The bedchamber: Gentlemen of the Bedchamber

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

'The bedchamber: Gentlemen of the Bedchamber', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, (London, 2006) pp. 14-19. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp14-19 [accessed 26 April 2024]

Gentlemen of the Bedchamber 1660–1702, 1714–1837

One gentleman of the Bedchamber provided close attendance on the Sovereign per week. His duties included assisting the King at his dressing, waiting on him when he ate in private, guarding access to him in his bedchamber and closet and providing noble companionship, generally. The offices of gentleman of the bedchamber were in the gift of the Crown. (fn. 1) From 1660 the office of first gentleman was invariably coupled with that of groom of the stole. Originally the gentlemen were sworn in pursuance of royal warrants directed to the lord chamberlain. (fn. 2) From 1685 to 1688 these warrants were directed to the groom of the stole who swore them. (fn. 3) During the reign of William III it became the practice for new appointments to be communicated by the groom of the stole to the lord chamberlain, who thereupon swore them, saving the right of the groom of the stole to admit them into waiting. (fn. 4) On average 12 other gentlemen served at any one time but the number fluctuated considerably. During the reign of James II the number was reduced to eight. Between 1672 and 1714 extra gentlemen were occasionally appointed. No gentlemen were appointed during the reign of Anne.

The salary attached to the office, payable at the Exchequer, was £1,000 except during the reign of James II when it was reduced to £600. (fn. 5) In addition, they received lodgings and diet when the court was on progress. (fn. 6)

