The Chapel Royal: Clerks of the Closet

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

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Citation:

'The Chapel Royal: Clerks of the Closet', 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/pp247-250 [accessed 26 November 2024].

'The Chapel Royal: Clerks of the Closet', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Edited by R O Bucholz( London, 2006), British History Online, accessed November 26, 2024, https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp247-250.

"The Chapel Royal: Clerks of the Closet". Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. Ed. R O Bucholz(London, 2006), , British History Online. Web. 26 November 2024. https://prod.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol11/pp247-250.

In this section

Clerk of the Closet 1660–1808; c. 1813–1837

The clerk of the closet was appointed by royal warrant and served under the authority of the lord chamberlain. (fn. 1) His duty was `to attend at the King's Right Hand during Divine Service, to resolve such Doubts as may arise in spiritual Matters; but chiefly to wait on his Majesty in his private Oratory or Closet, and to say Grace when his Majesty eats'. (fn. 2) During the reign of Anne the office was held jointly by three individuals. It was vacant from the death of Richard Hurd, 28 May 1808, until possibly as late as 1813. The salary was variously expressed as 20 nobles, £6 13s 4d and £6 18s. The clerk of the closet was also allowed diet and fees of honour. (fn. 3)

1660 9 June Earle, J.
1664 15 June Dolben, J.
1668 7 Feb. Blandford, W.
1669 5 Apr. Crew, Hon. N.
1685 28 Dec. Sprat, T.
1687 5 Nov. Petre, E.
1689 18 Apr. Tillotson, J.
1691 28 Nov. Burnet, T.
1695 25 Nov. Montagu, Hon. J.
1702 26 Nov. Graham, W. (joint)
1702 26 Nov. Younger, J. (joint)
1702 26 Nov. Pratt, S. (joint)
1714 31 Dec. Trimnell, C.
1723 7 Nov. Willis, R.
1735 12 Mar. Egerton, Hon. H.
1746 17 Apr. Butler, J.
1752 22 Nov. Gilbert, J.
1757 27 June Thomas, J.
1781 10 May Hurd, R.
By 1813 Jackson, W.
1815 20 Dec. Pelham, Hon. G.
1827 8 Feb. Carr, R. J.

Clerk of the Closet to the Queen [?1689]–1694

The clerk of the closet to the Queen was paid £6 13s 4d per annum. (fn. 4)

By 1691 Stanley, W.

Deputy Clerks of the Closet 1667–9; 1684–1685; 1716–1837

The deputy clerks of the closet were appointed by the clerk of the closet and waited in his absence. They received no salary on the household establishment. (fn. 5) There were two such deputy clerks waiting in rotation by 1716; the number rose to three by 1723.

1667 Crew, N.
By 1684 Mountague, J.
By 1716 Egerton, H.
By 1716 Torriano, -
By 1718 Talbot, -
By 1723 Burnet, G.
By 1723 Gilbert, J.
By 1726 Naylor, C.
By 1731 Reynolds, -
1734 27 Aug. Clarke, A.
By 1741 Hay, [Hon. R.]
By 1745 Beauclerk, Lord J.
By 1745 Head, J.
By 1748 Townshend, E.
By 1750 Shipley, J.
By 1759 Keppel, Hon. F.
By 1761 Ogle, N.
By 1761 Poyntz, C.
By 1764 Buller, W.
By 1782 Arnold, W.
By 1788 Fisher, J.
By 1794 Majendie, H. W.
1800 Moss, C.
1803 Legge, Hon. E.
By 1806 Cookson, W.
By 1808 Hughes, T.
By 1817 Clarke, J. S.
By 1821 Carr, R. J.
By 1825 Sumner, C.
By 1827 Blomberg, F. W.
By 1835 Ford-Bowes, T. F.
By 1837 Merewether, J.

Resident Deputy Clerk of the Closet 1837

By 1837 Wood, J. R.

Supernumerary Deputy Clerk of the Closet 1833–1837

By 1833 Merewether, J.
By 1834 Ford-Bowes, T. F.
By 1835 Wynyard, M. J.

Sub-Clerks of the Closet 1694

There were two sub-clerks of the closet, one each for the King and Queen, listed in 1694. (fn. 6)

By 1694 Herne, - (Q)
By 1694 Wickart, - (K)

Closet Keeper [in the Chapel Royal] 1661–1837

The closet keeper was appointed by the clerk of the closet. (fn. 7) He was paid 2s p.d. in 1661. This rose to £5 plus £49 in and £54 5s for washing surpluses and in lieu of bills in 1689. Under Queen Anne, his remuneration fell to £41 10s in salary and £49 2s for washing. By 1716 he was receiving an additional £31 5s for providing table-linen for the chaplains. He was also allowed diet, riding wages and fees of honour. (fn. 8)

By 1661 Pamphlin, R.
1664 21 Mar. Dunkley, T.
By 1691 Thornburgh, G.
1704 22 July Lucas, C.
1715 18 Mar. Reading, T.
1743 4 Mar. Hart, J.
1780 24 Oct. Hay, J.
1791 10 Feb. Cockden, R

Deputy Closet Keeper 1691

By 1691 Douglas, A.

Footnotes

  • 1. LC 3/24, f. 6; J. Bickersteth and R. W. Dunning, Clerks of the Closet in the Royal Household (1991), p. 7.
  • 2. PSBC, pp. 48–49. See also Bickersteth and Dunning, passim.
  • 3. LC 3/24, f. 6; Chamberlayne (1670), p. 240; CTB XXVII, 506.
  • 4. Miege (1691), p. 171. Chamberlayne (1692) I, 166 and Miege (1693) III, 403 list this officer with the Queen's household.
  • 5. Miege [1723] I, 55. See also Bickersteth and Dunning, pp. 113–15.
  • 6. Chamberlayne (1694) II, 213.
  • 7. PSBC, p. 49; however, note lord chamberlain's warrants of appointment in LC 3/63, p. 82; LC 3/67, p. 121. This officer is not to be confused, prior to 1702, with the closet keeper of the bedchamber (see Sainty and Bucholz, Officials of the Royal Household pt. I, p. 16) or, after about 1702, with the closet keeper at the chapel at Whitehall.
  • 8. LS 13/252, ff. 42r and v; LS 13/39, p. 39; LS 13/43, f. 20; LS 13/44, f. 21; Miege [1711] I, 420; Chamberlayne [1716] II iii, 553.
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