# Clerk of the Privy Council (United Kingdom)

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.
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 these roles in the UK have been divided between the Cabinet Secretary and the Head of HM Civil Service.
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.

## Clerks in Ordinary, 1540–1859

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

## Clerks in Ordinary, 1859–present

* May 1859: Hon. William Bathurst
* June 1860: Sir Arthur Helps
* 17 March 1875: Sir Charles Lennox Peel
* 9 August 1898: Sir Almeric FitzRoy
* 31 May 1923: Sir Maurice Hankey
* 1 August 1938: Sir Rupert Howorth
* 1942: Sir Eric Leadbitter
* 30 June 1951: Major Francis Ford Fernau
* 1953: Sir Godfrey Agnew
* 1974: Sir Neville Egerton Leigh
* 1984: Sir Geoffrey de Deney
* 1992: Sir Nigel Nicholls
* 1996: Robert Bulling (acting)
* 1998: Alex Galloway
* 2007: Judith Simpson
* 2012: Richard Tilbrook