Clerk of the Privy Council (United Kingdom)

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The Clerk of the Privy Council is a senior civil servant in His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, being Head of the Privy Council Office.[1]

Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holderWilliam Paget
Formation1540
Quick facts of the Privy Council, Term length ...
Clerk of the Privy Council
Arms used by the Privy Council Office
since 2012
Privy Council
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holderWilliam Paget
Formation1540
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This historic office is less powerful now than it once was and than its Canadian equivalent, whose holder serves ex officio as Head of the Canadian Civil Service, whereas this role in the UK Civil Service has, since 2014, been given to the Cabinet Secretary as the Head of HM Civil Service.[2]

Until 1859 there were multiple — usually four — clerks of the Privy Council. Three of the four positions then extant were progressively abolished in the 19th century until only one remained in 1859. The Clerk of the Privy Council is deputized by one or two Deputy Clerks, although the office of Senior Clerk has been established in the past.[3][4]

Clerks in Ordinary, 1540–1859

More information Date, One ...
DateOneTwoThreeFourFiveSix
10 August 1540William Paget[5]
23 April 1543John Mason[6]William Honnyng
17 November 1545vacant
18 December 1545Sir Thomas Chaloner
March 1547Thomas Smith
10 May 1548Armagil Wade[7]
20 May 1550William Thomas[8]
24 September 1551Bernard Hampton[9]
12 May 1552vacant
By 31 March 1553vacant
19 July 1553vacant
30 July 1553Sir Francis Allen[9]William Smith
After 23 December 1566vacant
1570vacant
29 April 1571Edmund Tremayne[10]
1572vacant
6 July 1572Robert Beale[10]
18 July 1576Sir Thomas Wilkes[10]Henry Cheke
After 5 September 1581vacant
September 1582vacant
7 October 1584Sir William Wade[11]
19 March 1587Sir Anthony Ashley[12]
2 March 1598vacant
21 April 1598Sir Thomas Smith[10]
27 May 1601vacant
18 June 1601Sir Thomas Edmondes
25 May 1608Sir Ralph Winwood[12]Sir John Corbet[9]
15 August 1609vacant
7 September 1609Sir Clement Edmondes[9]
27 November 1609vacant
By 31 May 1610vacant
22 July 1610Sir George Calvert[13]
7 December 1611vacant
23 August 1613vacant
24 September 1613Francis Cottington[14]
24 February 1614William Trumbull[9]
16 February 1619vacant
February 1619Sir Albertus Morton
13 October 1622vacant
7 November 1622John Dickenson[9]
11 December 1622Sir Thomas Meautys[15]
24 January 1623Sir William Beecher
September 1635vacant
9 October 1635Sir Edward Nicholas[13]
By 20 January 1636vacant
26 May 1636Sir Dudley Carleton[16]
27 January 1641Sir Richard Browne[17]
27 November 1641vacant
14 May 1649Sir Edward Walkervacantvacantvacant
18 November 1656Sir George Lane
27 October 1658Sir John Nicholas
22 June 1660Sir Richard Browne
23 September 1664Sir Robert Southwell
24 January 1672Sir Joseph Williamson
16 September 1674Sir Philip Lloyd
21 February 1677Sir Thomas Doleman
5 December 1679Francis Gwyn
16 January 1685William BridgemanSir Philip Musgrave
6 February 1685vacant
22 October 1686William BridgemanWilliam Blathwayt
11 December 1688vacantvacant
21 February 1689Charles MontaguRichard Cooling
24 March 1692John Dyve
12 January 1693William Bridgeman
27 July 1697John Povey
18 May 1699Edward Southwell
11 January 1705Sir Christopher Musgrave
2 November 1710Sir Christopher Musgrave
12 May 1715James Vernon
26 March 1716Sir Robert Hales
23 October 1717Abraham Stanyan
3 February 1720Temple Stanyan
22 May 1729Sir Walter Carey
11 February 1731William Sharpe
21 April 1752Gilbert West
14 April 1756Henry Fane
6 May 1756William Blair
19 May 1757Francis Vernon
22 April 1762Philip Sharpe
23 June 1764Robert Walpole
11 September 1767Sir Stephen Cotterell
4 December 1772Sir George Chetwynd
1 January 1779William Fawkener
25 August 1786Grey Elliot
June 1787
19 April 1810abolished
8 August 1810Richard Chetwynd, 5th Viscount Chetwynd
19 August 1811James Buller
20 March 1821Charles Greville
24 March 1824abolished
15 December 1830William Bathurst
May 1859abolished
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Clerks in Ordinary, 1859–present

See also

References

External links

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