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Master-General of the Ordnance

December 18, 2023

For other uses, see Master-General of the Ordnance (disambiguation).

The Master-General of the Ordnance (MGO) was a very senior British military position from 1415 to 2013 (except 1855–1895 and 1939–1958) with some changes to the name, usually held by a serving general. The Master-General of the Ordnance was responsible for all British artillery, engineers, fortifications, military supplies, transport, field hospitals and much else, and was not subordinate to the commander-in chief of the British military. In March 2013 the holder was titled as "Director Land Capability and Transformation", but still sat on the Army Board as Master-General of the Ordnance; in September 2013 the post was eliminated.

Office of the Master-General of the Ordnance
Ministry of Defence
Member ofBoard of Ordnance, Army Board
Reports toSecretary of State for Defence
NominatorSecretary of State for Defence
AppointerPrime Minister
Subject to formal approval by the Queen-in-Council
Term lengthNot fixed (usually for life)
Inaugural holderNicholas Merbury
Formation1415–2013

History edit

The Office of Armoury split away from the Privy Wardrobe of the Tower (of London) in the early 15th century. The Master of the Ordnance came into being in 1415 with the appointment of Nicholas Merbury by Henry V. The Office of Ordnance was created by Henry VIII in 1544 and became the Board of Ordnance in 1597. Its head was the Master-General of the Ordnance; his subordinates included the Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance and the Surveyor-General of the Ordnance.[1] Before the establishment of a standing army or navy, the Ordnance Office was the only permanent military department in England. In 1764 it established the British standard ordnance weights and measurements for the artillery, one of the earliest standards in the world.

The position of Master-General was frequently a cabinet-level one, especially in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when it was normally a political appointment. In 1855 the post was discontinued and certain of the ceremonial aspects of the post were subsequently vested in the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.[2] In 1904, the post was re-established, and until 1938 the Master-General of the Ordnance was the Fourth Military Member of the Army Board.[3]

In 1913, the control of military aviation was separated from the responsibilities of the Master-General of the Ordnance. A new Department of Military Aeronautics was established and Brigadier-General Henderson was appointed the first director.[4]

In March 2013, the holder was titled as "Director Land Capability and Transformation" but still sat on the army board as Master-General of the Ordnance.[5] In September 2013, the post was abolished.[6]

Masters of the Ordnance 1415–1544 edit

Masters-General of the Ordnance, 1544–1855 edit

Source: Institute of Historical Research

William Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley
Sir John Duncombe
Thomas Chicheley
Sir John Chicheley
Sir William Hickman, Bt.
Sir Christopher Musgrave, Bt

1855–1894 edit

The post did not exist for the period 1855 to 1894.

Inspector-General of the Ordnance 1895 to 1899 edit

In 1895 the post was revived, but re-styled Inspector-General.
Included:[10]

  • Lieutenant-General Sir Edwin Markham, April 1895 – December 1898

Director-General of the Ordnance 1899 to 1904 edit

Included:[11]

Master-General of the Ordnance 1904 to 1938 edit

Holders of the post have included:[12]

1939–1958 edit

The post was abolished by Leslie Hore-Belisha, the Secretary of State for War, as he perceived it to be a block on production, transferring tank development responsibility to the Director General of Munitions Development. It was not re-instated until 1959.

Master-General of the Ordnance 1960 to 2013 edit

Post holders official dual title was: Director Land Capability and Transformation and Master-General of the Ordnance

References edit

  1. ^ "Board of Ordnance". Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  2. ^ "No. 22509". The London Gazette. 10 May 1861. p. 2003.
  3. ^ The Army in 1906: A Policy and a Vindication By Hugh Oakeley Arnold-Forster, Page 481 Bibliobazaar, 2008, ISBN 978-0-559-66499-1
  4. ^ Joubert de la Ferté, Philip (1955). The Third Service. London: Thames and Hudson. p. 15.
  5. ^ "Head Office and Corporate Services senior, as of March 2013". Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  6. ^ "Head Office and Corporate Services senior, as of September 2013". Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  7. ^ Corps History - Part 2 4 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine Website of the Royal Engineers' Museum
  8. ^ a b Skentlebery, Norman (1975). Arrows to atom bombs: a history of the Ordnance Board. London: Ordnance Board.
  9. ^ Goodman, Anthony. The Wars of the Roses: Military Activity and English Society, 1452-97. p. 172.
  10. ^ Mackie, Colin. (PDF). gulabin. Colin Mackie, February 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  11. ^ Mackie, Colin. (PDF). gulabin. Colin Mackie, February 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  12. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2015.

