Cofferer of the Household

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Henry Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle served Cofferer of the Household between 1747 and 1754. Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne by William Hoare.jpg
Henry Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle served Cofferer of the Household between 1747 and 1754.

The cofferer of the Household was formerly an office in the English and British Royal Household. Next in rank to the Comptroller, the holder paid the wages of some of the servants above and below stairs, was a member of the Board of Green Cloth, and sat with the Lord Steward in the Court of the Verge. [1] [2] The cofferer was usually of political rank and always a member of the Privy Council. [3]

The office dates from the 13th century, when it was known as Cofferer of the Wardrobe. The Keeper of the Wardrobe was at this time increasingly occupied with matters of state, and so his chief clerk gradually took on additional responsibilities for accounting and bookkeeping, and came to be referred to as the Cofferer. [4] As such, he became in effect the working head of the Wardrobe, and acted when required as locum tenens to the Keeper. The Cofferer had his own staff of clerks, who later came to be known as the Clerks of the Green Cloth (after the green cloth covering of the table in the accounting office). [4]

By the end of the 14th century the Wardrobe had ceased to be an independent office of influence at Court; its officers were made subsidiary to the Lord Steward and duly re-designated as being 'of the Household' (rather than 'of the Wardrobe'). [5] The Cofferer retained his role as principal accounting officer under the Lord Steward. [6]

The office of Cofferer was abolished by the Civil List and Secret Service Money Act 1782. [7] By the same means 'provision was made for more economical methods of keeping the accounts of Civil List expenditure under the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury': [6] thenceforward the accounts of the Lord Steward's Department were included in the Estimates.

List of incumbents

NameEntered officeLeft officeNotesReference
Roger RepingtonIn office during the reign of Empress Matilda in the 12th century [8]
William Louth12741280 [9]
William March12801284 [9]
Henry Wheatley12841287 [9]
Walter Langton 12871290Keeper of the Wardrobe, 1290 [9]
John Droxford 12901290Keeper of the Wardrobe, 1295 [9]
Philip Everdon12901295 [9]
Walter Barton12951297 [9]
Ralph Manton12971303 [9]
Walter Bedwyn13031307 [9]
Peter Collingbourn13071308Keeper of the Wardrobe, 1312 [9]
John Ockham13081309 [9]
Robert Wodehouse 13091311Controller of the Wardrobe, 1314 [9]
John Ockham13111314 [9]
Nicholas Huggate13141315Controller of the Wardrobe, 1326 [9]
Henry Hale13161316 [9]
Robert Wodehouse13171318 [9]
Unknown(1318–1320) [9]
Richard Ferriby13201323Controller of the Wardrobe, 1331 [9]
Unknown(1323–1327) [9]
Richard Bury 13271328Keeper of the Wardrobe, 1328 [9]
John Houton13281331 [9]
William Norwell13311334Keeper of the Wardrobe, 1335 [9]
John Cokham13341335 [9]
John Houton13351337 [9]
Richard Nateby13371338Controller of the Wardrobe, 1338 [9]
William Dalton13381344Controller of the Wardrobe, 1344 [9]
Richard Eccleshall13341349 or 1350 [9]
Unknown(1350–1359) [9]
Thomas Brantingham 13591361Keeper of the Wardrobe, 1368 [9]
Unknown(1361–1369) [9]
Richard Beverley13691376Keeper of the Wardrobe, 1376 [9]
John Carp13761390Keeper of the Wardrobe, 1390 [9]
John Stacy13901395 [9]
Thomas More13951399Keeper of the Wardrobe, 1401 [9]
Unknown
John Spencer 14131413Keeper of the Great Wardrobe, 1413 [10] [11]
William Kinwolmarsh In office during the reign of Henry V [12]
Unknown
John Kendale14611470 [13]
John Elrington14711474Keeper of the Wardrobe, 1474 [13]
Richard Jeny1479 [13]
James Blundell14791481 [13]
John Belle14831485 [13]
Laurence WarhamIn office in 1485 [14]
John Payne14861492 [14]
William Fisher14921494 [14]
William Cope 14941505 [14]
Edward Chesemanby 1508 [14]
John Shurley 15091527 [14]
Sir Edmund Peckham1524 or 15271547 [14] [15]
John Ryther15471552 [14] [16]
Thomas Weldon 15521553 [14] [17]
Sir Richard Freeston15531557 [14]
Michael Wentworth15581558 [14] [18]
Thomas Weldon and Richard Ward15581559 [14] [17] [19]
Thomas Weldon 15591567 [14] [17]
Richard Ward15671578 [14] [19]
Anthony Crane15781580 [14]
John Abingdon 15801582 [14]
Gregory Lovell15821597 [14]
Sir Henry Cocke 15971610 [14] [20]
Sir Robert Vernon16101615 [14] [20]
Sir Arthur Ingram 16151615Suspended [14] [20]
Sir Marmaduke Dayrell 1615cont. [14] [20]
Sir Marmaduke Dayrell and Sir Henry Vane 16251632 [14] [20]
Sir Henry Vane and Sir Roger Palmer 16321632 [14] [20]
Sir Roger Palmer 16321643 [14]
William Ashburnham 16421646 [3] [21]
Commonwealth (1649–1660) [21]
William Ashburnham 16601679 [7]
Lord Brouncker, from 1684 The Viscount Brouncker16791685 [7]
Sir Peter Apsley16851689 [7]
The Viscount Newport, from 1694 The Earl of Bradford16891702 [7]
Sir Benjamin Bathurst 17021704 [7]
Francis Godolphin, from 1706 Viscount Rialton17041711First period in office; succeeded as The Earl of Godolphin in 1712 [7]
Samuel Masham, from 1712 The Lord Masham17111714 [7]
The Earl of Godolphin 17141723Second period in office [7]
William Pulteney 17231725Created The Earl of Bath in 1742 [7]
The 7th Earl of Lincoln 17251728 [7]
Vacant(1728–1730) [7]
Horatio Walpole 17301741Created The Lord Walpole in 1756 [7]
Thomas Winnington 17411744 [7]
The Lord Sandys 17441744 [7]
Edmund Waller 17441747 [7]
The 9th Earl of Lincoln 17471754Succeeded as The Duke of Newcastle in 1768 [7]
Sir George Lyttelton, 5th Baronet 17541756Created The Lord Lyttelton in 1756 [7]
The Duke of Leeds 17561761 [7]
James Grenville 17611761 [7]
The Earl of Thomond 17611765 [7]
The Earl of Scarbrough 17651766 [7]
Hans Stanley 17661774 [7]
Jeremiah Dyson 17741776 [7]
Hans Stanley 17761780 [7]
Viscount Beauchamp 17801782Succeeded as The Marquess of Hertford in 1794 [7]

