The household below stairs: Clerks of the Green Cloth 1660-1782

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: Clerks of the Green Cloth 1660-1782', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, (London, 2006) pp. 403-407. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp403-407 [accessed 24 March 2024]

In this section

Clerks of the Green Cloth 1660–1782

The clerks of the green cloth were the effective officers of the board of green cloth and were appointed by royal warrant. According to the Present State of the British Court, `All Bills of Comptrolments, &c. relating to the Office, are allotted and allow'd by the Clerks Comptrollers, and summ'd up and Audited by the Clerks of the Green-Cloth. They likewise sit in Judgment with the Lord Steward, on Tryals, &c.'of the verge courts and issued all orders from the board for the administration and security of the Household Below Stairs. (fn. 1) From 1660 there were four such clerks, designated first and second clerk of the green cloth and first and second clerk comptroller of the green cloth. In 1761 the number of clerks was increased to six with the addition of a third and fourth clerk comptroller. In the following year the six clerks were redesignated first, second and third clerks and first, second and third clerk comptroller of the green cloth. (fn. 2) During the later seventeenth century supernumerary clerk comptrollers were appointed from time to time. The offices were abolished in 1782. (fn. 3) Originally the remuneration of each clerk amounted to £500 consisting of wages of £44 6s 8d and board wages of £455 13s 4d, plus lodgings, diet, fees on the signing of contracts and ancient rights of `Wast, Command and Remaines”, i.e., leftover provisions. (fn. 4) In 1703 an additional allowance of £438 was provided on the surrender of the last. (fn. 5) In 1761 this allowance was increased to £518 bringing the total to £1,018. (fn. 6)

The assistants were appointed by the clerks. (fn. 7) They had no fixed designation being also described as clerks or writers to the officers of the green cloth. Originally four in number they were increased to six in 1761 when there was a corresponding increase in the number of clerks of the green cloth. They were reduced to five in 1769 and abolished with their principals in 1782. Early in the eighteenth century, the assistants were allowed £50 plus an extra allowance of £18 9s, £20 in lieu of wine, £14 7s 6d in lieu of venison, and fees on bills and contracts worth perhaps £20 per annum. In 1761 they were granted an established allowance of £150; in 1769 a salary of £180 was substituted. (fn. 8)

Clerks 1660–1782

1660 25 June Fenn, Sir R.
1660 25 June Crane, J.
1660 22 Aug. Wood, Sir H.
1661 14 Jan. Fox, S.
1671 26 May Boreman, Sir W.
1686 12 July Churchill, Sir W.
1688 10 Apr. Firebrace, Sir H.
1689 21 Feb. Forester, W.
1689 13 Apr. Forbes, J.
1702 16 Apr. Rowe, A.
1704 25 Sept. Scarburgh, C.
1714 21 Oct. Godfrey, C.
1715 1 Mar. Walter, Sir J.
1716 17 Feb. Charlton, J.
1717 15 Apr. Wroth, R.
1720 20 Feb. Feilding, Hon. W.
1720 17 Mar. Corbet, Sir R.
1724 10 Apr. Earle, G.
1727 26 July Reade, Sir T.
1727 26 July Wynn, T.
1749 8 June Hales, Sir T.
1752 20 Nov. Carey, W.
1757 6 May Drake, Sir F.H.
1761 17 Mar. Townshend, T.
1761 17 Mar. Evelyn, J.
1762 24 Dec. Bridgeman, H.
1762 24 Dec. Fanshawe, S.
1764 18 Apr. Drake, Sir F.H.
1767 13 Aug. Grey, Hon. J.
1768 15 Jan. Brudenell, G.B.
1771 20 Jan. Gilmour, Sir A.
1777 6 June Hopkins, R.
1777 10 Dec. Vernon, R.
1779 1 July Nassau, Hon. R.S.
1780 5 Sept. Payne, Sir R.

Clerk Comptrollers 1660–1782

1660 25 June Wood, Sir H.
1660 25 June Fox, S.
1660 22 Aug. Barker, G.
1661 14 Jan. Boreman, W.
1664 13 Sept. Churchill, Sir W.
1671 26 May Trethewy, J.
1671 26 June Mason, R.
1685 14 Mar. Firebrace, H.
1686 12 July Sparrow, J.
1688 10 Apr. Morley, T.
1689 21 Feb. Forbes, J.
1689 21 Feb. Isaac, P.
1689 12 Apr. Fox, J.
1690 22 Jan. Vivian, T.
1691 Sept. Isaac, C.
1693 1 Apr. Rowe, A.
1702 20 Apr. Scarburgh, C.
1702 20 Apr. Griffith, E.
1704 1 Oct. Godfrey, C.
1711 18 Feb. Walter, Sir J.
1714 21 Oct. Charlton, J.
1715 1 Mar. Wroth, R.
1716 17 Feb. Feilding, Hon. W.
1717 15 Apr. Coventry, W.
1720 20 Feb. Corbet, Sir R.
1720 17 Mar. Earle, G.
1720 17 Mar. Bristow, R.
1724 10 Apr. Sutton, R.
1727 26 July Hales, T.
1738 1 Apr. Carey, W.
1749 8 June Wrottesley, Sir R.
1752 20 Nov. Drake, Sir F.H.
1754 2 Apr. Grey, Hon. J.
1757 6 May Morice, H.
1761 17 Mar. Bridgeman, H.
1761 17 Mar. Fanshawe, S.
1761 17 Mar. Drake, Sir F.H.
1762 24 Dec. Thynne, Hon. H.F.
1764 18 Apr. Vernon, R.
1765 1 Aug. Brudenell, G.B.
1765 1 Aug. Gilmour, Sir A.
1767 13 Aug. Hopkins, R.
1768 15 Jan. Vernon, R.
1771 20 Jan. Nassau, Hon. R.S.
1777 6 June Payne, Sir R.
1777 10 Dec. Worsley, Sir R.
1779 1 July Cuninghame, Sir W.A.
1780 5 Sept. Gordon, Sir W.
1780 5 Sept. Stanhope, L.

Supernumerary Clerk Comptrollers 1660–1691

1660 31 Aug. Boreman, W.
1670 22 Nov. Trethewy, J.
1674 23 Mar. Firebrace, H.
1688 11 Apr. Fox, J.
1691 28 Apr. Isaac, C.

Assistants 1702–1782

By 1702 Price, J.
By 1702 Spiesmaker, L.
By 1702 Parsons, E.
By 1702 Sayers, J.
By 1710 Shaw, J.
By 1718 Skinner, J.
By 1723 Price, H.
By 1723 Yonge, W.
By 1728 Morrison, W.
By 1735 Fetherston, W.
By 1741 Salter, T.
By 1741 Parsons, P.
By 1743 Delaune, J.
By 1755 Lethieullier, P.
By 1757 Ryder, J.
By 1761 Selwyn, W.
By 1761 Fanshawe, J.
By 1761 Stephenson, J.
By 1761 Blenman, W.
By 1761 Bray, W.
1762 Dec. Garnier, J.
1765 Aug. Boulton, H.

Footnotes

  • 1. For these offices, see PSBC, pp. 7–8; Beattie, pp. 73–83.
  • 2. LS 13/265, pp. 33, 58–9.
  • 3. 22 Geo. III, c. 82.
  • 4. LS 13/39, p. 18; LS 13/175, f. 108.
  • 5. LS 13/258, f. 17; Bucholz, p. 49.
  • 6. LS 13/55.
  • 7. For these offices, see PSBC, p. 19; Beattie, pp. 75–6.
  • 8. Beattie, p. 213; LS 13/55, 57, 60.