The household below stairs: Knight Marshal 1660-1837

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

'The household below stairs: Knight Marshal 1660-1837', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, (London, 2006) pp. 518-521. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp518-521 [accessed 26 April 2024]

Knight Marshal 1660–1837

According to The Present State of the British Court,

The Knight Marshal is an Officer employ'd in the King's Court or Marshalsea, and the Marshal's Men under him are properly the King's Bailiffs. They arrest in the Verge of the Court, when a Warrant is back'd by the Board of Green-cloth. The Knight Marshal and his Men have place in all publick Cavalcades, at Declaring of War, Proclaiming Peace, publick Entries and Processions made by the Soveraign. (fn. 1)

Above all, the knight marshal and his men were responsible for maintaining order within the court. The knight marshal was appointed by the Crown for life by letters patent under the great seal frequently in the form of grants in reversion. Board wages were fixed at £21 5s 10d in 1662. In 1685 a salary of £26 was provided. This was raised to £500 in 1790 but reduced to £271 in 1816. (fn. 2)

The undermarshals (also known as marshal's men, provost marshals or, later in the period, deputy marshals) were stationed at palace gates. They were appointed during good behavior by the knight marshal. Six such officers were granted 10s per diem, plus livery, in 1662. The Establishment of 1 Oct. 1668 granted them board wages of £30 8s 4d, apiece. This fell to £18 5s, apiece, in 1680. Their number fell to five at £20, apiece, in 1685, then rose to six again in 1691. This remained their number and remuneration through the eighteenth century. Two additional undermarshals were appointed in 1800 in response to the Union with Ireland. The undermarshals' salaries rose to £120 by 1817. (fn. 3)

Knight Marshal 1660–1837



1660	11 July	Throckmorton, Sir W.
1667	22 Apr.	Wyndham, Sir E.
1681	3 Mar.	Villiers, Sir E.
1689	4 July	Villiers, Sir E.
1700	11 July	Meadows, P.
1757	5 Dec.	Meadows, S.
1792	15 Nov.	Boscawen, H.
1795	10 Nov.	Burges, Sir J.B.
1824	11 Oct.	Lamb, Sir C.M.

Under Marshals

(or Marshal's Men, Provost Marshals or, from 1816, Deputy Marshals) (1668–1837)



1691	23 May	Wright, M.
By 1691		Leicester, J.
By 1691		Bulstrode, T.
By 1691		Byrt, S.
By 1691		Nicholz, --
By 1691		Booth, W.
By 1692		Treu, J.
1692	25 Dec.	Jewster, W.
By 1693		Gwatkin, W.
1693	29 Sept.	Bockett, T.
By 1700		Appleby, J.
1700	6 Apr.	Salmon, J.
1703	5 Feb.	Gwatkin, R.
1706	5 Aug.	Jenkins, J.
By 1707		Mitchell, H.
1707	6 June	Watson, E.
1709	12 Dec.	Frankland, J.
1711	9 Feb.	Grey, T.
1713	22 April	Wright, C.
1713	2 Sept.	Gregory, J.
1714	21 April	Gardyner, J.
1715	21 Oct.	Ryder, W.
1719	4 Mar.	Hotchkis, R.
1720	24 Feb.	Lucas, W.
1721	20 Sept.	Martin, J.
1722	11 Dec.	Agar, W.
1723	6 Nov.	Burley, W., jun.
1724	24 Feb.	Wallington, J.
1726	24 Jan.	North, J.
1727	17 May	Silkirk, O.
1730	1 Sept.	Hawkins, J.
1731	15 May	Cartwright, T.
1732	21 June	Tomlinson, C.
1736	1 Dec.	Nisbett, G.
1737	6 Jan.	Redgate, G.
1737	15 Sept.	Huddle, E.
1737	17 Oct.	North, C.
1738	27 Feb.	Lynn, E.
1738	28 Sept.	Calfe, J.
1739	26 Feb.	Cooper, R.
1742	9 July	Smart, T.
1743	21 Mar.	Allen, E.
1744	1 Nov.	Gwyn, P.
1754	21 June	Cackett, H.
1756	22 Sept.	Speed, R.
1758	14 Dec.	Lee, R.
1759	10 Dec.	Carter, R.
1764	2 May	Mackender, H.
1766	4 Apr.	Scraggs, R.
1766	23 May	Homan, H.
1767	22 Apr.	Franklin, R.
1770	3 Jan.	King, T.
1774	1 Feb.	Shipman, W.
1775	6 Nov.	Smith, R.
1779	28 Jan.	Simons, W.
1781	8 Feb.	Norris, J.
1785	24 Mar.	King, W.
1785	10 Nov.	Millard, J.
1788	11 May	Marriott, S.
1788	26 July	While, N.
1789	28 May	Hale, E.
1791	16 Mar.	Sanders, S.
1792	19 June	Jarrett, T.
1794	20 Feb.	Church, E.
1798	10 Sept.	Bruce, A.
1798	23 Oct.	Sayer, J.
1799	30 Oct.	Skerritt, G.
1800	20 Aug.	Cluhey, F.
1800	21 Aug.	Greenfield, G.
1800	18 Sept.	Cross, J.
1800	16 Oct.	Cobb, T.
1800	16 Oct.	Cruchley, J.
1801	2 Jan.	Henderson, T.
1801	2 Jan.	Jenkins, W.
1801	5 Feb.	Cross, W.
1802	27 May	Quin, B.
1803	22 Sept.	Young, R.
1804	14 July	Young, C.
1804	14 July	Younge, J.
1804	15 Oct.	Nodin, W.
1805	31 Jan.	Skelton, W.
1806	17 Sept.	Moss, R.
1807	18 July	Knapman, W.
1807	17 Aug.	Bird, T.
1808	24 Feb.	Crowley, P.
1809	1 June	David, M.
1811	19 Apr.	Hardy, E.
1811	30 July	Birch, F.
1813	20 Jan.	Anderson, S.T.
1814	14 July	Goringe, C.
1815	10 Mar.	Dyer, G.
1816	5 Apr.	Jolly, J.
1817	2 Nov.	Gilbert, R.
1821	29 June	Rutland, J.
1837	20 Jan.	Turner, T.