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References

  1. ↑ The Present State of the British Court, or, an Account of the Civil and Military Establishment of England. London: printed for A. Bell. W. Taylor; and J. Osborn. 1720. p. 7.
  2. ↑ Rogers, R. (2012). Who Goes Home: A Parliamentary Miscellany. Biteback Publishing. p. 33–34. ISBN   978-1-84954-480-1 . Retrieved 30 April 2019. The Board of Green Cloth audited the accounts of the Royal Household and sat as a court on offences committed on ... for premises controlled by the Royal Palaces, and did not finally disappear until 2004, following the Licensing Act 2004.
  3. 1 2 Haydn, Joseph (1851). The Book of Dignities. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans. pp. 213–214. OL   7005826M.
  4. 1 2 Tout, T. F. (1920). Chapters in the administrative history of mediaeval England: the wardrobe, the chamber, and the small seals (Volume II). Manchester University Press. pp. 39–41. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  5. ↑ Tout, T. F. (1928). Chapters in the administrative history of mediaeval England: the wardrobe, the chamber, and the small seals (Volume IV). Manchester University Press. pp. 160–161. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  6. 1 2 Guide to the Contents of the Public Record Office (volume II). London: H. M. Stationery Office. 1963. p. 211.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Bucholz, Robert (1782). "Household Below Stairs: Cofferer of the Household 1660" (PDF). Database of Court Officers. Department of History, Loyola University of Chicago. pp. 4–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 March 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  8. ↑ Burke, John (1835). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland, Enjoying Territorial Possessions or High Official Rank: But Uninvested with Heritable Honours, Volume 2. London: R. Bentley. p. 473.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 Tout, T. F. (1933). Chapters in the Administrative History of Medieval England: The Wardrobe, the Chamber, and the Small Seals. Vol. 6. Manchester: University Press. pp. 30–32. OL   7212073M.
  10. ↑ Woodger, L. S. "Spencer, John (d.1417), of Banham, Norf. and Burgate, Suff". The History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  11. ↑ Roskell, J. S. "The Composition of the Parliament of May 1413". The History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  12. ↑ Kirby, J. L. (January 2008). "Killamarsh , William (d. 1422)" . Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/50138 . Retrieved 24 December 2012.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Myers, Alec Reginald (1959). The Household of Edward IV. Manchester University Press.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 "Officers of the Green Cloth: Cofferer". Institute of Historical Research. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  15. ↑ Dale, M. K. "Peckham, Sir Edmund (by 1495–1564), of the Blackfriars, London and Denham, Bucks". The History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  16. ↑ Coros, D. F. "Ryther (Ryder), John (by 1514–52), of London". The History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  17. 1 2 3 Baker, T. F. T. "Weldon, Thomas (by 1499–1567), of Cookham, Berks". The History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  18. ↑ Swales, R. J. W. "Wentworth, Michael (by 1512–58), of Whitley, Yorks., Mendham, Suff. and Cannon Row, Westminster, Mdx". The History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  19. 1 2 Baker, T. F. T. "Ward, Richard I (by 1511–78), of Hurst, Berks". The History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thrush, Andrew. "Principal officeholders 1603–29". The History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  21. 1 2 Henning, Basil Duke Henning. "Ashburnham, William (c.1604-79), of Ashburnham House, Little Dean's Yard, Westminster". The History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
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