The household below stairs: Kitchen 1660-1837

Kitchen 1660–1837

The establishment of the kitchen consisted of a central directing clerical staff and officers dedicated to the particular kitchens serving the King, the Queen and the Household. (fn. 1) The clerks, appointed by royal warrant, were responsible for appointing the royal and Household diets via bills of fare, calculating and ordering their exact ingredients, making up debentures and accounts for board wages, provisions, etc. emanating from the kitchens, as well as from the buttery, cellar and pantry.

The clerks were originally four in number. A fifth, to attend the Queen, was appointed in 1661. The Establishment of 1 December 1662 names a chief clerk, two under clerks, and two supernumerary clerks. The chief clerk made wages of £44 6s 8d, the two under clerks £11 8s 1 1/2d, plus diet, lodgings and poundage in 1662. They divided board wages of £395 8s 4d. Supernumeraries made similar wages and £146 apiece in board wages. With the abolition of the Queen's clerk in 1664 the number fell to three, with three supernumeraries. Board wages for the chief clerk were £200, for the under clerks £170 apiece. The chief clerk's board wages rose to £401 10s in 1668, those of the second and third clerks to £219 in 1674. In 1680, board wages fell for the chief clerk to £158 3s 4d, for the second and third clerks to £200. However, the former received an additional allowance of £121 16s 8d on the Establishment of that year. In 1685 two clerks were appointed with salaries of £200 and £150. In 1689 the number was increased to three, the first receiving a total of £250 (wages of £44 6s 8d and board wages of £205 13s 4d) and the other two £150 (wages of £11 8s 1½d and board wages of £138 11s 10½d). The third clerkship was dispensed with in 1702 when Henry Lowman was not replaced. Under George II the second clerk made £200. From 1761 there was a single clerk, generally known nevertheless as the first clerk, with a salary of £250. The clerks of the kitchen were allowed diet 1661–1668, and at the lord steward's discretion 1674–1680 and 1685–1761. By the end of this period, their table cost £930 per annum '& their fraudulent practices to at least as much more' according to Thomas Gilbert's report of 1782. An allowance for £100 in lieu of diet was granted in 1783, and a further £40 in lieu of an apartment by 1810. Nevertheless, in 1812 the first clerk still received allowances in kind calculated to be worth £166 10s. This office was eliminated in 1812. Supernumerary clerks were appointed between 1660 and 1722. (fn. 2)

In 1812 provision was made for clerks of the kitchen at Carlton House who were absorbed into the main Household in 1820. They were originally three in number with salaries of £290, £150 and £105, respectively. In 1822 the salary of the first clerk was raised to £322; that of the third clerk to £130. In 1824 a fourth clerk was added at £50. In 1830 the salaries were fixed at £280, £160, £90 and £60. (fn. 3)

From the early eighteenth century the clerks of the kitchen employed under clerks at their own expense. In 1760 provision was made for two such under clerks, appointed by lord steward's warrant, to be placed on the establishment. In 1761 this was increased to three, one with a salary of £100 and two with salaries of £65. The third office remained unoccupied until 1769. In 1783 a fourth office was created and the salaries were fixed at £150, £85, £75 and £65, respectively. The fourth under clerk also received an allowance of £20 per annum, raised in 1805 to £90 to cover house rent at Windsor and other expenses. By 1810, the second under clerk received a similar payment of £60 plus £35 3s 6d worth of provisions. Vacancies among the under clerks occurring in 1806 and 1812 were not filled up and their number was thus reduced to two, placed on sinecure status at St. James's at £164 and £89 respectively. These salaries were raised in 1813 to £208 and £107 in compensation for a loss of allowances in kind. The positions were left unfilled at the departure of the incumbents in 1829. (fn. 4)

In 1812 provision was made for an under clerk at Carlton House with a salary of £50. This office was absorbed into the main Household in 1820. (fn. 5)

In 1761 the clerical establishment of the kitchen was placed under the direction of a clerk comptroller appointed by royal warrant with a salary of £400 and an allowance of £100. In 1783 the salary was fixed at £300 rising to £400 in 1785. By 1810 he was receiving additional allowances of £450. The office was transferred to the Windsor establishment in 1812. (fn. 6) At the same time provision was made for a clerk comptroller at Carlton House who was absorbed into the main Household in 1820. His salary, originally £500, rose to £700 in 1815 but fell to £500 in 1822. The office was abolished in 1823 but revived in 1830 with the additional title of superintendent of the household at a salary of £400. (fn. 7)

The storekeeper was established in 1836 at £43 per annum. (fn. 8)

The two porters to the clerks of the kitchen's office were appointed by the clerks of the green cloth (or, from 1782, the clerks of the household, who also appointed the messenger) in rotation. The porters made £30 per annum apiece for most of the period. This rose to £37 by 1813. The messenger to the clerk of the kitchen's office was originally associated with Carlton House. He was paid £50 per annum. (fn. 9)

Clerks 1660–1837

Supernumerary Clerks

(1660–1661; 1662–1688; 1696–1702; 1708–1709; 1722–1743)

Under Clerks 1760–1837

Clerk Comptroller 1761–1837

Storekeeper 1836–1837

Porters to the Clerks of the Kitchen's Office 1761–1815

Messenger to the Clerk of the Kitchen's Office 1812–1837