Lord High Treasurer

English government position

This article is about the post in England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. For the corresponding post in Ireland, see Lord High Treasurer of Ireland. For the corresponding post in Scotland, see Lord High Treasurer of Scotland. For the corresponding post in Sweden, see Lord High Treasurer of Sweden.

Lord High Treasurer of the United Kingdom

Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury, last holder of the office as Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain in 1714

His Majesty's Treasury
Type| Great Officer of State
Appointer| The Monarch
Term length| At His Majesty's Pleasure
Precursor|

* Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain
* Lord High Treasurer of Ireland

Formation|

* 1817 (United Kingdom)
* 1714 (Great Britain)
* c. 1126 (England)

First holder| Nigel of Ely
as Lord High Treasurer of England
Final holder| Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury
as Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain
Superseded by|

* Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and First Lord of the Treasury
* Chancellor and Under Treasurer of His Majesty's Exchequer and Second Lord of the Treasury
* Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury

The Lord High Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Acts of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third-highest-ranked Great Officer of State in England, below the Lord High Steward and the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain.

The Lord High Treasurer functions as the head of His Majesty's Treasury. The office has, since the resignation of Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury in 1714, been vacant.

Although the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was created in 1801, it was not until the Consolidated Fund Act 1816 that the separate offices of Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain and Lord High Treasurer of Ireland were united into one office as the "Lord High Treasurer of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland" on 5 January 1817.[1]

Section 2 of the Consolidated Fund Act 1816 also provides that "whenever there shall not be [a Lord High Treasurer of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland], it shall ... be lawful for His Majesty, by letters patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, to appoint Commissioners for executing the Offices of Treasurer of the Exchequer of Great Britain and Lord High Treasurer of Ireland".[1] These are the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury. In modern times, by convention, the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury include the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, usually serving as the First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, serving as the Second Lord of the Treasury. Other members of the government, usually whips in the House of Commons, are appointed to serve as the Junior Lords Commissioners of the Treasury.[2]

## Origins

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The English Treasury seems to have come into existence around 1126, during the reign of Henry I, as the financial responsibilities were separated from the rest of the job that evolved into Lord Great Chamberlain. The Treasury was originally a section of the Royal Household with custody of the King's money. In 1216, a Treasurer was appointed to take control of the Treasury in Winchester. The Treasurer was also an officer of the Exchequer, and supervised the royal accounts. It was in the 16th century, the office's title of King's Treasurer developed into Lord High Treasurer.[2] By Tudor times, the Lord High Treasurer had achieved a place among the Great Officers of State, behind the Lord Chancellor and above the Master of the Horse. Under the Treason Act 1351 it is treason to kill him.

The Lord High Treasurer bears a white staff as his symbol of office. This is William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley.

The office of Lord High Treasurer is distinct from that of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The Lord High Treasurer was appointed by the delivery of a white staff to the appointee, and the Treasurer of the Exchequer was appointed at His Majesty's pleasure by letters patent under the Great Seal of the Realm. However, when the Treasury was held by an individual, he was appointed to both offices.[2][3] It is the office of Treasurer of the Exchequer that is put into commission, not the office of Lord High Treasurer. When the office of Treasurer of the Exchequer is put into commission, the office of Lord High Treasurer is left vacant.[3]

During the sixteenth century, the Lord High Treasurer was often considered the most important official of the government, and became a de facto Prime Minister. Exemplifying the power of the Lord High Treasurer is William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, who served in the post from 1572 to 1598. During his tenure, he dominated the administration under Elizabeth I.[4]

## List

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Main article: List of lord high treasurers of England and Great Britain

## See also

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* List of lord high treasurers of England and Great Britain
* List of lords commissioners of the Treasury

## References

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### Citations

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1. ^ a b "Consolidated Fund Act 1816". legislation.gov.uk. UK Government. p. Section 2. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
2. ^ a b c Anson, Sir William Reynell (1892). The Law and Custom of the Constitution, Part 2. Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press. pp. 163–164. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
3. ^ a b Sainty, John Christopher (1972). Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 1, Treasury Officials 1660–1870. London: University of London. pp. 16–25\. ISBN 0485171414. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
4. ^ Loades, D., The Cecils: Privilege and Power behind the throne, The National Archives, 2007.

