The household below stairs: Accompting House 1660-1782

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

'The household below stairs: Accompting House 1660-1782', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, (London, 2006) pp. 411-414. British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp411-414 [accessed 25 April 2024]

Accompting House 1660–1782

In 1660 the establishment of the accompting house consisted of a sergeant, appointed by royal warrant, and two yeomen, one groom, and two messengers appointed by lord steward's warrant. (fn. 1) The sergeant was made supernumerary in 1664 at wages of £11 8s 1½d and board wages of £24 6s 8d. The office was abolished on the death of its holder in 1670. (fn. 2)

The yeomen received wages of £5 and board wages of £80 in 1664. The board wages fell to £59 10s in 1668, rose to £73 in 1674 then fell to £54 15s in 1680. Total remuneration was fixed at £60 in 1685, then in 1689 was settled at wages of £5 and board wages of £73. In 1761 the salaries of the first and second yeomen were fixed at £100 and £80 respectively. (fn. 3)

The number of grooms was increased to two in 1674. The remuneration was fixed at wages of £2 13s 4d and board wages of £50 in 1664. The board wages fell to £42 11s 8d in 1668, rose to £54 15s in 1674 and fell to £41 1s 3d in 1680. Total remuneration was fixed at £50 in 1685 while in 1689 it was settled at wages of £5 and board wages of £54 15s. In 1761 the salaries of the grooms were fixed at £58. (fn. 4)

Two messengers of the accompting house were established by 1661, one thereafter. In 1662, emoluments consisted of £2 13s 4d per annum in wages, £18 5s in board wages, the latter rising to £36 10s in 1664. This salary fell to a total of £30 per annum under James II, then rose to £2 13 s 4d in wages plus £37 6s 8d in board wages under William III, before rising again to £76 under George II and George III. In 1812 the messenger's remuneration fell to £68. In 1820 the total emoluments for the place are listed as £160 per annum. This fell to £100 after 1830. (fn. 5)

The rest of the accompting house was abolished in 1782. (fn. 6)

Sergeant 1660–1664



1660		Sayers, R.
1660	28 Aug.	Garnham, W.

Supernumerary Sergeant 1664–1670



1664	1 Oct.	Garnham, W.

Yeomen 1660–1782



1660	2 Aug.	Wiggan, R.
1660	2 Aug.	Gardner, W.
1660	25 Sept.	Garnham, P.
1662	12 Aug.	Wiggan, R.
1673	3 July	Morgan, C.
1705	24 Apr.	Shaw, J.
1707	14 July	Parsons, E.
1711	24 Feb.	Spiesmaker, L.
1714	27 July	Powell, H.
1717	30 Dec.	Holbech, J.
1727	1 July	Bale, S.
1730	24 Dec.	Didier, I.
1736	15 Dec.	Campbell, A.
1742	28 Jan.	Bale, S.S.
1751	22 Feb.	Salter, T.
1756	28 Apr.	Salter, E.
1760	20 Dec.	Godfrey, E.
1764	18 July	Talbot, W.
1779	18 Mar.	Secker, G.

Grooms 1660–1782



1660	23 Aug.	Wiggan, W.
1670	23 July	Morgan C.
1673	3 July	Whittingham, A.
1674	2 Dec.	Johnson, J.
1678	14 Feb.	Collins, J.
1682	8 July	Fox, T.
1684	20 Dec.	Collins, W.
1687	8 Dec.	Thornburgh, G.
1689	19 Aug.	Shaw, J.
1705	4 Jan.	Parsons, E.
1705	24 Apr.	Spiesmaker, L.
1707	14 July	Powell, H.
1711	24 Feb.	Holbech, J.
1714	27 July	Paul, W.
1717	30 Dec.	Gerrard, J.
1721	4 Nov.	Campbell, P.
1727	1 July	Campbell, A.
1729	1 Sept.	Didier, I.
1730	24 Dec.	Sedgwick, H.
1736	15 Dec.	Shaw, S.
1744	19 Nov.	Staples, J.
1748	16 Nov.	Webster, J.

Messengers 1660–1837

from 1757 `to the Board of Greencloth') 1660–1837



1660		Betterman, P.
1660	23 Aug.	Torles, F.
By 1661		Rogers, P.
1662	1 Oct.	Torles, J.
1671	22 Mar.	Gransdon, J.
1680	6 Nov.	Richardson, G.
1690	3 May	Sampson, H.
1707	13 Mar.	Phillips, E.
1725	4 Mar.	Stone, E.
1757	17 Mar.	Stone, A.
1770	16 July	Law, A.
1787	18 Sept.	Howles, J.
1812	7 Mar.	Yerbury, G.
1830	5 Apr.	Martin, W.

Supernumerary Messenger 1674–1685



1674	30 June	Torles, J.