emerged a housekeeper of the state apartments at Windsor, which is not always distinguished in the admissions documents from the older position. The keeper of the standing wardrobe initially made £13 13s in wages. Under William III this became £160 per annum. This post was abolished as part of Economical Reform in 1782. In 1823 the housekeepers of the Cottage, Cumberland Lodge and the Upper Lodge and Castle at Windsor made £112 apiece, plus allowances of £182 for four housemaids, £91 for two and £455 for ten housemaids, respectively. (fn. 19)

The housekeeper at York seems to have been unpaid on the household establishments. His position was apparently abolished on the Establishment of 1685.

From 1806 all under housekeepers are listed as housekeepers. (fn. 20)

Under Housekeeper, Keeper of the Privy Lodgings and Galleries, Wardrobe Keeper and Keeper of the Gardens at Audley End 1671–1702

Housekeeper at Brighton 1812–1837

Deputy Housekeeper at the Pavilion at Brighton 1829–?

Steward and Comptroller of the House Establishment at Brighton c. 1830

Housekeeper at Carlton House 1812–c. 1831

Housekeeper at Greenwich 1714–c. 1750

Keeper of the Standing Wardrobe and Privy Lodgings at Greenwich 1660–1702

Under Keeper of the Palace, Privy Lodgings and Gardens at Greenwich 1674– ?

Deputy Wardrobe Keeper and Keeper of the Privy Lodgings at Greenwich1666?

Housekeeper at Hampton Court 1660–1837

Under Housekeeper of Hampton Court 1660–1782

Keeper of the Standing Wardrobe and Privy Lodgings at Hampton Court 1660–1837

Housekeeper at Hyde Park (Bayswater) 1703–1782

Housekeeper and Keeper of the Standing Wardrobe at Kensington 1689–1837

Housekeeper at Kew by 1761–1837

Keeper of the Cottage in Kew Gardens by 1830–1837

Keeper of the Observatory at Kew 1823–1830

Attendants at the Observatory at Kew 1823–?

Chamber Keeper to the Observatory at Kew 1823–?

Housekeeper at Ludlow Castle 1695–?1702

Keeper of the Standing Wardrobe at Ludlow Castle 1660–?1702

Housekeeper at Newmarket c. 1668–c. 1823

Under Housekeeper at Newmarket 1661–?

Housekeeper at the Queen's House (later Buckingham House) by 1762–?1830

Housekeeper at Richmond 1685–c. 1714; 1755–1837

Housekeeper at St. James's 1703–1717

Under Housekeeper of St. James's (from c. 1806 Housekeeper at Old St. James's) 1706–1837

Deputy House Keeper at Old St. James's Palace 1824–1830

Housekeeper at New St. James's Palace 1830–1837

Housekeeper of the State Apartments at St. James's 1830–1837

Keeper of the Cabinet Council Apartments [?at St. James's] c. 1807–?

Keeper of the Standing Wardrobe at St. James's 1689–1782

Housekeeper at Somerset House 1719–1782

Keeper of the Wardrobe and Privy Lodgings at Somerset House 1660–1685

Under Housekeeper, Keeper of the Privy Lodgings and Keeper of the Standing Wardrobe at Somerset House c. 1674

Under Housekeeper and Keeper of the Standing Wardrobe at Somerset House 1707–?1778

Keeper of the Wardrobe at the Tower of London 1660–?1685

Keeper of the Lions in the Tower of London 1688–?1760

Keeper of the Fishing Temple and Cottage at Virginia Water 1834–1837

Housekeeper at Westminster Palace 1660–1837

Keeper of the Private Armory at Westminster 1689–?

Housekeeper at Whitehall 1660–1782

(from 1782 see Housekeeper of the Cockpit)

Under Housekeeper at Whitehall 1660–1679; c. 1694–?

Housekeeper of the Cockpit at Whitehall 1755–1837

Keepers of the Privy Lodgings and Galleries at Whitehall 1660–?1702

Keeper of the Privy Lodgings and Galleries in Reversion 1676–1686

Theatre Keeper at Whitehall 1665–by 1702

Scenekeeper in the Theatre at Whitehall 1665–?

Keeper of the Standing Wardrobe at Whitehall c. 1661–c. 1756

Keeper of the Orchard Gate in Channel Row 1690–?; 1721–?

Housekeeper at Windsor Castle 1660–1837

Housekeeper of the State Apartments at Windsor by 1832–1837

Housekeeper of the Garden House at Windsor 1719–c. 1832

Housekeeper of Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park by 1792–c. 1830

Housekeeper of the King's and Cumberland Lodges 1830–1837

Keeper of the Standing Wardrobe at Windsor 1660–1782

Housekeeper at York 1660–?1685

Under Housekeeper at York 1664–1671