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Lord Steward

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Lord High Steward.
Lord Dalhousie (centre left) carrying his wand of office as Lord Steward in the Procession to the Lying-in-State of Queen Elizabeth II (2022).

The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household is one of the three Great Officers of the Household of the British monarch.[1] He is, by tradition, the first great officer of the Court[2] and he takes precedence of all other officers of the household.[1]

Historically the Lord Steward oversaw over the Household 'below stairs'. He also presided at the Board of Green Cloth, which in early centuries had a financial, administrative and judicial role; (latterly it retained a vestigial legal remit, until it was finally abolished in a 2004 reform of local government licensing).[3]. Prior to 1924 the Lord Steward was always a member of the Government,[4] and up until 1782 the office had been one of considerable political importance and carried Cabinet rank.

Over time the domestic responsibilities of the office came increasingly to be carried out by a subordinate officer, the Master of the Household.[5] In the Royal Household reforms of the 1920s, the Lord Steward's Department was renamed the Master of the Household's Department. At the same time, Lord Steward ceased to be a political appointment and instead became a largely titular office. Nevertheless, a Lord Steward continues to be appointed and is in regular attendance on State and other ceremonial occasions (including State visits, State banquets, the State Opening of Parliament, State Funerals and Coronations).[5]

Holders of the office are always peers, usually of or above the degree of an Earl.[6] Each Lord Steward receives his appointment from the Sovereign in person and bears a white staff as the emblem and warrant of his authority. The incumbent Lord Steward (appointed in 2023) is the Earl of Rosslyn.[7]

History

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William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, holding his white staff of office (portait dated AD 1567, the year he was appointed Lord Steward).

Within the Curia Regis, the office of Steward of the King's Household was indistinguishable from that of Lord (High) Steward of England (which had first been introduced to the realm under William the Conqueror). In the latter part of the reign of King Edward I, however, the Household duties were separated from that office and vested in a separate individual: Lord Steward of the Household.[8]

During the minority of King Richard II, the Crown assented to a proposal that the Chancellor and Treasurer of England, the Keeper of the Privy Seal and the Steward and Chamberlain of the Household should be chosen by Parliament 'from the ablest persons in the Realm', and remain in office until the next Parliament.[9] (By contrast some of the other Offices of State had by then become hereditary positions.)

During the reign of King Edward IV, the duties, privileges and precedence of the Lord Steward were comprehensively enumerated in the Black Book of the Household (compiled in the early 1470s).[10] In it he is described as having, under the King, the 'secondary estate and rule' of the Royal Household, which is 'wholly committed to be ruled and guided by his reason'.[11]

In 1540 the Lord Steward was redesignated Great Master of the King's Household by the King's Household Act 1540 (32 Hen. 8. c. 39),[12] but that office was discontinued and the office of Lord Steward revived by the Lord Steward Act 1554 (which remains on the statute book).[13]

The Lord Steward's Department

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"[The] Steward of Household receiveth his charge of the King's high and proper person, and the staff of Household, by these words following: Seneschall tenez le baton de notre hostiell[14]" (The Black Book of the Household, 1471–72).[11]

As steward, the Lord Steward presided over the Household 'below stairs' (while the Lord Chamberlain presided over the Household 'above stairs').[2] The sub-departments below stairs were mostly concerned with catering, including the royal kitchens and cellars, and various provisioning departments such as the buttery, spicery, confectionery, bakehouse, scalding house and so forth.[6] Each was managed by its own staff of yeomen and grooms, and headed by a gentleman or sergeant; the Lord Steward exercised rights of patronage over these positions.[4] Over time (particularly in the late 18th and early 19th centuries) the number of sub-departments was significantly reduced as items began to be sourced from outside vendors.[1]

The Board of Green Cloth

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"...they sit with him at the Board of Doom within the Household, that is, at the Green Cloth in the Counting-house, as recorders and witnesses to the truth" (The Black Book of the Household, 1471-72).

