The household below stairs: Master of the Household 1660-1837

Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Originally published by University of London, London, 2006.

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'The household below stairs: Master of the Household 1660-1837', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, (London, 2006) pp. 402-403. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp402-403 [accessed 19 April 2024]

In this section

Master of the Household 1660–1837

The master of the household, generally a sinecure, was appointed by royal warrant. (fn. 1) The remuneration originally amounted to £500 consisting of wages of 100 marks (£66 13s 4d) and board wages of £433 6s 8d, plus lodgings at Whitehall and plate worth £400. (fn. 2) In 1761 an additional allowance of £438 was granted in lieu of fees bringing the total to £938. (fn. 3) This was increased to £1,138 in 1782 and to £1,158 in 1812. (fn. 4)

The clerkship to the master of the household was an unestablished position until 1761. Its holder received £25 per annum in 1668, £20 in 1680 'for keeping and making of the Maine Dockett drawing and transcribing Lettrs. orders and Engrossing the same'. This became the official salary on the Establishment of 1 July 1761. This office was abolished in 1783. (fn. 5)

A private secretary was established in 1804.

Master 1660–1837

1660 5 July Price, H.
1678 1 Feb. Bulkeley, Hon. H.
1689 25 Mar. Felton, T.
1708 16 Nov. Dunch, E.
1712 20 June Pole, Sir W.
1714 21 Oct. Dunch, E.
1720 21 Jan. Darcy, C.
1730 8 May Treby, G.
1741 24 Apr. Harris, J.
1768 15 Jan. Thynne, Hon. H.F.
1771 20 Jan. Drake, Sir F.H.
1794 16 July Strachey, H.
1810 27 June Kenrick, W.
1812 28 July Hulse, S.
1827 16 May Watson, F.B.

Clerk to Master 1761–1783

1761 1 July Couch, B.
1782 1 July Carpenter, J.P.

Private Secretary to the Master 1804–?1815

1804 6 July Keith, T.

Footnotes

  • 1. For this office, see PSBC, p. 7; Beattie, p. 70.
  • 2. LS 13/38, f. 10; LS 13/39, p. 18.
  • 3. LS 13/55.
  • 4. Beattie, p. 211; LS 13/60, 69.
  • 5. LS 13/35, f. 10; LS 13/37, f. 8v; LS 13/55, 62.