December 18, 2023
master, general, ordnance, other, uses, disambiguation, very, senior, british, military, position, from, 1415, 2013, except, 1855, 1895, 1939, 1958, with, some, changes, name, usually, held, serving, general, responsible, british, artillery, engineers, fortifi. For other uses see Master General of the Ordnance disambiguation The Master General of the Ordnance MGO was a very senior British military position from 1415 to 2013 except 1855 1895 and 1939 1958 with some changes to the name usually held by a serving general The Master General of the Ordnance was responsible for all British artillery engineers fortifications military supplies transport field hospitals and much else and was not subordinate to the commander in chief of the British military In March 2013 the holder was titled as Director Land Capability and Transformation but still sat on the Army Board as Master General of the Ordnance in September 2013 the post was eliminated Office of the Master General of the OrdnanceMinistry of DefenceMember ofBoard of Ordnance Army BoardReports toSecretary of State for DefenceNominatorSecretary of State for DefenceAppointerPrime MinisterSubject to formal approval by the Queen in CouncilTerm lengthNot fixed usually for life Inaugural holderNicholas MerburyFormation1415 2013 Contents 1 History 2 Masters of the Ordnance 1415 1544 3 Masters General of the Ordnance 1544 1855 4 1855 1894 5 Inspector General of the Ordnance 1895 to 1899 6 Director General of the Ordnance 1899 to 1904 7 Master General of the Ordnance 1904 to 1938 8 1939 1958 9 Master General of the Ordnance 1960 to 2013 10 ReferencesHistory editThe Office of Armoury split away from the Privy Wardrobe of the Tower of London in the early 15th century The Master of the Ordnance came into being in 1415 with the appointment of Nicholas Merbury by Henry V The Office of Ordnance was created by Henry VIII in 1544 and became the Board of Ordnance in 1597 Its head was the Master General of the Ordnance his subordinates included the Lieutenant General of the Ordnance and the Surveyor General of the Ordnance 1 Before the establishment of a standing army or navy the Ordnance Office was the only permanent military department in England In 1764 it established the British standard ordnance weights and measurements for the artillery one of the earliest standards in the world The position of Master General was frequently a cabinet level one especially in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when it was normally a political appointment In 1855 the post was discontinued and certain of the ceremonial aspects of the post were subsequently vested in the Commander in Chief of the Forces 2 In 1904 the post was re established and until 1938 the Master General of the Ordnance was the Fourth Military Member of the Army Board 3 In 1913 the control of military aviation was separated from the responsibilities of the Master General of the Ordnance A new Department of Military Aeronautics was established and Brigadier General Henderson was appointed the first director 4 In March 2013 the holder was titled as Director Land Capability and Transformation but still sat on the army board as Master General of the Ordnance 5 In September 2013 the post was abolished 6 Masters of the Ordnance 1415 1544 editThis list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items August 2008 Nicholas Merbury 1415 1420 7 John Hampton 1429 William Gloucestre 1435 8 Gilbert Par 1437 8 Thomas Vaughan 1450 John Judde 1456 1460 murdered 1460 Philip Herveys c 1461 9 Richard Guildford 1485 1494 Robert Clifford 1495 died 1508 Sir Sampson Norton 1511 1513 Sir Henry Willoughby 1513 Sir William Skeffington 1529 1535 Bernardin de Valois Bernadyne de Wallys 1536 Sir Christopher Morris 1537 1544Masters General of the Ordnance 1544 1855 editSource Institute of Historical Research Sir Thomas Seymour 1544 1547 Sir Philip Hoby 1547 1554 Sir Richard Southwell 1554 1559 Ambrose Dudley 3rd Earl of Warwick 1560 1585 Ambrose Dudley 3rd Earl of Warwick jointly with Sir Philip Sidney 1585 1586 Ambrose Dudley 3rd Earl of Warwick 1586 1590 Sir Henry Lee 1590 1597 Robert Devereux 2nd Earl of Essex 1597 1601 vacant 1601 1603 Charles Blount 1st Earl of Devonshire 1603 1606 vacant 1606 1608 George Carew 1st Lord Carew 1st Earl of Totnes 1626 1608 1629 Horace Vere 1st Lord Vere of Tilbury 1629 1634 Mountjoy Blount 1st Earl of Newport 1634 1661 Sir William Compton 1661 1663 in commission 1664 1670William Berkeley 1st Baron Berkeley Sir John Duncombe Thomas Chicheley dd Sir Thomas Chicheley 1670 1679 in commission 1679 1682Sir John Chicheley Sir William Hickman Bt Sir Christopher Musgrave Bt dd George Legge 1st Baron Dartmouth 1682 1688 Frederick Schomberg 1st Duke of Schomberg 1689 1690 vacant 1690 1693 Henry Sidney 1st Earl of Romney 1693 1702 John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough 1702 1712 Richard Savage 4th Earl