In the 14th century, the King's Wardrobe, previously an independent and powerful financial office, was absorbed into the King's Household and its officers and responsibilities were placed under the authority of the Lord Steward.[15] Thus the Lord Steward's Department gained increased financial and administrative responsibilities. Its officers met in the counting-house where they sat at a green cloth-covered table, by which they came to be known as the Board of Green Cloth.

The officers under the Lord Steward were listed in the 15th century as: the Treasurer of the Household and the Comptroller of the Household (both of whom would deputise for the Lord Steward in his absence), the Cofferer of the Household, two Clerks of the Green Cloth and the Chief Clerk of the Controlment;[10] all of whom had their origins in the Wardrobe.[16] Added to their number in the Tudor period was the Master of the Household (who took precedence after the Cofferer).

By the time of the Restoration, the administration of the Lord Steward's Department was for the most part delegated to the Board of Green Cloth,[6] which served as the central accounting and organisational facility.[17] Apart from the Lord Steward, the Board consisted of the Treasurer, the Comptroller and the Master of the Household (all of which were sinecure positions in the 17th and 18th centuries), the Cofferer (who had executive financial and accounting responsibilities), and a number of clerks and clerk comptrollers (who, in consultation with the Lord Steward, managed the day-to-day running of the household below stairs).

Judicial functions

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"...by which he is also forthwith Steward of the whole Court of Marshalsea, that is, the Court of Household, in which he is Judge of life and limb" (The Black Book of the Household, 1471-72).[11]

The Lord Steward acted as principal judge for all offences committed within the Verge of the Royal Court, having both civil and (in earlier years) criminal jurisdiction. As such he sat in the Marshalsea Court and the Palace Court (while the Board of Green Cloth itself functioned as a lower court of law for the Verge). In this regard he was assisted by the Knight Marshal and his men, by the Steward of the Marshalsea and by the Coroner of the Verge. (By virtue of the Coroners Act 1988, the lord steward continued to appoint the Coroner of the Queen's Household[18] until the office was abolished in 2013 by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.)[19][20]

Edward Coke observed that 'of ancient time the steward and marshal had general authority, as justices in eyre, and as viceregents of the Chief Justice of England within the verge, at what time they held plea of all felonies within the verge, which power is now vanished'; he dated the final suppression of the criminal jurisdiction of the Marshalsea court to the passing of the Offences within the Court Act 1541.[21]

Parliamentary functions

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"He hath the office to call the names of Knights, Citizens and Burgesses, at the Parliament door, the first day of commencement, and to amerce such as fail by the certificate" (The Black Book of the Household, 1471-72).[11]

Until 1831, the Lord Steward or his deputies presided over the swearing of oaths by members of the House of Commons. (These oaths were sworn in the lobby of the house, or another convenient room designated for the purpose, and were the same as, but sworn separately from, the oaths taken in the chamber itself.)[22] In the Tudor period he was responsible for taking the roll call of all the Knights and Burgesses who had been elected to represent the Commons in Parliament, prior to each State Opening.[23]

By long tradition,[24] the 'Lords with White Staves' are called upon if required to deliver messages between the House of Lords and the Sovereign.[25]

Reforms

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For some centuries the role of the Lord Steward remained much as it had been in the late middle ages. In 1727, the office of Lord Steward was described in the following terms:

"To him is committed the State of the King's House, to be ordered and guided according to his Discretion: He hath Authority over all Officers and Servants of the King's House, except those of the Royal Chapel, Chamber, Stable, &c. He by Vertue of his Office judgeth of all Treasons, Murthers, Felonies and other Enormities committed within the Verge of the King's Court [...]. At the Beginning of Parliaments he attends the King's Person, and administers the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to the several Members of the House of Commons, and at the Ends of Parliaments, he adjudgeth the Parliamentary Expenses &c."[26]

The Lord Steward's developing role in government, however, led to increased absences from the Court, which (among other things) led to a number of reforms being introduced.

