The household below stairs: Woodyard and Coalyard 1660-1837

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

Citation:

'The household below stairs: Woodyard and Coalyard 1660-1837', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837, ed. R O Bucholz( London, 2006), British History Online https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp578-584 [accessed 26 November 2024].

Woodyard and Coalyard 1660–1837

The woodyard, redesignated the coalyard in 1761, provided fuel for the royal Household. (fn. 1) In 1660 the establishment of the woodyard consisted of a clerk and a sergeant appointed by royal warrant and yeomen, grooms and pages, appointed by lord steward's warrant. In 1662 the remuneration of the clerk was fixed at wages of £6 13s 4d and board wages of £54 15s. The position was supernumerary 1664–68. Between 1685 and 1689 the office was combined with that of clerk of the bakehouse, pastry, poultry and scullery with a salary of £91 13s 4d. In 1689 the remuneration was fixed at wages of £6 13s 4d and board wages of £73 6s 8d. Between 1702 and 1761 the office was combined with that of clerk of the pastry and scullery. During this period, the officer was entitled to lodgings at Whitehall and poundage on the business done in these departments. The clerk of the coalyard received £171 in 1761. The office became a sinecure at St. James's in 1812 at £183. This was increased to £200 in 1813 in compensation for the loss of allowances in kind. In 1820 the office was re-established as part of the main Household. (fn. 2)

The remuneration of the sergeant was fixed at wages of £11 8s 1½d and board wages of £24 6s 8d in 1662. The office was reduced to supernumerary status in 1664 and restored in ordinary by 1670 as that of sergeant and first yeoman. The board wages were fixed at £54 15s in 1674 but reduced to £38 11s 10½d in 1680. The office was abolished in 1685. (fn. 3)

Three yeomen were appointed in 1660. The number was reduced to two 1662–64 and again in 1668, then to one in 1673. During the reign of Anne the office was held by a woman with the designation `first servant'. Remuneration consisted of wages of £5 and board wages fluctuating between £26 13s 3d and £45 12s 6d under Charles II before being fixed at £45 in 1689. In 1761 a salary of £120 was provided. In 1812 this officer was transferred to the establishment at St. James's with a salary of £87 increased in the following year to £163 to compensate him for the loss of allowances in kind. (fn. 4)

Three grooms were appointed in 1660. The number was reduced to one in 1662, raised to three (serving the woodyard and scullery) 1664–68, then reduced to two in 1668 and to one in 1685. Two grooms served from 1689. Remuneration consisted of wages of £2 13s 4d and board wages which fluctuated under Charles II between £26 13s 3d and £40. In 1685 a salary of £30 was provided. In 1689 wages of £2 13s 4s and board wages of £37 6s 8d were substituted. The offices were abolished in 1761. Supernumerary grooms were appointed in 1662, 1664, 1680, 1685 and 1697. (fn. 5)

Two pages were appointed in 1660. The Establishment of 1 December 1662 reduced one of these to supernumerary status. The Establishment of 1664 abolished the ordinary page, and allowed for a single supernumerary page at £2 in wages and £10 in board wages. The position was finally abolished by the Establishment of 1 October 1668. (fn. 6)

The Establishments of 1662 and 1664 list two woodbearers at £1 10s 8d apiece. By 1674 one woodbearer made £2 in wages and £6 1s in board wages. (fn. 7)

The porters of the coalyard were appointed by the clerks of the green cloth or, from 1782, the clerks of the household in rotation. As established in 1761, there were six coal porters at £40 apiece. Two porters of the coal yard at Carlton House were established in 1812 at £50 per annum apiece. In 1815 the number of coal porters to the main court was reduced to two at £61 per annum apiece. In 1830, the coal porters at Carlton House were absorbed into the main court. (fn. 8)

Clerk 1660–1664; 1668–1837



1660	16 Aug.	Jenkins, R.
1661	27 Nov.	Penning, T.
1668	27 Nov.	Bickerstaffe, P.
1683	23 July	Webb, T.
1685	13 Apr.	Toll, C. (with Bakehose, Pastry, Poultry and Scullery)
1689	24 Mar.	Gascoigne, H.
1690	1 May	Thompson, J.
1691	8 Sept.	Perkins, M.
1702	30 June	Gretton, A. (with Scullery and Pastry)
1707	14 July	Shaw, J. (with Scullery and Pastry)
1713	18 May	Gibson, S. (with Scullery and Pastry)
1714	26 July	Parsons, E. (with Scullery and Pastry)
1752	15 Sept.	Parsons, P. (with Scullery and Pastry)
1760	15 Dec.	Reynolds, J.H.
1775	18 Jan.	Gale, J.
1784	14 Jan.	Fox, J.
1807	9 Apr.	Barker, F.
1811	22 Feb.	Orme, G.
1822	25 Dec.	Coster, J.D.
1833	24 July	Sprenger, H.C.

Supernumerary Clerk 1664–1668; 1686–1688



1664	1 Oct.	Penning, T.
1686	29 Jan.	Webb, T.

Sergeant 1660–1685



1660	19 Sept.	Bland, C
1664	1 Oct.	Dike, W. (and Scullery).
c. 1668		Bland, C.
1673	8 Jan.	Fenn, N.