Rivers 1712 James Hamilton 4th Duke of Hamilton 1712 vacant 1712 1714 John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough 1714 1722 William Cadogan 1st Earl Cadogan 1722 1725 Francois de La Rochefoucauld marquis de Montandre 1725 John Campbell 2nd Duke of Argyll 1725 1740 John Montagu 2nd Duke of Montagu 1740 1742 John Campbell 2nd Duke of Argyll 1742 John Montagu 2nd Duke of Montagu 1742 1749 vacant 1749 1755 Charles Spencer 3rd Duke of Marlborough 1755 1758 vacant 1758 1759 John Ligonier 1st Viscount Ligonier 1759 1763 John Manners Marquess of Granby 1763 1770 vacant 1770 1772 George Townshend 4th Viscount Townshend 1772 1782 Charles Lennox 3rd Duke of Richmond 1782 1783 George Townshend 4th Viscount Townshend 1783 1784 Charles Lennox 3rd Duke of Richmond 1784 1795 Charles Cornwallis 1st Marquess Cornwallis 1795 1801 John Pitt 2nd Earl of Chatham 1801 1806 Francis Rawdon Hastings 2nd Earl of Moira 1806 1807 John Pitt 2nd Earl of Chatham 1807 1810 Henry Phipps 1st Earl of Mulgrave 1810 1819 Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke of Wellington 1819 1827 Henry William Paget 1st Marquess of Anglesey 1827 1828 William Carr Beresford 1st Viscount Beresford 1828 1830 Sir James Kempt 1830 1834 Sir George Murray 1834 1835 Sir Richard Hussey Vivian 1st Bt 1835 1841 Sir George Murray 1841 1846 Henry William Paget 1st Marquess of Anglesey 1846 1852 Henry Hardinge 1st Viscount Hardinge 1852 Fitzroy James Henry Somerset 1st Baron Raglan 1852 18551855 1894 editThe post did not exist for the period 1855 to 1894 Inspector General of the Ordnance 1895 to 1899 editIn 1895 the post was revived but re styled Inspector General Included 10 Lieutenant General Sir Edwin Markham April 1895 December 1898Director General of the Ordnance 1899 to 1904 editIncluded 11 General Sir Henry Brackenbury February 1899 February 1904Master General of the Ordnance 1904 to 1938 editHolders of the post have included 12 Lieutenant General Sir James Murray 1904 1907 Major General Sir Charles Hadden 1907 1913 Major General Sir Stanley von Donop 1913 1916 Lieutenant General Sir William Furse 1916 1919 Lieutenant General Sir John Du Cane 1920 1923 Lieutenant General Sir Noel Birch 1923 1927 Lieutenant General Sir Webb Gillman 1927 1931 Lieutenant General Sir Ronald Charles 1931 1934 Lieutenant General Sir Hugh Elles 1934 1938 1939 1958 editThe post was abolished by Leslie Hore Belisha the Secretary of State for War as he perceived it to be a block on production transferring tank development responsibility to the Director General of Munitions Development It was not re instated until 1959 Master General of the Ordnance 1960 to 2013 editLieutenant General Sir John Cowley 1960 1962 General Sir Cecil Sugden 1962 1963 Lieutenant General Sir Charles Jones 1963 1966 Lieutenant General Sir Charles Richardson 1966 1971 General Sir Noel Thomas 1971 1974 General Sir John Gibbon 1974 1977 General Sir Hugh Beach 1977 1981 General Sir Peter Leng 1981 1983 General Sir Richard Vincent 1983 1987 General Sir John Stibbon 1987 1991 General Sir Jeremy Blacker 1991 1995 Lieutenant General Sir Robert Hayman Joyce 1995 1998 Major General David Jenkins 1998 2000 Major General Peter Gilchrist 2000 2004 Major General Andrew Figgures 2004 2006 Major General Dick Applegate June 2006 November 2006 Major General Chris Wilson 2006 2010 Major General Bill Moore 2010 2011 Post holders official dual title was Director Land Capability and Transformation and Master General of the Ordnance Major General Nick Pope 2011 2013 References edit Board of Ordnance Retrieved 15 November 2012 No 22509 The London Gazette 10 May 1861 p 2003 The Army in 1906 A Policy and a Vindication By Hugh Oakeley Arnold Forster Page 481 Bibliobazaar 2008 ISBN 978 0 559 66499 1 Joubert de la Ferte Philip 1955 The Third Service London Thames and Hudson p 15 Head Office and Corporate Services senior as of March 2013 Retrieved 30 December 2015 Head Office and Corporate Services senior as of September 2013 Retrieved 30 December 2015 Corps History Part 2 Archived 4 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine Website of the Royal Engineers Museum a b Skentlebery Norman 1975 Arrows to atom bombs a history of the Ordnance Board London Ordnance Board Goodman Anthony The Wars of the Roses Military Activity and English Society 1452 97 p 172 Mackie Colin SENIOR ARMY APPOINTMENTS from1860 PDF gulabin Colin Mackie February 2017 Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 25 March 2017 Mackie Colin SENIOR ARMY APPOINTMENTS from1860 PDF gulabin Colin Mackie February 2017 Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 25 March 2017 Army Commands PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 12 December 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Master General of the Ordnance amp oldid 1188367818, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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