After the death of Thomas Wriothesley, Lord Treasurer from 1660 to 1667, the treasury was managed by a commission.
On 22 May 1667 Pepys wrote:
Up, and by water to White Hall to Sir G. Carteret, who tells me now for certain how the Commission for the Treasury is disposed of: viz., to Duke of Albemarle, Lord Ashly, Sir W. Coventry, Sir John Duncomb, and Sir Thomas Clifford: at which, he says, all the whole Court is disturbed; it having been once concluded otherwise into the other hands formerly mentioned in yesterday’s notes, but all of a sudden the King’s choice was changed, and these are to be the men; the first of which is only for a puppet to give honour to the rest. He do presage that these men will make it their business to find faults in the management of the late Lord Treasurer, and in discouraging the bankers: but I am, whatever I in compliance do say to him, of another mind, and my heart is very glad of it, for I do expect they will do much good, and that it is the happiest thing that hath appeared to me for the good of the nation since the King come in.
See also the 1660 Treasury Commissioners.
3 Annotations
First Reading
Terry Foreman • Link
Commission of the Treasury (1 June 1667 - 28 November 1672)
* George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle, First Lord (until 3 January 1670) http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
* Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, also Chancellor of the Exchequer http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
* Sir Thomas Clifford, Comptroller of the Household http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
* Sir William Coventry (until 8 April 1669) http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
* Sir John Duncombe http://www.pepysdiary.com/encyclo…
Second Reading
San Diego Sarah • Link
Jan. 1668
Whitehall.
Warrant to the Ordnance officers
to reduce the expenses of the Ordnance office to 30,000l. a year.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II. 233, No. 146.]
Jan. 1668
Whitehall.
Warrant to Lord Arlington and Sir Wm. Morice, Secretaries of State,
to reduce the expense of intelligence to 4,000l. a year.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II 233, No. 147.]
Jan. 1668
Whitehall.
Warrant to Lord Chamberlain Manchester
to reduce the expenses of the jewel house to 8,000l. a year.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II 233, No. 148.]
Jan. 1668
Whitehall.
Warrant to the officers of works
to reduce the expenses of the King’s buildings to 8,000l. a year.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II 233, No. 149.]
Jan. 1668
Whitehall.
Warrant to Baptist May, keeper of the privy purse,
to reduce the expenses of the privy purse to 20,000l. per annum.
[S.P. Dom., Car. II 233, No. 150.]
For more general information about January 1667/68 (nothing more in this vein) see
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…
San Diego Sarah • Link
Jan. 23. 1668
Charles II to the Treasury Commissioners.
Finding it necessary to retrench all expenses, we transmit for your instruction a plan drawn up by Council for expenditure, and you are to take care that the sums issued for the several parts of the service do not exceed the amounts prescribed.
[S.P. Dom., Entry Book 17, p. 275.]
Estimate of the reduced of the several departments of expenditure; showing a total reduction of 90,000l., the present estimates being 727,207l. 7s.
[S.P. Dom., Entry Book 17, pp. 275, 276.]
https://www.british-history.ac.uk…