### Sources

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* Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Lord High Treasurer". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

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Great Officers of State of England and Scotland

Great Officers of State
of England|

| Lord High Steward|

* Vacant (most recently General Sir Gordon Messenger in 2023)

|

Lord High Chancellor|

* Shabana Mahmood MP (as Secretary of State for Justice)

Lord High Treasurer|

* Vacant

Lord President of the Council|

* Lucy Powell MP (also Leader of the House of Commons)

Lord Privy Seal|

* Angela Smith, Baroness Smith of Basildon (also Leader of the House of Lords)

Lord Great Chamberlain|

* In gross: Rupert Carington, 7th Baron Carrington

Lord High Constable|

* Vacant (most recently Admiral Sir Tony Radakin in 2023)

Earl Marshal|

* Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk

Lord High Admiral|

* Charles III (in right of the Crown)1

Officers of State
of Scotland|

| Greater|

| Lord High Chancellor|

* Abolished in 1707 (see Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain)

|

Lord High Treasurer|

* Abolished in 1707 (see Lord High Treasurer of Great Britain)

Lord Privy Seal|

* Vacant since 1921

Lord Secretary|

* Abolished in 1709

Lesser|

| Lord Clerk Register|

* Lady Elish Angiolini

|

Lord Advocate|

* Dorothy Bain

Lord Treasurer-depute|

* Abolished in 1707

Lord Justice Clerk|

* John Beckett, Lord Beckett

Officers of the Crown
of Scotland|

| Lord President of the Council|

* Privy Council abolished in 1708

|

Lord High Chamberlain|

* Resigned to the Crown in 1703

Lord High Steward|

* William, Duke of Rothesay (as Prince and Great Steward of Scotland)

Lord High Constable|

* Merlin Hay, 24th Earl of Erroll

Knight Marischal|

* Vacant since 1863

Earl Marischal|

* Forfeit in 1716

Lord High Admiral2|

* Abolished in 1707

Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland2|

* John Swinney MSP (as First Minister of Scotland)

1 Office is either vested in the Crown, or vacant. Status is currently debated.
2 There is debate around whether these offices constitute Officers of the Crown.

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Lord high treasurers of pre-Plantagenet England (1126–1216)

House of Normandy
(1066–1135)|

| Henry I
(1100–1135)|

* Nigel (c. 1126–1133)

|

House of Blois
(1135–1154)|

| Stephen
(1135–1154)|

* Adelelm (c. 1136–1139)

|

House of Anjou
(1154–1216)|

| Henry II
(1154–1189)|

* Nigel (c. 1154–1158)
* Richard FitzNeal (1159–1189)

|

Richard I
(1189–1199)|

* Richard FitzNeal (1189–1196)
* William of Ely (1196–1199)

John
(1199–1216)|

* William of Ely (1199–1215)

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English lord high treasurers under the House of Plantagenet (1216–1399)

Henry III
(1216–1272)|

* Eustace of Fauconberg (1217–1228)
* Walter Mauclerk (1228–1233)
* Peter de Rivaux (1233–1234)
* Hugh de Pateshull (1234–1240)
* William Haverhill (1240–1252)
* Philip Lovel (1252–1258)
* John Crakehall (1258–1260)
* John of Caux (1260–1263)
* Nicholas of Ely (May–July 1263)
* Henry, Prior of St. Radegund (July–November 1263)
* John Chishull (November 1263)
* Roger de la Leye (November 1263–1264)
* Henry, Prior of St. Radegund (1264–1265)
* Thomas Wymondham (1265–1270)
* John Chishull (1270–1271)
* Philip of Eye (1271–1272)

