Financial Secretary to the War Office

United Kingdom
Office of the Financial Secretary to the War Office

Seal of H.M. Government

War Office
Style| The Right Honourable
(Formal prefix)
Financial Secretary to the War Office
Seat| Westminster, London
Appointer| The British Monarch
on advice of the Prime Minister
Term length| No fixed term
Formation| 1870-1964
First holder| John Vivian
Final holder| Peter Kirk

The Financial Secretary to the War Office and for certain periods known as the Finance Member of the Army Council, was a junior ministerial office of the British government established in 1870.[1] In May 1947 the office was unified with that of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for War under a new title Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Financial Secretary of the War Office.[2] The office continued until the War Office as a distinct service ministry was unified along with the Department of Admiralty and Air Ministry into the Ministry of Defence where it became known as the Army Department in April 1964.[3]

## History

[edit]

In 1870 a Financial Secretary to the War Office was appointed and was responsible to the Secretary of State for War, for estimates and for the appropriation, accounting and audit of funds voted for military purposes. The Audit and Accounts departments previously under a chief auditor of army accounts (office was abolished) were merged into a new Finance Department under the Accountant General now reporting to the Financial Secretary. Following organisational changes within the War Office between 1887 and 1888 he was given additional responsibilities. By the end of 1888 his department was renamed the Civil Department. At the same time the Finance Department was enlarged and renamed the Finance Division, which continued under the superintendence of the Accountant General.[4]

In 1895 Accountant General changed his title to Assistant Financial Secretary and Accountant General of the Army. In 1902 the Finance Division was renamed the Finance Branch. In 1904 the Financial Secretary was restyled as the Finance Member (FM) of the Army Council with general responsibility for the finance of the Army. In 1907 his civil department was renamed the Department of the Finance Member until 1922 when both his title and department were altered to the Department of the Financial Secretary until 1939. His office and department reverted to its previous name the Department of the Finance Member in 1942. During this period the executive duties of his office were gradually transferred to the Permanent Secretary's department. In May 1947 the Army Council was reconstituted and unified his office with that of the Parliamentary Secretary into a single appointment as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Financial Secretary to the War Office until 1964.[5]

Prior to 1947 the office holder's department consisted of numerous departments and directorates, after 1947 he was solely concerned with general political aspects of financial policy and had no further roles were assigned to him.[6]

## Office Holders

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Date  | Name

|

1870–1871  | John Vivian
1871–1874[7] | Henry Campbell-Bannerman
1874–1877  | Hon. Frederick Stanley
1877–1880[8] | Robert Loyd-Lindsay
1880–1882[9] | Henry Campbell-Bannerman
1882–1885[10] | Sir Arthur Hayter, Bt
1885–1886[11] | Henry Northcote
1886–1886[12] | Herbert Gladstone
1886–1892[13] | Hon. St John Brodrick
1892–1895[14] | William Woodall
1895–1900[15] | Joseph Powell Williams
1900–1903[16] | Lord Stanley
1903–1905[17] | William Bromley-Davenport
1905–1908[18] | Thomas Buchanan
1908–1910  | Francis Dyke Acland
1910–1911[19] | Charles Mallet
1911–1912[20] | Harold Tennant
1912–1915[21] | Harold Baker
1915–1915[22] | Francis Dyke Acland
1915–1919[23] | Henry Forster
1919–1921[24] | Sir Archibald Williamson, Bt
1921–1922[25] | Hon. George Frederick Stanley
1922–1923[26] | Francis Jackson
1923–1924[27] | Rupert Gwynne
Jan–Nov, 1924  | Jack Lawson
Nov, 1924–1928  | Douglas King
1928–1929[28] | Duff Cooper
1929–1930  | Manny Shinwell
1930–1931[29] | Captain, William Sanders
1931–1934[30] | Duff Cooper
1934–1935  | Douglas Hacking
1935–1940  | Sir Victor Warrender, Bt
1940–1940  | Sir Edward Grigg
1940–1941[31] | Richard Law
1941–1943[32] | Duncan Sandys
1943–1945[33] | Arthur Henderson
May–Aug, 1945  | Maurice Petherick
Aug 1945–1946  | Frederick Bellenger
1946–1947  | John Freeman
1947–1951  | Michael Stewart
1951–1951[34] | Woodrow Wyatt
1951–1954  | James Hutchison
1954–1957[35] | Fitzroy Maclean
1957–1958  | Julian Amery
1958–1960[36] | Hon. Hugh Fraser
1960–1963  | James Ramsden
1963–Apr. 1964  | Peter Kirk

## References

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1. ^ Roper, Michael (1998). The Records of the War Office and Related Departments, 1660-1964. London: Public Record Office. p. 102\. ISBN 9781873162453.
2. ^ Roper. pp. 189–193.
3. ^ Joiner, J. H. (1990). One more river to cross : the story of British military bridging. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. p. 397\. ISBN 9780850527889.
4. ^ Roper. pp. 189–193.
5. ^ Roper. pp. 189–193.
6. ^ Roper. pp. 189–193.
7. ^ "Financial Secretary to the War Office (Hansard)". api.parliament.uk. Hansard. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
8. ^ Hansard.
9. ^ Hansard.
10. ^ Hansard.
11. ^ Hansard.
12. ^ Hansard.
13. ^ Hansard.
14. ^ Hansard.
15. ^ Hansard.
16. ^ Hansard.
17. ^ Hansard.
18. ^ Hansard.
19. ^ Hansard.
20. ^ Hansard.
21. ^ Hansard.
22. ^ Hansard.
23. ^ Hansard.
24. ^ Hansard.
25. ^ Hansard.
26. ^ Hansard.
27. ^ Hansard.
28. ^ Hansard.
29. ^ Hansard.
30. ^ Hansard.
31. ^ Hansard.
32. ^ Hansard.
33. ^ Hansard.
34. ^ Hansard.
35. ^ Hansard.
36. ^ Hansard.

## Sources

[edit]

* "Financial Secretary to the War Office (Hansard)". api.parliament.uk. Hansard. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
* Joiner, J. H. (1990). One more river to cross : the story of British military bridging. Barnsley: Pen and Sword. ISBN 9780850527889.
* Roper, Michael (1998). The Records of the War Office and Related Departments, 1660-1964. London: Public Record Office. ISBN 9781873162453.