The Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues were established in the United Kingdom in 1810 by merging the former offices of Surveyor General of Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases and Surveyor General of the Land Revenues of the Crown into a three-man commission. The name of the commission was changed in 1832 to the Commissioners of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings.
The hereditary land revenues of the Crown in Scotland, formerly under the management of the Barons of the Exchequer, were transferred to the Commissioners of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings and their successors under the Crown Lands (Scotland) Act 1832, the Crown Lands (Scotland) Act 1833 and the Crown Lands (Scotland) Act 1835.
The Crown Lands Act 1851 replaced the commissioners with two separate commissions, the Commissioners of Works and Public Buildings and the Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues dividing between them the public and the commercial functions of the Crown lands.
Commissioners of Woods and Forests, 1810-1851 First Commissioners are followed by the names of their co-commissioners
Name Entered office Left officeSylvester Douglas, 1st Baron Glenbervie - William Dacres Adams - Henry Dawkins 1810 1814 William Huskisson - William Dacres Adams - Henry Dawkins 1814 1823 Charles Arbuthnot - William Dacres Adams - Henry Dawkins 1823 1827 George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle - William Dacres Adams - Henry Dawkins 1827 1827 William Sturges Bourne - William Dacres Adams - Henry Dawkins 1827 1828 Charles Arbuthnot - William Dacres Adams - Henry Dawkins 1828 1828 William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale - William Dacres Adams - Henry Dawkins 1828 1830 George Agar-Ellis - William Dacres Adams - Henry Dawkins 1830 1831 John Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon - William Dacres Adams - Henry Dawkins - Sir Benjamin C. Stephenson (replaced Dawkins) 1831 1834 Sir John Hobhouse - William Dacres Adams - Sir Benjamin C. Stephenson 1834 1834 Lord Granville Somerset - Sir Benjamin C. Stephenson - Alexander Milne - Charles Henry Somerset 1834 1835 John Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon - Sir Benjamin C. Stephenson - Alexander Milne 1835 1841 Henry Pelham-Clinton, Earl of Lincoln - Alexander Milne - Charles Alexander Gore 1841 1846 Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning - Alexander Milne - Charles Alexander Gore 1846 1846 George Howard, Viscount Morpeth - Alexander Milne - Charles Alexander Gore 1846 1850 Edward Seymour, Lord Seymour - Alexander Milne - Charles Alexander Gore - Thomas Francis Kennedy (replaced Milne) 1850 1851
References
Annual Report of Commissioners of Woods & Forests 1811 The Crown Estate publication scheme: website consulted January 2007