Gentlemen 1660–1837



1660	5 June	Granville, Sir J.
1660	7 June	Gerard, 1st Lord
1660	25 June	Wentworth, Lord
1660	3 July	Lauderdale, 2nd Earl of
1660	21 Sept.	Newcastle, 1st Marquess of
1660	26 Sept.	Crofts, 1st Lord
1660	23 Nov.	Albemarle, 1st Duke of
1660	23 Nov.	Ormond, 1st Marquess of
1661	30 Jan.	Newport, 1st Earl of
1661	9 July	Buckingham, 2nd Duke of
1661	9 July	Richmond, 3rd Duke of
1662	21 May	Mansfield, Viscount
1665	4 Mar.	Suffolk, 3rd Earl of
1666	13 Feb.	Mandeville, Viscount
1666	11 Apr.	Ossory, Earl of
1667	6 Mar.	Rochester, 2nd Earl of
1667	23 Sept.	Buckingham, 2nd Duke of
1669	23 Dec.	Buckhurst, Lord
1673	19 Jan.	Mulgrave, 3rd Earl of
1673	19 Jan.	Albemarle, 2nd Duke of
1673	18 Oct.	Middlesex, 3rd Earl of
1674	2 Mar.	Lindsey, 3rd Earl of
1674	Oct.	Sunderland, 2nd Earl of
1677	Sept.	Oxford, 20th Earl of
1679	1 June	Ranelagh, 1st Earl of
1680	29 July	Latimer, Viscount
1680	1 Aug.	Sussex, 1st Earl of
1682	11 Nov.	Arran, Earl of
1683	3 Apr.	Lichfield, 1st Earl of
1685	23 Jan.	Bruce, Lord
1685	22 Apr.	Churchill, 1st Lord
1685	16 May	Somerset, 6th Duke of
1685	16 May	Beaufort, 1st Duke of
1685	16 May	Ossory, Earl of
1685	16 May	Mulgrave, 3rd Earl of
1685	16 May	Feversham, 2nd Earl of
1685	23 Oct.	Ailesbury, 2nd Earl of
1687	9 July	Dunbarton, 1st Earl of
1688	28 Nov.	Northumberland, 1st Duke of
1688	29 Nov.	Salisbury, 4th Earl of
1689	1 Mar.	Ormond, 2nd Duke of
1689	1 Mar.	Mordaunt, 2nd Viscount
1689	1 Mar.	Oxford, 20th Earl of
1689	1 Mar.	Churchill, 1st Lord
1689	1 Mar.	Lumley, 2nd Viscount
1689	1 Mar.	Sydney, Hon. H.
1689	16 Mar.	Clare, 4th Earl of
1689	6 Aug.	Drumlanrig, Earl of
1689	6 Aug.	Selkirk, 2nd Earl of
1691	Sept.	Essex, 3rd Earl of
1693	Mar.	Lexinton, 2nd Lord
1697	2 Apr.	Clifford of Lanesborough, Lord
1699	7 Feb.	Arran, 1st Earl of
1700	24 June	Carlisle, 3rd Earl of
1701	22 May	Bedford, 2nd Duke of
1701	14 June	Albemarle, 1st Earl of
1702	8 Mar.	Offices vacant (see Ladies of the Bedchamber)
1714	18 Sept.	Berkeley, 3rd Earl of
1714	18 Sept.	Dorset, 7th Earl of
1714	16 Oct.	Richmond, 1st Duke of
1714	16 Oct.	Grafton, 2nd Duke of
1714	16 Oct.	Kent, 1st Duke of
1714	16 Oct.	Lincoln, 7th Earl of
1714	16 Oct.	Manchester, 4th Earl of
1714	16 Oct.	Stair, 2nd Earl of
1714	16 Oct.	Selkirk, 2nd Earl of
1714	16 Oct.	Carteret, 2nd Lord
1714	16 Oct.	Orrery, 4th Earl of
1716	6 July	Orkney, 1st Earl of
1717	12 Feb.	Leicester, 6th Earl of
1717	16 July	Portland, 1st Duke of
1717	19 July	Lonsdale, 3rd Viscount
1719	9 May	Bridgwater, 4th Earl of
1719	9 May	Warwick, 7th Earl of
1719	9 May	Holdernesse, 3rd Earl of
1719	9 May	Lindsey, Marquess of
1720	13 June	Queensberry, 3rd Duke of
1720	13 June	Harold, Earl of
1721	10 Aug.	Bute, 2nd Earl of
1721	31 Aug.	Rutland, 3rd Duke of
1722	31 Jan.	Manchester, 2nd Duke of
1722	1 Feb.	Sussex, 1st Earl of
1723	2 Feb.	Teynham, 8th Lord
1723	25 May	Lynne, Lord
1723	1 June	Waldegrave, 2nd Lord
1725	3 June	Delawarr, 7th Lord
1726	6 Oct.	Richmond, 2nd Duke of
1727	1 June	Hamilton, 5th Duke of
1727	24 July	Chesterfield, 4th Earl of
1727	24 July	Delorain, 1st Earl of
1727	24 July	Essex, 3rd Earl of
1727	24 July	Albemarle, 2nd Earl of
1727	24 July	Herbert, Lord
1727	24 July	Paget, Lord
1727	24 July	Manners, Lord W.
1727	24 July	Clinton, 14th Lord
1730	31 Oct.	Waldegrave, 1st Earl
1731	16 July	Dunmore, 2nd Earl of
1733	9 Feb.	Hinton, Viscount
1733	13 Apr.	Cowper, 2nd Earl
1735	9 May	Harcourt, 2nd Earl
1737	23 June	Tankerville, 2nd Earl of
1738	11 Aug.	Marlborough, 3rd Duke of
1738	11 Aug.	Rochford, 4th Earl of
1738	11 Aug.	St. Albans, 2nd Duke of
1738	11 Aug.	Fauconberg, 4th Viscount
1739	7 Dec.	Manchester, 3rd Duke of
1741	17 Apr.	Holdernesse, 4th Earl of
1741	17 Apr.	Kingston, 2nd Duke of
1743	21 Jan.	Lincoln, 9th Earl of
1743	17 Dec.	Waldegrave, 2nd Earl
1748	18 Mar.	Ashburnham, 2nd Earl of
1751	18 May	Hertford, 1st Earl of
1751	24 June	Fitzwilliam, 3rd Earl
1751	18 July	Rockingham, 2nd Marquess of
1752	22 Nov.	Coventry, 6th Earl of
1752	22 Nov.	Hyndford, 3rd Earl of
1753	3 Jan.	Northumberland, 2nd Earl of