Edward I
(1272–1307)|

* Philip of Eye (1272–1273)
* Sir Joseph of Chauncy (1273–1280)
* Richard of Ware (1280–1283)
* John Kirkby (1284–1290)
* William of March (1290–1295)
* John Droxford (August–September 1295)
* Walter Langton (1295–1307)

Edward II
(1307–1327)|

* Walter Reynolds (1307–1310)
* John Sandale (1310–1311)
* Walter Norwich (1311–1312)
* Walter Langton (January–May 1312)
* Walter Norwich (May–October 1312)
* John Sandale (October 1312–1314)
* Walter Norwich (1314–1317)
* John Hotham (1317–June 1318)
* John Walwayn (June–November 1318)
* John Sandale (November 1318–1319)
* Walter Norwich (1319–1320)
* Walter de Stapledon (1320–1321)
* Walter Norwich (1321–1322)
* Walter de Stapledon (1322–1325)
* William Melton (1325–1326)
* John de Stratford (1326–January 1327)

Edward III
(1327–1377)|

* Adam Orleton (January–March 1327)
* Henry Burghersh (1327–1328)
* Thomas Charlton (1328–1329)
* Robert Wodehouse (1329–1330)
* William Melton (1330–1331)
* William Ayermin (1331–1332)
* Robert Ayleston (1332–1334)
* Richard de Bury (March–August 1334)
* Henry Burghersh (August 1334–1337)
* William Zouche (1337–1338)
* Robert Wodehouse (March–December 1338)
* William Zouche (December 1338–May 1340)
* Sir Robert Sadington (May–June 1340)
* Roger Northburgh (June–December 1340)
* Sir Robert Parning (January–October 1341)
* William Cusance (October 1341–1344)
* William Edington (1344–1356)
* John Sheppey (1356–1360)
* Simon Langham (1360–1363)
* John Barnet (1363–1369)
* Thomas de Brantingham (1369–1371)
* 1st Baron Scrope of Bolton (1371–1375)
* Sir Robert de Ashton (1375–January 1377)
* Henry Wakefield (January–July 1377)

Richard II
(1377–1399)|

* Thomas de Brantingham (July 1377–February 1381)
* Sir Robert Hales (February–June 1381)
* Sir Hugh Segrave (August 1381–January 1386)
* John Fordham (January–October 1386)
* John Gilbert (October 1386–May 1389)
* Thomas de Brantingham (May–August 1389)
* John Gilbert (August 1389–1391)
* John Waltham (1391–1395)
* Roger Walden (1395–January 1398)
* Guy Mone (January–September 1398)
* William Scrope, Earl of Wiltshire (September 1398–July 1399)

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English lord high treasurers under the House of Lancaster (1399–1461; 1470–1471)

Henry IV
(1399–1413)|

* John Norbury (1399–1401)
* Laurence Allerthorp (1401–February 1402)
* Henry Bowet (February–October 1402)
* Guy Mone (October 1402–1403)
* William de Ros, 6th Baron Ros (1403–1404)
* 5th Baron Furnivall (1404–1407)
* Nicholas Bubwith (1407–1408)
* John Tiptoft, 1st Baron Tiptoft (1408–1410)
* Henry Scrope, 3rd Baron Scrope of Masham (1410–1411)
* John Pelham (1411–1413)

Henry V
(1413–1422)|

* Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel (1413–1415)
* Hugh Mortimer (January–April 1416)
* Roger Leche (April–November 1416)
* Henry FitzHugh, 3rd Baron FitzHugh (December 1416–1421)
* William Kinwolmarsh (1421–December 1422)

