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.
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.[1] The offices were all abolished by statute, the Civil List and Secret Service Money Act 1782 (22 Geo. 3. c. 82), in 1782.
'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.[1]
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[2] including George Stonhouse during the 16th century, though it later became disused.
| Date | First Clerk | Second Clerk | First Clerk Comptroller | Second Clerk Comptroller |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 June 1660 | Sir Robert Fenn | John Crane | Sir Stephen Fox | |
| 22 August 1660 | John Crane | George Barker | ||
| 14 January 1661 | George Barker | William Boreman | ||
| 13 September 1664 | William Boreman | Sir Winston Churchill | ||
| 26 May 1671 | Sir William Boreman | John Trethewy | ||
| 26 June 1671 | Sir Richard Mason | |||
| 14 March 1685 | Sir Henry Firebrace | |||
| 12 July 1686 | Sir John Sparrow | |||
| 10 April 1688 | Sir John Sparrow | Thomas Morley | ||
| 21 February 1689 | James Forbes | Peter Isaac | ||
| 12/13 April 1689 | Sir James Forbes | Peter Isaac | John Fox | |
| 22 January 1690 | Thomas Vivian | |||
| September 1691 | Charles Issac | |||
| 1 April 1693 | Charles Issac | Anthony Rowe | ||
| 16/20 April 1702 | Charles Scarburgh | Edward Griffith | ||
| 25 September 1704 | Charles Scarburgh | Edward Griffith | vacant | |
| 1 October 1704 | Charles Godfrey | |||
| 18 February 1711 | Sir John Walter | |||
| 21 October 1714 | John Charlton | |||
| 1 March 1715 | Robert Wroth | |||
| 17 February 1716 | William Feilding | |||
| 15 April 1717 | William Coventry | |||
| 20 February 1720 | Sir Robert Corbet | |||
| 17 March 1720 | Robert Bristow | |||
| 10 April 1724 | Richard Sutton | |||
| 26 July 1727 | Robert Bristow | |||
| 1738 | Robert Bristow jnr | |||
| 1740 | Walter Carey | |||
| 8 June 1749 | Sir Richard Wrottesley | |||
| 20 November 1752 | Sir Francis Henry Drake | |||
| 2 April 1754 | John Grey | |||
| 6 May 1757 | Humphry Morice |
| Date | First Clerk | Second Clerk | First Clerk Comptroller | Second Clerk Comptroller | Third Clerk Comptroller | Fourth Clerk Comptroller |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 March 1761 | John Grey | |||||
| Date | First Clerk | Second Clerk | Third Clerk | First Clerk Comptroller | Second Clerk Comptroller | Third Clerk Comptroller |
| 24 December 1762 | Henry Frederick Thynne | |||||
| 18 April 1764 | Richard Vernon | |||||
| 1 August 1765 | Sir Alexander Gilmour | |||||
| 13 August 1767 | Richard Hopkins | |||||
| 15 January 1768 | Richard Vernon | |||||
| 20 January 1771 | Richard Savage Nassau | |||||
| 6 June 1777 | Sir Ralph Payne | |||||
| 10 December 1777 | Sir Richard Worsley | |||||
| 1 July 1779 | Sir William Cunynghame | |||||
| 5 September 1780 | Lovell Stanhope |
In addition, several supernumerary clerks comptrollers were appointed in the 17th century:
In 1988, David Becket of Radley, Oxfordshire obtained Royal consent to revive the title as an honorary post.[3]