Paymaster of the Forces

The Paymaster of the Forces was a position in the British government. The office was established in 1661, one year after the Restoration of the Monarchy to Charles II of England, and was responsible for part of the financing of the British Army, in the improved form created by Oliver Cromwell during the Commonwealth. The full title was Paymaster-General of His Majesty's Forces. It was abolished in 1836, near the end of the reign of William IV, and was replaced by the new post of Paymaster General.

History

File:Sir Stephen Fox (1627–1716) by John James Baker.jpg

Sir Stephen Fox (1627–1716), first Paymaster of the Forces

The first to hold the office was Sir Stephen Fox (1627–1716), an exceptionally able administrator who had remained a member of the household of King Charles II during his exile in France. Before his time, and before the Civil War, there was no standing army and it had been the custom to appoint treasurers-at-war, ad hoc, for campaigns. Within a generation of the Restoration, the status of the paymastership began to change. In 1692 the then paymaster, Richard Jones, 1st Earl of Ranelagh, was made a member of the Privy Council; and thereafter every paymaster, or when there were two paymasters at least one of them, joined the Privy Council if not already a member. From the accession of Queen Anne the paymaster tended to change with the government. By the 18th century the office had become a political prize and potentially the most lucrative that a parliamentary career could obtain. Appointments to the office were therefore made often not due to merit alone, but also to political affiliation. It was occasionally a cabinet-level post in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and many future prime ministers served as paymaster.<ref name="S&B1955p229">Template:Cite journal</ref>

File:Paymaster General's Office, Whitehall.jpg

A wing of the Horse Guards, Whitehall, used to accommodate the Paymaster to the Forces; rebuilt in 1732, the building went on to accommodate the Paymaster General's Office until 1939.<ref name=Roper1998>Template:Cite book</ref>

Before the development of the banking system, the duty of the paymaster was to act as the personal sole domestic banker of the army. He received, mainly from the Exchequer, the sums voted by Parliament for military expenditure. Other sums were also received, for example from the sale of old stores. He disbursed these sums, by his own hands or by deputy paymasters, under the authority of sign-manual warrants for ordinary expenses of the army, and under Treasury warrants for extraordinary expenses (expenses unforeseen and unprovided for by Parliament).<ref name="S&B1955p229"/>

During the whole time in which public money was in his hands, from the day of receipt until the receipt of his final discharge (the quietus of the Pipe Office), he assumed unlimited personal liability for the funds, thus his private estate was liable for the money in his hands. Failing the quietus this liability remained without limit of time, passing on his death to his heirs and legal representatives.

Appointments were made by the Crown by letters patent under the Great Seal. The patent salary was £400 from 1661 to 1680 and 20 shillings a day thereafter, except for the years 1702–07 when it was fixed at 10 shillings a day.<ref name="Sainty"/>

The office of Paymaster of the Forces was abolished in 1836 and superseded with the formation of the post of Paymaster General.