Henry VI
(1422–1461)
(1470–1471)|

* John Stafford (1422–1426)
* Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford (1426–1432)
* John Scrope (1432–1433)
* Ralph Cromwell, 3rd Baron Cromwell (1433–1443)
* Ralph Boteler, 1st Baron Sudeley (1443–1446)
* Marmaduke Lumley (1446–1449)
* James Fiennes, 1st Baron Saye and Sele (1449–1450)
* John Beauchamp, 1st Baron Beauchamp of Powick (1450–1452)
* John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester (1452–1455)
* James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormond (March–May 1455)
* Henry Bourchier, Baron Bourchier (May 1455–1456)
* John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury (1456–1458)
* James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormond (1458–1460)
* Henry Bourchier, Baron Bourchier (1460–1461)
* John Langstrother (October 1470–April 1471)

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English lord high treasurers under the House of York (1461–1470; 1471–1485)

Edward IV
(1461–1470)
(1471–April 1483)|

* John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester (1462–1463)
* Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent (1463–1464)
* Walter Blount, 1st Baron Mountjoy (1464–1465)
* Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers (1466–August 1469)
* John Langstrother (August–October 1469)
* William Grey (October 1469–July 1470)
* John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester (July–October 1470)
* Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex (April 1471–April 1483)

Edward V
(April–June 1483)|

* John Wood (May–June 1483)

Richard III
(June 1483–1485)|

* John Wood (June 1483–1484)
* John Tuchet, 6th Baron Audley (1484–1485)

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English lord high treasurers under the House of Tudor (1485–1603)

Henry VII
(1485–1509)|

* John Dynham, 1st Baron Dynham (1486–1501)
* Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1501–1509)

Henry VIII
(1509–1547)|

* Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk (1509–1522)
* Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1522–1546)

Edward VI
(1547–1553)|

* Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (1547–1549)
* William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester (1550–1553)

Lady Jane Grey
(July 1553)|

* William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester (July 1553)

Mary I
(July 1553–1558)|

* William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester (July 1553–1558)

Elizabeth I
(1558–1603)|

* William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester (1558–1572)
* William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (1572–1598)
* Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset (1599–1603)

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British lord high treasurers under the House of Stuart (1603–1649; 1660–1714)

James I
(1603–1625)|

* Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset (1603–1608)
* Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury (1608–1612)
* Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton (1612–1613)
* Thomas Egerton, 1st Baron Ellesmere (1613–1614)
* Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk (1614–1618)
* George Abbot (1618–1620)
* Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester (1620–1621)
* Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex (1621–1624)
* James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough (1624–1625)

Charles I
(1625–1649)|

* James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough (1625–1628)
* Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland (1628–1633)
* William Laud (1635–1636)
* William Juxon (1636–1641)
* Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttelton (1641–1643)
* Francis Cottington, 1st Baron Cottington (1643–1646)

Charles II
(1660–1685)|

* Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (June–September 1660)
* Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton (1660–1667)
* George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle (1667–1670)
* Thomas Clifford, 1st Baron Clifford of Chudleigh (1672–1673)
* Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds (1673–March 1679)
* Arthur Capell, 1st Earl of Essex (March–November 1679)
* Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester (November 1679–1684)
* Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (1684–1685)

James II
(1685–1688)|

* Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester (1685–1686)
* John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse (1687–December 1688)

William & Mary
(1689–1694)|

* John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse (December 1688–April 1689)
* Charles Mordaunt, 3rd Earl of Peterborough (April 1689–March 1690)
* John Lowther, 1st Viscount Lonsdale (March 1690–November 1690)
* Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (November 1690–1694)

William III
(1694–1702)|

* Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (1694–1697)
* Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax (1697–1699)
* Ford Grey, 1st Earl of Tankerville (1699–1700)
* Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (1700–1701)
* Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle (1701–1702)

Anne
(1702–1714)|

* Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin (1702–1710)
* John Poulett, 1st Earl Poulett (1710–1711)
* Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer (1711–July 1714)
* Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury (July–October 1714)

Italics indicate service as First Lord of the Treasury when HM Treasury was ruled by Commission

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Admiralty and Marine Affairs Office

