Lord High Treasurer

The English Treasury seems to have come into existence around 1126, during the reign of Henry I, as the financial responsibilities were separated from the rest of the job that evolved into Lord Great Chamberlain. The Treasury was originally a section of the Royal Household with custody of the King's money. In 1216, a Treasurer was appointed to take control of the Treasury in Winchester. The Treasurer was also an officer of the Exchequer, and supervised the royal accounts. In the 13th and early-14th century the same official was referred to interchangeably as the King's Treasurer and Treasurer of the Exchequer. It was in the 16th century, the office's title of ''King's Treasurer developed into Lord High Treasurer''. By Tudor times, the Lord High Treasurer had achieved a place among the Great Officers of State, behind the Lord Chancellor and above the Master of the Horse. Under the Treason Act 1351 it is treason to kill him. == Appointment ==

. The office of Lord High Treasurer is distinct from that of Treasurer of the Exchequer, albeit when the Treasury was held by an individual, he was invariably appointed to both offices. The appointment of Lord High Treasurer was made by the delivery of a white staff to the appointee; whereas that of Treasurer of the Exchequer was made at His Majesty's pleasure by letters patent under the Great Seal of the Realm. By the 18th century the appointment of a new Lord High Treasurer took place with elaborate ceremony within Westminster Hall and the Exchequer. The new Lord Treasurer, preceded by the clerks of the Treasury, the officers of the Exchequer, his secretary and his sergeant-at-mace, and attended by several Lords and Privy Counsellors, proceeded first to the Court of Chancery where he made his oaths to the Sovereign before the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal; then, accompanied by the Lord Keeper, he proceeded to the Court of Exchequer where the Lord Keeper, seated alongside the Barons of the Exchequer, made a speech explaining the two distinct offices to which the Lord Treasurer was appointed. The latter took the oaths of each respective office, after which his patent was delivered to him and he took his place alongside the Barons. The Lord Keeper having departed, the new Lord Treasurer sat for a time hearing motions in the Court; afterwards he went to take formal possession of each office (or department) of the Exchequer, and then to the Exchequer of Receipt (where a tally was ceremonially struck and the Auditor presented to him the great keys of the Treasury). == Later history ==

During the sixteenth century, the Lord High Treasurer was often considered the most important official of the government, and became a de facto Prime Minister. Exemplifying the power of the Lord High Treasurer is William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, who served in the post from 1572 to 1598. During his tenure, he dominated the administration under Elizabeth I. == The Treasury in Commission ==

The office was first put in commission on 16 June 1612. It has remained in commission since 1714. == List ==