1755	17 Mar.	Ancaster, 3rd Duke of
1755	17 Mar.	Essex, 4th Earl of
1755	17 Mar.	Orford, 3rd Earl of
1756	15 Nov.	Buckinghamshire, 2nd Earl of
1760	27 Nov.	Carnarvon, Marquess of
1760	27 Nov.	Richmond, 3rd Duke of
1760	27 Nov.	Eglintoun, 10th Earl of
1760	27 Nov.	March, 3rd Earl of
1760	27 Nov.	Weymouth, 3rd Viscount
1760	11 Dec.	Lichfield, 3rd Earl of
1760	11 Dec.	Oxford, 4th Earl of
1760	11 Dec.	Bruce, 2nd Lord
1761	13 Jan.	Pembroke, 10th Earl of
1761	17 Mar.	Bertie, Lord R.
1761	21 Mar.	Pulteney, Viscount
1761	3 Nov.	Bolingbroke, 2nd Viscount
1762	27 Mar.	Masham, 2nd Lord
1762	2 Aug.	Pomfret, 2nd Earl of
1762	2 Dec.	Manchester, 4th Duke of
1763	1 Jan.	Willoughby de Broke, 14th Lord
1763	9 Apr.	Denbigh, 6th Earl of
1767	6 Nov.	Botetourt, 4th Lord
1767	10 Dec.	Roxburghe, 3rd Duke of
1768	2 Jan.	Bolingbroke, 2nd Viscount
1769	8 Sept.	Pembroke, 10th Earl of
1769	20 Sept.	Jersey, 4th Earl of
1776	5 June	Carmarthen, Marquess of
1777	27 Feb.	Fauconberg, 2nd Earl
1777	19 Dec.	Winchilsea, 9th Earl of
1777	19 Dec.	Aylesford, 4th Earl of
1780	15 Sept.	Onslow, 4th Lord
1780	15 Sept.	Boston, 2nd Lord
1782	11 Apr.	Rivers, 1st Lord
1782	23 May	Essex, 4th Earl of
1784	1 Jan.	Galloway, 7th Earl of
1789	11 Mar.	Delawarr, 4th Earl
1790	21 Oct.	Wentworth, 2nd Viscount
1795	19 Nov.	Poulett, 4th Earl
1797	27 Apr.	Macclesfield, 4th Earl of
1799	5 Mar.	Somerville, 14th Lord
1800	20 July	Sydney, 2nd Viscount
1802	27 Apr.	Amherst, 2nd Lord
1804	19 May	Rivers, 2nd Lord
1804	24 May	Arden, 2nd Lord
1804	28 June	St. Helens, 1st Lord
1806	15 Nov.	Spencer, Lord C.
1812	10 Mar.	Headfort, 1st Marquess of
1812	10 Mar.	Murray, Lord J.
1812	10 Mar.	Ormond, 18th Earl of
1812	10 Mar.	Melbourne, 1st Viscount
1812	10 Mar.	Petersham, Viscount
1812	10 Mar.	Heathfield, 2nd Lord
1813	5 Feb.	Whitworth, 1st Lord
1813	13 Mar.	Lake, 2nd Viscount
1813	13 July	Delawarr, 5th Earl
1813	13 July	Graves, 2nd Lord
1814	25 June	Stewart, 1st Lord
1815	18 Apr.	Amherst, 2nd Lord
1819	15 Jan.	Fife, 4th Earl
1820	16 June	St. Helens, 1st Lord
1821	23 Mar.	Lovaine, Lord
1823	12 Mar.	Erroll, 18th Earl of
1826	27 May	Strathavon, Lord
1827	22 Aug.	Clinton, 18th Lord
1827	27 Aug.	Fife, 4th Earl
1828	6 Mar.	Brooke and Warwick, 3rd Earl
1828	6 Mar.	Roden, 3rd Earl of
1828	23 July	Chesterfield, 6th Earl of
1829	20 Nov.	Amherst, 1st Earl
1829	20 Nov.	Howe, 1st Earl
1830	17 July	O'Brien, Lord J.
1830	17 July	Hastings, 2nd Marquess of
1830	4 Aug.	Denbigh, 7th Earl of
1830	30 Nov.	Waldegrave, 6th Earl
1830	30 Nov.	Napier, 9th Lord
1830	14 Dec.	Byron, 7th Lord
1830	23 Dec.	Falkland, 10th Viscount
1831	11 Mar.	Gosford, 2nd Earl of
1831	22 Aug.	Queensberry, 6th Marquess of
1831	5 Oct.	Lilford, 3rd Lord
1832	23 May	Ashbrook, 4th Viscount
1832	8 Oct.	Elphinstone, 13th Lord
1833	5 Jan.	FitzClarence, Lord A.
1834	10 Jan.	Torrington, 7th Viscount
1834	7 Nov.	Gardner, 3rd Lord
1834	30 Dec.	Tullamore, Lord
1834	30 Dec.	Brudenell Bruce, Lord E.
1834	30 Dec.	Sheffield, 2nd Earl of
1835	10 Jan.	Verulam, 1st Earl of
1835	10 Jan.	de Lisle and Dudley, 1st Lord
1835	10 Jan.	Sydney, 3rd Viscount
1835	10 Jan.	Morton, 17th Earl of
1835	10 Aug.	Fife, 4th Earl
1835	11 Aug.	Falkland, 10th Viscount
1835	11 Aug.	Elphinstone, 13th Lord
1835	11 Aug.	Gardner, 3rd Lord
1835	11 Aug.	Torrington, 7th Viscount
1835	11 Aug.	Headfort, 2nd Marquess of
1835	11 Aug.	Queensberry, 6th Marquess of
1835	11 Aug.	Templemore, 1st Lord
1836	29 June	Lilford, 3rd Lord
1836	26 Oct.	Gordon, Lord J.F.

Gentlemen in Extraordinary 1672–1716



1672	23 Dec.	Mulgrave, 3rd Earl of
1673	19 Oct.	Sunderland, 2nd Earl of
1674	3 May	Oxford, 20th Earl of
1674	31 Oct.	Latimer, Viscount
1677	22 Sept.	Sussex, 1st Earl of
1679	14 Jan.	Arran, Earl of
1680	31 July	Lichfield, 1st Earl of
1680	7 Aug.	Hyde, Hon. L.
1682	27 Aug.	Middleton, 2nd Earl of
1682	8 Nov.	Feversham, 2nd Earl of
1683	3 Apr.	Shrewsbury, 12th Earl of
1683	3 Apr.	Lansdowne, Viscount
1692	4 Nov.	Montpouillon, Marquess of
1697	Apr.	St. Albans, 1st Duke of
1701	22 May	Bedford, 2nd Duke of
1714	25 Oct.	Orkney, 1st Earl of