List of Paymasters of the Forces

Portrait		Name(s)	Term of office		Government	Monarch (Reign)
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Sir Stephen Fox (1627–1716) by John James Baker.jpg	Sir Stephen FoxTemplate:Refn	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	9 February 1676<ref name="Sainty"/>	Clarendon Cabal Danby I	File:King Charles II by John Michael Wright or studio.jpg Charles II (1660–1685)
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:No image.svg	Sir Henry Puckering, Bt	9 February 1676<ref name="Sainty"/>	23 May 1679<ref name="Sainty"/>	//
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Sir Stephen Fox (1627–1716) by John James Baker.jpg	Sir Stephen Fox	23 May 1679<ref name="Sainty"/>	3 January 1680<ref name="Sainty"/>	The Chits
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:No image.svg	Nicholas JohnsonTemplate:Refn and (?) William Fox (died 1680 aged 20)<ref>Unlikely, William Fox died in 1680 aged 20, as stated on his monument in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey, which describes him as "born for their country and to honours, which the eldest, being Captain in the army, acquired by his fatigues over all England. William died April 17, 1680 aged 20"[1]. No mention is made of him having held the post of Paymaster, and as he predeceased his father, it must be assumed his father would have mentioned the fact, as he did on the monument of his other son Charles Fox, in Farley Church, Wiltshire. Quote from footnote 41 of 'Office of the Paymaster-General', in Survey of London: Volume 16, St Martin-in-The-Fields I: Charing Cross, ed. G H Gater and E P Wheeler (London, 1935), pp. 17-27. [2] "Haydn's Book of Dignities gives Nicholas Johnson and Charles Fox. According to the Dict. Nat. Biog. Sir Stephen, on resigning his office, "contrived that his eldest son, Charles Fox, should share it along with Nicholas Johnson." This is incorrect. Nicholas Johnson shared the office with "William Fox, Esqr, second son of the said Sir Stephen Fox." (P.R.O., C. 66/3209, No. 8.) "His majestie hath granted the office of receiver and paymaster of his forces to Nicholas Johnson and William Fox, esqs." (Luttrell's Brief Historical Relation of State Affairs, I, p. 30.)"</ref>Template:Refn	3 January 1680<ref name="Sainty"/>	20 April 1682<ref name="Sainty"/> (†Johnson) 28 April 1682<ref name="Sainty"/>
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:No image.svg	Charles FoxTemplate:Refn	28 April 1682<ref name="Sainty"/>	26 December 1685<ref name="Sainty"/>
rowspan=3 style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Richard Jones, 1st Earl of Ranelagh.jpg	The Earl of Ranelagh	26 December 1685<ref name="Sainty"/>	22 December 1702<ref name="Sainty"/>		File:James II by Peter Lely.jpg James II (1685–1688)
Carmarthen–Halifax Carmarthen Whig Junto I Pembroke					File:William and Mary cropped.jpg William III and Mary II (1689–1694) William III (1694–1702)
Godolphin–Marlborough					File:Anne Stuart.jpg Anne (1702–1714)
	rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:No image.svg	John Grubham Howe (Home troops only) with Charles Fox (1702–05) Hon. James Brydges (1705–13) Thomas Moore (1713–14) (Overseas troops)	22 December 1702<ref name="Sainty"/>		3 October 1714<ref name="Sainty"/>
Oxford–Bolingbroke
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford by Arthur Pond.jpg	Sir Robert Walpole	3 October 1714<ref name="Sainty"/>	17 October 1715<ref name="Sainty"/>	Townshend Stanhope–Sunderland I Stanhope–Sunderland II	File:GeorgeIKneller1714.jpg George I (1714–1727)
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:7th Earl of Lincoln by Kneller.jpg	The Earl of Lincoln	17 October 1715<ref name="Sainty"/>	11 June 1720<ref name="Sainty"/>
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford by Arthur Pond.jpg	Sir Robert Walpole	11 June 1720<ref name="Sainty"/>	19 April 1721<ref name="Sainty"/>
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Charles Cornwallis, 4th Baron Cornwallis by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg	The Lord Cornwallis	19 April 1721<ref name="Sainty"/>	20 January 1722<ref name="Sainty"/>	Walpole–Townshend
rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Spencer Compton 1st Earl of Wilmington.jpg	Hon. Spencer Compton (Lord Wilmington from 1728)	15 March 1722<ref name="Sainty"/>	15 May 1730<ref name="Sainty"/>
File:People 18 George II.jpg George II (1727–1760)
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Henry Pelham, Parliamentary Art Collection.jpg	Hon. Henry Pelham	15 May 1730<ref name="Sainty"/>	24 December 1743<ref name="Sainty"/>	Walpole Carteret
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Thomas Winnington by John Giles Eccardt.jpg	Thomas Winnington	24 December 1743<ref name="Sainty"/>	23 April 1746†	Broad Bottom
	rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:William Pitt the Elder by William Hoare crop.jpg	William Pitt the Elder	7 May 1746<ref name="Sainty"/>	16 December 1755<ref name="Sainty"/>
	Newcastle I
		rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Thomas Hay 9th Earl of Kinnoull.jpg Dupplin	The Earl of Darlington and The Viscount Dupplin	16 December 1755<ref name="Sainty"/>	8 December 1756<ref name="Sainty"/>
	The Viscount Dupplin and Thomas Potter	8 December 1756<ref name="Sainty"/>		15 July 1757<ref name="Sainty"/>	Pitt–Devonshire 1757 Caretaker
	rowspan=3 style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland by John Giles Eccardt.jpg	The Lord Holland	15 July 1757<ref name="Sainty"/>	12 June 1765<ref name="Sainty"/>	Pitt–Newcastle
File:George III of the United Kingdom-e.jpg George III (1760–1820) Template:Refn