Supernumerary Sergeant 1664–1668; 1686–1699



1664	1 Oct.	Bland, C.
1686	29 Jan.	Fenn, N.

Yeomen 1660–1837



1660	25 Aug.	Hook, T. (1664–68: and Scullery)
1660	24 Sept.	Allen, J.
1660	2 Oct.	Fitchet, W.
1664	1 Oct.	Lander, J. (1664–68: and Scullery)
1664	1 Oct.	Tooth, T. (1664–68: and Scullery)
1669	4 May	Gretton, A.
1669	2 June	Siston, E.
1672	2 Sept.	Fenn, N.
1685	16 June	English, J.
1686	10 Feb.	Coleman, J.
1689	16 Mar.	Siston, E.
1701	13 June	Hancock, L.
1702	3 July	Coleman, A. (First Servant)
1705	13 Feb.	Hancock, L.
1708	15 May	English, S.
1727	1 July	Grice, S.
1734	16 Sept.	English, S.
1741	2 Apr.	Bale, S.
1760	26 Dec.	Blount, G.
1761	1 July	Porter, T.
1768	30 Mar.	Bassett, J.
1768	1 July	Gale, J.
1775	18 Jan.	Fox, J.
1784	23 Jan.	Orme, G.
1811	13 Feb.	Lavers, J.
1811	10 May	Coster, J.D.
1822	25 Dec.	Lima, C.J.
1826	5 Apr.	Morris, W.
1829	11 Aug.	Longden, J.
1830	6 Apr.	Whale, R.
1836	5 Sept.	Dale, H.

Supernumerary Yeoman 1662–1664



1662	1 Dec.	[?] (fn. 9)

Grooms 1660–1761



1660	24 Aug.	Joyce, F.
1660	28 Aug.	Whistler, J.
1660	3 Sept.	Gretton, A.
1660	24 Oct.	Green, J.
1664	1 Oct.	Owen, H. (and Scullery)
1664	1 Oct.	Sanctasillia, T. (and Scullery)
1664	1 Oct.	Allen, J. (and Scullery)
1669	4 May	Siston, E.
1669	2 June	English, J.
1685	22 Apr.	Siston, E.
1689	16 Mar.	English, J.
1689	9 Apr.	Hancock, L.
1701	13 June	English, S.
1701	13 June	Beard, T.
1702	3 July	Hancock, L.
1705	13 Feb.	Coleman, F.
1708	15 May	Spencer, J.
1719	13 Feb.	Nash, J.
1721	22 Apr.	Talmash, T.
1727	1 July	English, S.
1727	1 July	Nash, S.
1734	16 Sept.	Bagnold, J.
1735	1 Mar.	Hewitt, T.
1738	29 July	Thompson, J.
1747	5 Oct.	Thornhill, N.

Supernumerary Grooms

(1662–1668; 1680–1688; 1697–1701)



1662	1 Dec.	[?] (fn. 9)
1664	1 Oct.	Gretton, A.
1680	9 Jan.	Bland, E.
1697	23 Dec.	Beard, T.

Pages 1660–1668



1660	24 Aug.	Wadbroke, W.
1660	1 Sept.	Hobbs, J.

Supernumerary Page of the Woodyard 1664–1668



1662	1 Dec.	[Hobbs, J.] (fn. 9)

Woodbearer 1662–1664; c. 1665–1685



1662	2 Oct.	Spicer, E.
By 1665		Spicer, E.
1665	28 June	Spicer, J.

Coal Porters 1761–1837



1761	1 July	Best, M.
1761	1 July	Palmer, W.
1761	1 July	Griffith, E.
1762	9 July	Cheney, J.
1762	9 July	Haite, W.
1765	9 Nov.	Worley, G.
1766	28 Apr.	Henderson, R.
1767	11 Jan.	Chisolm, W.
1767	11 Jan.	Deane, T.
1767	11 Jan.	Milner, W.
1770	28 Feb.	Aldridge, R.
1779	27 Jan.	Fry, W.
1788	16 Feb.	Imber, J.
1789	6 Mar.	Blore, B.
1792	5 Oct.	Poyntington, J.
1794	10 Feb.	Bellew, J.
1796	1 Dec.	Moss, T.
1801	17 Feb.	Townsend, E.
1801	7 May	Thompson, J.
1801	16 Dec.	Townsend, J.
1804	22 May	Moore, R.
1805	16 July	Skurr, J.
1806	6 Jan.	Brooker, J.
1808	3 Mar.	Merrick, J.
1813	17 Apr.	Waldron, T.
1822	15 Feb.	Fry, R.
1830	5 Jan.	Hudson, R.
1830	5 Jan.	Brown, R.
1833	23 July	Baker, S.F.
1834	27 Mar.	Kibble, T.

Coal Porter at Carlton House 1812–1830



1812	19 Feb.	Wright, W.
1812	19 Feb.	Sechler, J.
1816	5 Apr.	Collins, W.
1825	25 Jan.	Hudson, R.
1825	10 Oct.	Kirkup, W.
1826	24 Jan.	Brown, R.