The Clerk of the Green Cloth was a position in the British Royal Household. The clerk acted as secretary of the Board of Green Cloth, and was therefore responsible for organising royal journeys and assisting in the administration of the Royal Household. From the Restoration, there were four clerks (two clerks and two clerks comptrollers). Two additional clerks comptrollers were added in 1761, but one of these was redesignated a clerk in 1762.
Remuneration Each clerk had a salary of £500, with lodgings, diet, fees on the signing of contracts and ancient rights of 'Wast, Command and Remaines', i.e., leftover provisions, which was replaced with an allowance of £438 in 1701, increased to £518 in 1761 (making a total of £1018). Each clerk had a clerk or writer, who was paid £50 with other fees and allowances, fixed at £150 in 1761 and converted to a salary of £180 in 1769.'The household below stairs: Clerks of the Green Cloth 1660-1782', Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (revised): Court Officers, 1660-1837 (2006), pp. 403–40.British History online, accessed: 9 August 2008. The offices were all abolished by statute, the Civil List and Secret Service Money Act 1782 (22 Geo. 3. c. 82), in 1782.
Duties 'All Bills of Comptrolments, &c. relating to the Office, are allotted and allow'd by the Clerks Comptrollers, and summ'd up and Audited by the Clerks of the Green-Cloth'. They also sat with the other officers as part of the board.
List of Clerks Data from 'The household below stairs: Clerks of the Green Cloth 1660-1782', Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (revised): Court Officers, 1660-1837 (2006), pp. 403–40.British History online.
The position was held by a number of people including George Stonhouse during the 16th century, though it later became disused.
1660–1761 DateFirst ClerkSecond ClerkFirst Clerk ComptrollerSecond Clerk Comptroller25 June 1660 Sir Robert Fenn John Crane Sir Henry Wood Sir Stephen Fox22 August 1660 John Crane Sir Henry Wood Sir Stephen Fox George Barker14 January 1661 Sir Henry Wood Sir Stephen Fox George Barker William Boreman13 September 1664 William Boreman Sir Winston Churchill26 May 1671 Sir Stephen Fox Sir William Boreman Sir Winston Churchill John Trethewy26 June 1671 Sir Richard Mason14 March 1685 Sir Henry Firebrace12 July 1686 Sir Winston Churchill Sir Henry Firebrace Sir John Sparrow10 April 1688 Sir Henry Firebrace Sir John Sparrow Thomas Morley21 February 1689 William Forester James Forbes Peter Isaac12/13 April 1689 Sir William Forester Sir James Forbes Peter Isaac John Fox22 January 1690 Thomas VivianSeptember 1691 Charles Issac1 April 1693 Charles Issac Anthony Rowe16/20 April 1702 Anthony Rowe Charles Scarburgh Edward Griffith25 September 1704 Charles Scarburgh Edward Griffith vacant1 October 1704 Charles Godfrey18 February 1711 Charles Godfrey Sir John Walter21 October 1714 Charles Godfrey Sir John Walter John Charlton1 March 1715 Sir John Walter John Charlton Robert Wroth17 February 1716 John Charlton Robert Wroth William Feilding15 April 1717 John Charlton Robert Wroth William Feilding William Coventry20 February 1720 William Feilding Sir Robert Corbet17 March 1720 William Feilding Sir Robert Corbet Giles Earle Robert Bristow10 April 1724 Sir Robert Corbet Giles Earle Robert Bristow Richard Sutton26 July 1727 Sir Thomas Reade Sir Thomas Wynn Sir Thomas Hales Robert Bristow1738 Robert Bristow jnr1740 Walter Carey8 June 1749 Sir Thomas Hales Walter Carey Sir Richard Wrottesley20 November 1752 Sir Thomas Hales Walter Carey Sir Richard Wrottesley Sir Francis Henry Drake2 April 1754 Sir Francis Henry Drake John Grey6 May 1757 Sir Francis Henry Drake John Grey Humphry Morice
1761–1782 DateFirst ClerkSecond ClerkFirst Clerk ComptrollerSecond Clerk ComptrollerThird Clerk ComptrollerFourth Clerk Comptroller 17 March 1761 Thomas Townshend John Evelyn Henry Bridgeman Simon Fanshawe Sir Francis Henry Drake John GreyDateFirst ClerkSecond ClerkThird ClerkFirst Clerk ComptrollerSecond Clerk ComptrollerThird Clerk Comptroller24 December 1762 Sir John Evelyn Henry Bridgeman Simon Fanshawe Sir Francis Henry Drake John Grey Henry Frederick Thynne 18 April 1764 Simon Fanshawe Sir Francis Henry Drake John Grey Henry Frederick Thynne Richard Vernon 1 August 1765 George Bridges Brudenell Sir Alexander Gilmour 13 August 1767 Simon Fanshawe Sir Francis Henry Drake John Grey George Bridges Brudenell Sir Alexander Gilmour Richard Hopkins 15 January 1768 Sir Francis Henry Drake John Grey George Bridges Brudenell Sir Alexander Gilmour Richard Hopkins Richard Vernon 20 January 1771 John Grey George Bridges Brudenell Sir Alexander Gilmour Richard Hopkins Richard Vernon Richard Savage Nassau 6 June 1777 George Bridges Brudenell Sir Alexander Gilmour Richard Hopkins Richard Vernon Richard Savage Nassau Sir Ralph Payne 10 December 1777 Richard Vernon Richard Savage Nassau Sir Ralph Payne Sir Richard Worsley 1 July 1779 Richard Vernon Richard Savage Nassau Sir Ralph Payne Sir Richard Worsley Sir William Cunynghame 5 September 1780 Sir Ralph Payne Sir William Cunynghame Sir William Gordon Lovell Stanhope
In addition, several supernumerary clerks comptrollers were appointed in the 17th century: 31 August 1660: William Boreman 22 November 1670: John Trethewy 23 March 1674: Henry Firebrace 11 April 1688: John Fox 28 April 1691: Charles Isaac
In 1988, David Becket of Radley, Oxfordshire obtained Royal consent to revive the title as an honorary post.
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