	Bute Grenville
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:CharlesTownshend.jpg	Hon. Charles Townshend	12 June 1765<ref name="Sainty"/>	21 August 1766<ref name="Sainty"/>	// Rockingham I Chatham
	rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford (1753).jpg North	Lord North and George Cooke	21 August 1766<ref name="Sainty"/>	9 December 1767<ref name="Sainty"/>	//
	File:Viscount Sydney by Gilbert Stuart.jpg Townshend	George Cooke and Thomas Townshend	9 December 1767<ref name="Sainty"/>	5 June 1768<ref name="Sainty"/> (†Cooke) 17 June 1768<ref name="Sainty"/>
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:No image.svg	Richard Rigby	17 June 1768<ref name="Sainty"/>	10 April 1782<ref name="Sainty"/>	// Grafton North
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:EdmundBurke1771.jpg	Edmund Burke	10 April 1782<ref name="Sainty"/>	1 August 1782<ref name="Sainty"/>	Rockingham II
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Brooklyn Museum - Colonel Isaac Barré - Gilbert Stuart - overall.jpg	Isaac Barré	1 August 1782<ref name="Sainty"/>	16 April 1783<ref name="Sainty"/>	Shelburne
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:EdmundBurke1771.jpg	Edmund Burke	16 April 1783<ref name="Sainty"/>	8 January 1784<ref name="Sainty"/>	Fox–North Pitt the Younger I
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:1st Baron Grenville.jpg	William Wyndham Grenville	8 January 1784<ref name="Sainty"/>	7 April 1784<ref name="Sainty"/>	//
	rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Constantine John Phipps.jpg Mulgrave	William Wyndham Grenville and The Lord Mulgrave	7 April 1784<ref name="Sainty"/>	2 September 1789<ref name="Sainty"/>
	The Lord Mulgrave and The Duke of Montrose		2 September 1789<ref name="Sainty"/>	7 March 1791<ref name="Sainty"/>
	rowspan=4 style="background-color:Template:Party color" |		Hon. Dudley Ryder and Thomas Steele	7 March 1791<ref name="Sainty"/>	5 July 1800<ref name="Sainty"/>
	Thomas Steele and George Canning		5 July 1800<ref name="Sainty"/>	26 March 1801<ref name="Sainty"/>
	Thomas Steele and The Lord Glenbervie		26 March 1801<ref name="Sainty"/>	3 January 1803<ref name="Sainty"/>	Addington
	Thomas Steele and John Hiley Addington		3 January 1803<ref name="Sainty"/>	7 July 1804<ref name="Sainty"/>
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	Template:Nowrap	George Rose and Lord Charles Somerset	7 July 1804<ref name="Sainty"/>	17 February 1806<ref name="Sainty"/>	Pitt the Younger II
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	Template:Nowrap	The Earl Temple and Lord John Townshend	17 February 1806<ref name="Sainty"/>	4 April 1807<ref name="Sainty"/>	All the Talents
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	Template:Nowrap	Charles Long and Lord Charles Somerset	4 April 1807<ref name="Sainty"/>	26 November 1813<ref name="Sainty"/>	Portland II Perceval Liverpool
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	Template:Nowrap	Charles Long and Hon. F. J. Robinson	26 November 1813<ref name="Sainty"/>	9 August 1817<ref name="Sainty"/>	//
	rowspan=2 style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Lord Farnborough by John Hoppner.jpg	Charles Long (Lord Farnborough from 1826)	9 August 1817<ref name="Sainty"/> (continued)	14 July 1826<ref name="Sainty"/>
File:George IV of the United Kingdom.jpg George IV (1820–1830)
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:No image.svg	William Vesey Fitzgerald	14 July 1826<ref name="Sainty"/>	10 July 1828<ref name="Sainty"/>	// Canningite Govt. Canning · Goderich Wellington–Peel
	style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:John Calcraft Yr NPG.jpg	John Calcraft	10 July 1828<ref name="Sainty"/>	30 December 1830<ref name="Sainty"/>	//
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:John Russell, 1st Earl Russell by Sir Francis Grant detail.jpg	Lord John Russell	30 December 1830<ref name="Sainty"/>	30 December 1834<ref name="Sainty"/>	Whig Govt. Grey · Melbourne I	File:William IV of Great Britain.jpg William IV (1830–1837)
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:Sir Edward Knatchbull, 9th Baronet.jpg	Sir Edward Knatchbull, Bt	30 December 1834<ref name="Sainty"/>	28 April 1835<ref name="Sainty"/>	Peel I
style="background-color:Template:Party color" |	File:HB Parnell, Lord Congleton by HB Doyle.jpg	Sir Henry Parnell, Bt	28 April 1835<ref name="Sainty"/>	1 December 1836<ref name="Sainty"/>	Melbourne II

Office merged into that of Paymaster General, 1836.

Paymaster of the Forces Abroad

From 1702 to 1714, during the War of the Spanish Succession, there was a distinct Paymaster of the Forces Abroad, appointed in the same manner as the Paymaster.<ref name="Sainty"/> These were appointed to a special office to oversee the pay of Queen Anne's army in the Low Countries, and are not in the regular succession of Paymasters of the Forces.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The salary of the position was 10 shillings a day.<ref name="Sainty"/> Colonel Thomas Moore was paymaster of the land forces in Minorca and in the garrisons of Dunkirk and Gibraltar and is not always counted among the Paymasters of the Forces Abroad.

• Charles Fox (23 December 1702<ref name="Sainty"/> – 10 May 1705<ref name="Sainty"/>)
• The Hon. James Brydges (10 May 1705<ref name="Sainty"/> – 4 September 1713<ref name="Sainty"/>)
• Col. Thomas Moore (4 September 1713<ref name="Sainty"/> – 3 October 1714<ref name="Sainty"/>)

See also

• Master-General of the Ordnance
• British Army
• Paymaster General

Notes and references

Notes Template:Reflist References Template:Reflist