Direction and control
Naval affairs|

* Office of Lord Admiral of England (1513-1613)
* Office of the Secretary of State of England (1546-1628)
* Office of the Lord High Treasurer of England (1546-1628)
* Office of Lord High Admiral of England (1613-1628)
* Office of First Lord of the Admiralty of England (1628-1701)
* Parliamentary Admiralty Committee (1645-1648)
* Council of State Committee on the Admiralty and Navy (1649-1652)
* Committee on Admiralty Affairs (1652-1653)
* Admiralty Commission (1653-1660)
* Office of First Lord of the Admiralty of England (1660-1690)

Under the offices
of Direction and control|

* Office of the Vice-Admiral of England
* Office of the Lieutenant of the Admiralty
* Council of the Marine
* Navy Board
* Office of the Senior Naval Lord
* Board of Admiralty

Direction of
Military Units|

* Office of the Vice-Admiral of England
* Office of the Senior Naval Lord,
* Office of the Admiral of the Fleet, (1688-1690)

Military units|

* Baltic Fleet
* Channel Squadron
* Cinque Ports Fleet
* Downs Station
* Eastern Squadron
* Irish Fleet
* Irish Squadron
* Jamaica Station
* Lord Admirals Squadron
* Mediterranean Station
* Narrow Seas Squadron
* North Sea Squadron
* Plymouth Station
* Portsmouth Station
* Western Squadron

Admiralty Departments
Under
Lord High Admiral/Board of Admiralty|

* Admiralty Registry Office
* Admiralty Secretariat
* Chief Clerks Office
* Greenwich Hospital Department
* Head Messengers Office
* House Keepers Office
* Judicial Department
* Impress Service
* Marine Office
* Messengers Office
* Necessary Woman's Office
* Porters Office
* Royal Observatory Greenwich
* Sixpenny Office
* Watchmens Office

Civil Departments
Under
Council of the Marine & Navy Board|

* Office of the Clerk Comptroller of the Navy
* Office of the Clerk of the King's Ships
* Office of the Keeper of the Kings Storehouses
* Office of the Master of Naval Ordnance
* Office of the Surveyor and Rigger of the Navy
* Office of the Surveyor of the Navy
* Office of the Surveyor-General of Victuals
* Office of the Clerk of the Acts
* Navy Board
* Navy Office
* Navy Pay Office
* Victualling Board
* Victualling Office
* Sick and Hurt Board
* Sick and Hurt Office
* Transport Board
* Transport Office

Autonomous Civil Departments
Arms and Ordnance|

* Armoury Office
* Office of Ordnance
* Board of Ordnance

Direction of Naval Finance|

* Treasurer of Marine Causes
* Treasurer of the Navy

Departments under the
Treasurer|

* Navy Pay Office

Direction of Naval Administration|

* Secretary to the Admiralty, (1625-1649)
* Secretary to the Admiralty Committee of the Council of State, (1649-1652)
* Secretary to the Admiralty and Navy Commission, (1652-1653)
* Secretary to the Admiralty Commission, (1653-1659)
* Secretary to the Admiralty, (1660-1690)

Branches and offices under the
Secretary to the Admiralty|

* Admiralty Record Office
* Admiralty Library
* Admiralty Secretariat

Legal Services|

* Judicial Department

Legal under
Judicial Department|

* High Court of the Admiralty
* Office of the Judge of the High Court of Admiralty
* Office of the Judge Advocate of the Fleet
* Office of the Deputy Judge Advocate of the Fleet
* Office of the Marshall High Court of the Admiralty
* Office of the Admiralty Advocate
* Office of the Admiralty Proctor
* Office of the Receiver of Droits High Court of Admiralty
* Office of the Registrar High Court of the Admiralty
* Office of the Counsel to the Navy Board
* Court of Admiralty for the Cinque Ports
* Vice-Admiralty Courts of England
* Vice-Admiralty Courts of Scotland
* Vice-Admiralty Courts of Ireland
* Vice-Admiralty Courts of England

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