The Clerk of the Privy Council is a senior civil servant in His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, being Head of the Privy Council Office. [1]
This historic office is less powerful now than it once was and than its Canadian equivalent, whose holder serves ex officio as Head of the Canadian Civil Service, whereas these roles in the UK have been divided between the Cabinet Secretary and the Head of HM Civil Service. [2]
Until 1859 there were multiple — usually four — clerks of the Privy Council. Three of the four positions then extant were progressively abolished in the 19th century until only one remained in 1859. The Clerk of the Privy Council is deputized by one or two Deputy Clerks, although the office of Senior Clerk has been established in the past. [3] [4]
Date | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 August 1540 | William Paget [5] | |||||
23 April 1543 | John Mason [6] | William Honnyng | ||||
17 November 1545 | vacant | |||||
18 December 1545 | Sir Thomas Chaloner | |||||
March 1547 | Thomas Smith | |||||
10 May 1548 | Armagil Wade [7] | |||||
20 May 1550 | William Thomas [8] | |||||
24 September 1551 | Bernard Hampton [9] | |||||
12 May 1552 | vacant | |||||
By 31 March 1553 | vacant | |||||
19 July 1553 | vacant | |||||
30 July 1553 | Sir Francis Allen [9] | William Smith | ||||
After 23 December 1566 | vacant | |||||
1570 | vacant | |||||
29 April 1571 | Edmund Tremayne [10] | |||||
1572 | vacant | |||||
6 July 1572 | Robert Beale [10] | |||||
18 July 1576 | Sir Thomas Wilkes [10] | Henry Cheke | ||||
After 5 September 1581 | vacant | |||||
September 1582 | vacant | |||||
7 October 1584 | Sir William Wade [11] | |||||
19 March 1587 | Sir Anthony Ashley [12] | |||||
2 March 1598 | vacant | |||||
21 April 1598 | Sir Thomas Smith [10] | |||||
27 May 1601 | vacant | |||||
18 June 1601 | Sir Thomas Edmondes | |||||
25 May 1608 | Sir Ralph Winwood [12] | Sir John Corbet [9] | ||||
15 August 1609 | vacant | |||||
7 September 1609 | Sir Clement Edmondes [9] | |||||
27 November 1609 | vacant | |||||
By 31 May 1610 | vacant | |||||
22 July 1610 | Sir George Calvert [13] | |||||
7 December 1611 | vacant | |||||
23 August 1613 | vacant | |||||
24 September 1613 | Francis Cottington [14] | |||||
24 February 1614 | William Trumbull [9] | |||||
16 February 1619 | vacant | |||||
February 1619 | Sir Albertus Morton | |||||
13 October 1622 | vacant | |||||
7 November 1622 | John Dickenson [9] | |||||
11 December 1622 | Sir Thomas Meautys [15] | |||||
24 January 1623 | Sir William Beecher | |||||
September 1635 | vacant | |||||
9 October 1635 | Sir Edward Nicholas [13] | |||||
By 20 January 1636 | vacant | |||||
26 May 1636 | Sir Dudley Carleton [16] | |||||
27 January 1641 | Sir Richard Browne [17] | |||||
27 November 1641 | vacant |
Date | One | Two | Three | Four |
---|---|---|---|---|
14 May 1649 | Sir Edward Walker | vacant | vacant | vacant |
18 November 1656 | Sir George Lane | |||
27 October 1658 | Sir John Nicholas | |||
22 June 1660 | Sir Richard Browne | |||
23 September 1664 | Sir Robert Southwell | |||
24 January 1672 | Sir Joseph Williamson | |||
16 September 1674 | Sir Philip Lloyd | |||
21 February 1677 | Sir Thomas Doleman | |||
5 December 1679 | Francis Gwyn | |||
16 January 1685 | William Bridgeman | Sir Philip Musgrave | ||
6 February 1685 | vacant | |||
22 October 1686 | William Bridgeman | William Blathwayt | ||
11 December 1688 | vacant | vacant | ||
21 February 1689 | Charles Montagu | Richard Cooling | ||
24 March 1692 | John Dyve | |||
12 January 1693 | William Bridgeman | |||
27 July 1697 | John Povey | |||
18 May 1699 | Edward Southwell | |||
11 January 1705 | Sir Christopher Musgrave | |||
2 November 1710 | Sir Christopher Musgrave | |||
12 May 1715 | James Vernon | |||
26 March 1716 | Sir Robert Hales | |||
23 October 1717 | Abraham Stanyan | |||
3 February 1720 | Temple Stanyan | |||
22 May 1729 | Sir Walter Carey | |||
11 February 1731 | William Sharpe | |||
21 April 1752 | Gilbert West | |||
14 April 1756 | Henry Fane | |||
6 May 1756 | William Blair | |||
19 May 1757 | Francis Vernon | |||
22 April 1762 | Philip Sharpe | |||
23 June 1764 | Hon. Robert Walpole | |||
11 September 1767 | Sir Stephen Cotterell | |||
4 December 1772 | Sir George Chetwynd | |||
1 January 1779 | William Fawkener | |||
25 August 1786 | Grey Elliot | |||
June 1787 | ||||
19 April 1810 | abolished | |||
8 August 1810 | Richard, Viscount Chetwynd | |||
19 August 1811 | James Buller | |||
20 March 1821 | Charles Greville | |||
24 March 1824 | abolished | |||
15 December 1830 | Hon. William Bathurst | |||
May 1859 | abolished | |||
June 1860 | Sir Arthur Helps | |||
17 March 1875 | Sir Charles Lennox Peel [18] | |||
9 August 1898 | Sir Almeric FitzRoy [19] [20] | |||
31 May 1923 | Sir Maurice Hankey [21] | |||
1 August 1938 | Sir Rupert Howorth [22] | |||
1942 | Sir Eric Leadbitter [23] | |||
30 June 1951 | Major Francis Ford Fernau [24] | |||
1953 | Sir Godfrey Agnew [25] | |||
1974 | Sir Neville Egerton Leigh [26] [27] | |||
1984 | Sir Geoffrey de Deney [28] | |||
1992 | Sir Nigel Nicholls | |||
1998 | Alex Galloway | |||
2007 | Judith Simpson | |||
2012 | Richard Tilbrook |
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