In 1782 the financial independence of the Lord Steward's Department was reduced (as the Treasury began to take a greater hand in Civil List expenditure),[27] and the office of Cofferer was replaced by that of Paymaster of the Household (an officer with much reduced status and more limited responsibilities).[6] At the same time the Master of the Household was made responsible for the executive management of the Lord Steward's Department.[28]

Following Queen Victoria's accession to the throne, her husband Prince Albert took a keen interest in reforming the Royal Household of its complexities and inefficiencies. In 1841 Baron Stockmar was commissioned to draw up a memorandum on the matter; he summed up the problem with the observation that even simple tasks were the responsibility of more than one master: 'the Lord Steward found the fuel and laid the fire, while the Lord Chamberlain lighted it'.[29] As a result, towards the end of 1844, authority over the whole internal economy of the palace was conferred upon the Master of the Household, who became a permanent, resident officer. The titular heads (the Lord Steward, Lord Chamberlain and Master of the Horse) were retained, but their duties with regard to the Household were in this way delegated.[30] Thus the office of Lord Steward came to be regarded as 'purely an honorary one'.[4]

In 1924, in line with these reforms, the Lord Steward's Department (Board of Green Cloth) was formally renamed the Master of the Household's Department (Board of Green Cloth).[31]

List of Lord Stewards

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Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, Lord Steward 1587–1588, holding the white staff of his office.

15th century

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16th century

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Office of Lord Steward discontinued and replaced by the Lord Great Master

Office of Lord Steward restored

17th century

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Ludovick Stuart, 2nd Duke of Lennox and Duke of Richmond (Lord Steward 1618-1623).

