 the office of works was established in the english royal household in 1378 to oversee the building of the royal castles and residences. in 1832 it became the works department within the office of woods, forests, land revenues, works and buildings. it was reconstituted as a government department in 1851 and became part of the ministry of works in 1940. the organisation of the office varied but latterly it was headed by a surveyor and administered by a comptroller. in 1782 these offices were merged into surveyor-general and comptroller. from 1761 there were named architects. the office also had posts of secretary, master mason and master carpenter. after james wyatt's death in 1813 a non-professional surveyor-general was appointed colonel b.c. stephenson he was assisted by three 'attached architects': sir john soane, john nash and sir robert smirke. this arrangement ended with 1832 with the formation of the works department and h.h. seward was appointed surveyor of works and buildings. ==surveyor of the king's works== * 1578-1590 thomas blagrave * 1594-1595 robert adam * 1597-1604 william spicer * 1604-1606 sir david cunningham * 1606-1615 simon basil * 1615-1643 inigo jones * 1643-1653 edward carter * 1653-1660 john embree * 1660-1669 sir john denham * 1669-1718 sir christopher wren * 1718-1719 william benson * 1719-1726 sir thomas hewett * 1726-1737 richard arundell * 1737-1743 henry fox * 1743-1760 henry finch * 1760-1768 thomas worsley * 1779-1782 james whitehead keene ==comptroller of the king's works== * 1423-1452 robert shiryngton,  * 1456-1461 peter idley,  * 1597-1606 simon basil * 1606-1641 thomas baldwin * 1641-1668 james wethered * 1668-1684 hugh may * 1689-1702 william talman * 1702-1726 sir john vanbrugh * 1726-1758 thomas ripley * 1758-1769 henry flitcroft * 1769-1782 sir william chambers ==surveyor-general and comptroller== * 1782-1796 sir william chambers * 1796-1813 james wyatt ==deputy surveyor== * 1718-1719 colen campbell (dismissed) * 1719-1735 westby gill (promoted) * 1735-1748 william kent (died in post) * 1748-1758 henry flitcroft (promoted) * 1758-1780 stephen wright (died in post) * 1780-1782 [[robert taylor (architect)|
Defunct_departments_of_the_United_Kingdom_Government