Clerk of the Closet
English religious post in the household of the monarch
The College of Chaplains of the Ecclesiastical Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom is under the Clerk of the Closet , an office dating from 1437. It is normally held by a diocesan bishop , who may, however, remain in office after leaving his see. The current Clerk is Richard Jackson , Bishop of Hereford .[ 1]
The Clerk of the Closet is responsible for advising the Private Secretary to the Sovereign on the names for candidates to fill vacancies in the Roll of Chaplains to the Sovereign. He presents bishops for homage to the Sovereign, examines any theological books to be presented to the Sovereign, and preaches annually in the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace . He receives a salary of £7 a year.
The Deputy Clerk of the Closet , an office dating from 1677, is the Domestic Chaplain to the Sovereign, and Sub-Dean of the Chapel Royal , and is the sole full-time clerical member of the Household.
Other members of the royal family may also have their own Clerk of the Closet.
Richard Jackson , Bishop of Hereford , 2023–[ 2] James Newcome , KCVO ,[ 3] Bishop of Carlisle 2014–2023Christopher Hill , KCVO , Bishop of Guildford 2005–2014Jonathan Bailey , KCVO , Bishop of Derby 1997–2005John Waine , KCVO Bishop of Chelmsford 1989–1997John Bickersteth , KCVO Bishop of Bath and Wells 1979–1989Gordon Fallows , KCVO Bishop of Sheffield 1975–1979Roger Wilson , KCVO Bishop of Chichester 1963–1975Percy Herbert , KCVO Bishop of Norwich 1942–1963Cyril Garbett , GCVO Bishop of Winchester 1937–1942Thomas Banks Strong , GBE Bishop of Oxford 1925–1937Hubert Murray Burge , Bishop of Oxford 1918–1925William Boyd-Carpenter , KCVO Bishop of Ripon 1903–1918Randall Davidson , KCVO Bishop of Rochester 1891–1903Henry Philpott , Bishop of Worcester 1865–1891John Graham , Bishop of Chester 1849–1865Edward Stanley , Bishop of Norwich 1837–1849Robert James Carr , Bishop of Chichester 1827–1837[ 4] George Pelham , Bishop of Exeter 1815–1827[ 4] William Jackson , Bishop of Oxford by 1813–1815[ 4] Richard Hurd , Bishop of Worcester 1781–1808[ 4] William Buller 1763–1773 (later Bishop of Exeter )John Thomas , Bishop of Salisbury , Bishop of Winchester 1757–1763[ 4] John Gilbert , Bishop of Salisbury 1752–1757[ 4] Joseph Butler , Bishop of Bristol 1746–1752[ 4] Henry Egerton , Bishop of Hereford 1735–1746[ 4] Richard Willis , Bishop of Winchester 1723–1734[ 4] Charles Trimnell , Bishop of Norwich 1714–1723[ 4] William Graham , Dean of Carlisle 1702–1714 (jointly)[ 4] John Younger , Dean of Salisbury 1702–1714 (jointly)[ 4] Samuel Pratt , Dean of Rochester 1702–1714 (jointly)[ 4] Hon. John Montagu , Dean of Durham 1695–1702[ 4] Thomas Burnet 1691–1695[ 4] James Canaries 1691–1692 (representing Scottish Episcopalian Church)
John Tillotson , Dean of St Paul's 1689–1691[ 4] Sir Edward Petre S.J. 1687–1693 (after 1689 in exile with James II )[ 4]
Thomas Sprat , Bishop of Rochester 1685–1687[ 4] Hon. Nathaniel Crew , Dean of Chichester , Bishop of Oxford , Bishop of Durham 1669–1685[ 4] Walter Blandford , Bishop of Worcester 1668–1669[ 4] John Dolben , Dean of Westminster 1664–1668[ 4] John Earle , Bishop of Salisbury 1651–1664[ 4] Charles II )Gilbert Sheldon 1646–1651 later Archbishop of Canterbury Richard Steward 1636–1646 designated Dean of St Paul's Matthew Wren , Bishop of Hereford 1633–1636William Juxon , Dean of Worcester 1632–1633Walter Balcanquhall 1617–1621 (represented the Church of Scotland at the Synod of Dort )Richard Neile , Archbishop of York 1603–1632John Thornborough , Bishop of Limerick 1588–1603[ 5] John Rycarde c.1556
John Rudd 1540sEdward Layton , Archdeacon of Sarum by 1538–after 1544[ 6] Edward Higgins c.1520Geoffrey Wren 1510- >1515Edward Atherton
Clerks of the Closet in other Royal Households
Henry Burton , Clerk of the Closet to Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales William Stanley , Clerk of the Closet to Queen Mary 1689–1694Lancelot Blackburne , Clerk of the Closet to Caroline of Ansbach Isaac Maddox , Clerk of the Closet to Caroline of Ansbach 1729–1736Joseph Butler , Clerk of the Closet to Caroline of Ansbach 1736–37Francis Ayscough , Clerk of the Closet to Frederick, Prince of Wales 1736–51[ 7] Samuel Squire, Clerk of the Closet to the Prince of Wales 1756-
Rev Dr Lockman, Clerk of the Closet to the Prince of Wales 1787–1808[ 8]
Frederick William Blomberg, Clerk of the Closet to the Prince of Wales 1808-[ 8]
Edward Young , Clerk of the Closet to Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha 1761–1765
References
^ "The Telegraph" .^ "The Telegraph" .^ "The Telegraph" .^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v "Clerk of the Closet 1660–1808; c. 1813–1837" . British History Online. Retrieved 17 April 2017 .^ McCullough, Peter. Sermons at Court . p. 10. ^ Kisby, Fiona (1997). "The Participants, clerical and lay, in Candlemas 1541". The Court Historian . 2 (sup1): 2–4. doi :10.1179/cou.Supplement.1997.2.1.002 . ^ "Leicester Square, North Side", and "Lisle Street Area: Leicester Estate: Lisle Street" , Survey of London : volumes 33 and 34: St Anne Soho (1966), pp. 472–476. Date accessed: 10 June 2009.^ a b The Literary Panorama, and National Register, Volume 4