18th century

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19th century

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20th century

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21st century

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Bucholz, R. O., ed. (2006). "The household below stairs: Lord Steward 1660-1837". Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. University of London. pp. 397–398. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b Haydn, Joseph (1851). The Book of Dignities. London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans. pp. 203–204.
  3. ^ Licensing Act 2003 (section 195))
  4. ^ a b c "Civil List". Tracts of the Financial Reform Association (1): 9–11. 1848.
  5. ^ a b Allison, Ronald; Riddell, Sarah, eds. (1991). The Royal Encyclopedia. London: Macmillan. p. 319.
  6. ^ a b c d Bucholz, R. O., ed. (2006). "Introduction: Administrative Structure and Work of the Royal Household". Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 11 (Revised), Court Officers, 1660-1837. University of London. pp. xx–xxxvii. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  7. ^ Court Circular, 22 February 2023: 'The Earl of Rosslyn was received by The King, kissed hands upon his appointment as Lord Steward and received from His Majesty his Wand of Office'.
  8. ^ Case on behalf of Bertram Arthur, Earl of Shrewsbury and Waterford, on his Claim to the Office of Lord Steward of Ireland. London: Norris & Sons. 1855. pp. 6–9.
  9. ^ Thoms, William J. (1844). "The Lord Chamberlain of the Household". The Book of the Court. London: Henry G. Bohn. pp. 318–326.
  10. ^ a b Myers, A. R., ed. (1959). The Household of Edward IV: the Black Book and the Ordinance of 1478. Manchester University Press. p. 33.
  11. ^ a b c d Thoms, William J. (1844). "The Lord Steward of the Household". The Book of the Court. London: Henry G. Bohn. pp. 296–303.
  12. ^ "Public Act, 32 Henry VIII, c. 39 (The Jurisdiction of the Great Master of the King's Household)". The Parliamentary Archives. UK Parliament. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  13. ^ "The Lord Steward Act 1554". Legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  14. ^ "Steward, receive the wand of our household".
  15. ^ Tout, T. F. (1928). Chapters in the administrative history of mediaeval England: the wardrobe, the chamber, and the small seals (Volume IV). Manchester University Press. pp. 160–161. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  16. ^ Tout, T. F. (1920). Chapters in the administrative history of mediaeval England: the wardrobe, the chamber, and the small seals (Volume II). Manchester University Press. pp. 34–41. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Records of the Lord Steward, the Board of Green Cloth and other officers of the Royal Household". The National Archives. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  18. ^ Coroners Act 1988, section 29(1). To be abolished by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
  19. ^ Coroners and Justice Act 2009, section 46
  20. ^ Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (Commencement No. 15, Consequential and Transitory Provisions) Order 2013, para. 2(e)
  21. ^ Buckley, W. (1827). The Jurisdiction and Practice of the Marshalsea & Palace Courts. London: S. Sweet. pp. 111–125.
  22. ^ Chitty, J.; Hulme, John Walter (1837). A Collection of Statutes of Practical Utility (Volume 2, Part II). London: S. Sweet. p. 719.
  23. ^ Cobb H.S. 'The Staging of Ceremonies in the House of Lords' in The Houses of Parliament: History, Art, Architecture. London: Merrell 2000.
  24. ^ E.g.: 'Ordered: That the humble Thanks of this House be presented to the King's Majesty, for His Gracious Speech made in this House on Thursday the Fifteenth Instant; and that the Lords with White Staves now in this House are hereby appointed to wait on His Majesty therewith'. (Journals of the House of Lords, 20 February 1676, page 47.)
  25. ^ "Presentation of Address". Erskine May. UK Parliament. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  26. ^ An Explanatory Account of the nature and business of the several offices, posts, employments, and places of trust in this Kingdom. London: The Editor. 1727. pp. 61–62.
  27. ^ Guide to the Contents of the Public Record Office (volume II). London: H. M. Stationery Office. 1963. p. 211.
  28. ^ Allison, Ronald; Riddell, Sarah, eds. (1991). The Royal Encyclopedia. London: Macmillan. p. 335.
  29. ^ Wilson, Robert (1891). The Life and Times of Queen Victoria (Volume I). London: Cassell and Company Ltd. pp. 72–74.
  30. ^ Fawcett, Millicent Garrett (1895). Life of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Boston: Roberts Brothers. pp. 132–134.
  31. ^ Whitaker, Joseph (1925). Whitaker's Almanack. London: J. Whitaker. pp. 102–104. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  32. ^ Loades, David (1992). The Tudor Court (revised ed.). Headstart History. p. 205. ISBN 1873041381.
  33. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Loades 1992, p. 205.
  34. ^ a b c d e f g Loades 1992, p. 206.
  35. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae "The household below stairs: Lord Steward 1660–1837". Institute of Historical Research. 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  36. ^ "No. 24841". The London Gazette. 4 May 1880. p. 2864.
  37. ^ "No. 25485". The London Gazette. 30 June 1885. p. 3000.
  38. ^ "No. 25558". The London Gazette. 12 February 1886. p. 682.
  39. ^ "No. 25617". The London Gazette. 17 August 1886. p. 4007.
  40. ^ "No. 26320". The London Gazette. 26 August 1892. p. 4889.
  41. ^ "No. 26644". The London Gazette. 16 July 1895. p. 4022.
  42. ^ "No. 27866". The London Gazette. 22 December 1905. p. 9171.
  43. ^ "No. 28046". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 July 1907. p. 5281.
  44. ^ "No. 28391". The London Gazette. 1 July 1910. p. 4649.
  45. ^ "No. 29193". The London Gazette. 15 June 1915. p. 5749.
  46. ^ "No. 32770". The London Gazette. 24 November 1922. p. 8292.
  47. ^ "No. 34376". The London Gazette. 2 March 1937. p. 1405.
  48. ^ "No. 34864". The London Gazette. 4 June 1940. p. 3351.
  49. ^ "No. 43243". The London Gazette. 11 February 1964. p. 1269.
  50. ^ "No. 44414". The London Gazette. 22 September 1967. p. 10345.
  51. ^ "No. 45868". The London Gazette. 2 January 1973. p. 105.
  52. ^ "No. 51747". The London Gazette. 26 May 1989. p. 6301.
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