Clerk of the Privy Council (United Kingdom)
The Clerk to the Privy Council is a civil servant in Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, being Head of the Privy Council Office.
This historic office is less powerful nowadays than it once was and than its Canadian equivalent, whose holder serves ex officio as Head of the Canadian Civil Service, whereas these roles in the UK have been divided between the Cabinet Secretary and the Head of HM Civil Service.
Until 1859 there were multiple — usually four — clerks to the Privy Council. Three of the four positions then extant were progressively abolished in the 19th century until only one remained in 1859.Clerks in Ordinary, 1540–present
| Date | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six |
| 10 August 1540 | William Paget | | | | - | - |
| 23 April 1543 | John Mason | William Honnyng | | | - | - |
| 17 November 1545 | vacant | William Honnyng | | | - | - |
| 18 December 1545 | Sir Thomas Chaloner | William Honnyng | | | - | - |
| March 1547 | Sir Thomas Chaloner | William Honnyng | Thomas Smith | | - | - |
| 10 May 1548 | Sir Thomas Chaloner | William Honnyng | Armagil Wade | | - | - |
| 20 May 1550 | Sir Thomas Chaloner | William Thomas | Armagil Wade | | - | - |
| 24 September 1551 | Sir Thomas Chaloner | William Thomas | Armagil Wade | Bernard Hampton | - | - |
| 12 May 1552 | vacant | William Thomas | Armagil Wade | Bernard Hampton | - | - |
| By 31 March 1553 | vacant | vacant | Armagil Wade | Bernard Hampton | - | - |
| 19 July 1553 | vacant | vacant | vacant | Bernard Hampton | - | - |
| 30 July 1553 | Sir Francis Allen | William Smith | vacant | Bernard Hampton | - | - |
| After 23 December 1566 | Sir Francis Allen | vacant | vacant | Bernard Hampton | - | - |
| 1570 | vacant | vacant | vacant | Bernard Hampton | - | - |
| 29 April 1571 | Edmund Tremayne | vacant | vacant | Bernard Hampton | - | - |
| 1572 | Edmund Tremayne | vacant | vacant | vacant | - | - |
| 6 July 1572 | Edmund Tremayne | vacant | vacant | Robert Beale | - | - |
| 18 July 1576 | Edmund Tremayne | Sir Thomas Wilkes | Henry Cheke | Robert Beale | - | - |
| After 5 September 1581 | Edmund Tremayne | Sir Thomas Wilkes | vacant | Robert Beale | - | - |
| September 1582 | vacant | Sir Thomas Wilkes | vacant | Robert Beale | - | - |
| 7 October 1584 | Sir William Wade | Sir Thomas Wilkes | vacant | Robert Beale | - | - |
| 19 March 1587 | Sir William Wade | Sir Thomas Wilkes | Sir Anthony Ashley | Robert Beale | - | - |
| 2 March 1598 | Sir William Wade | vacant | Sir Anthony Ashley | Robert Beale | - | - |
| 21 April 1598 | Sir William Wade | Sir Thomas Smith | Sir Anthony Ashley | Robert Beale | - | - |
| 27 May 1601 | Sir William Wade | Sir Thomas Smith | Sir Anthony Ashley | vacant | - | - |
| 18 June 1601 | Sir William Wade | Sir Thomas Smith | Sir Anthony Ashley | Sir Thomas Edmondes | - | - |
| 25 May 1608 | Sir William Wade | Sir Thomas Smith | Sir Anthony Ashley | Sir Thomas Edmondes | Sir Ralph Winwood | Sir John Corbet |
| 15 August 1609 | Sir William Wade | Sir Thomas Smith | Sir Anthony Ashley | Sir Thomas Edmondes | vacant | Sir John Corbet |
| 7 September 1609 | Sir William Wade | Sir Thomas Smith | Sir Anthony Ashley | Sir Thomas Edmondes | Sir Clement Edmondes | Sir John Corbet |
| 27 November 1609 | Sir William Wade | vacant | Sir Anthony Ashley | Sir Thomas Edmondes | Sir Clement Edmondes | Sir John Corbet |
| By 31 May 1610 | Sir William Wade | vacant | vacant | Sir Thomas Edmondes | Sir Clement Edmondes | Sir John Corbet |
| 22 July 1610 | Sir William Wade | vacant | Sir George Calvert | Sir Thomas Edmondes | Sir Clement Edmondes | Sir John Corbet |
| 7 December 1611 | Sir William Wade | vacant | Sir George Calvert | Sir Thomas Edmondes | Sir Clement Edmondes | vacant |
| 23 August 1613 | vacant | vacant | Sir George Calvert | Sir Thomas Edmondes | Sir Clement Edmondes | vacant |
| 24 September 1613 | Francis Cottington | vacant | Sir George Calvert | Sir Thomas Edmondes | Sir Clement Edmondes | vacant |
| 24 February 1614 | Francis Cottington | vacant | Sir George Calvert | William Trumbull | Sir Clement Edmondes | vacant |
| 16 February 1619 | Francis Cottington | vacant | vacant | William Trumbull | Sir Clement Edmondes | vacant |
| February 1619 | Francis Cottington | vacant | Sir Albertus Morton | William Trumbull | Sir Clement Edmondes | vacant |
| 13 October 1622 | Francis Cottington | vacant | Sir Albertus Morton | William Trumbull | vacant | vacant |
| 7 November 1622 | Francis Cottington | vacant | Sir Albertus Morton | William Trumbull | John Dickenson | vacant |
| 11 December 1622 | Sir Thomas Meautys | vacant | Sir Albertus Morton | William Trumbull | John Dickenson | vacant |
| 24 January 1623 | Sir Thomas Meautys | vacant | Sir William Beecher | William Trumbull | John Dickenson | vacant |
| September 1635 | Sir Thomas Meautys | vacant | Sir William Beecher | vacant | John Dickenson | vacant |
| 9 October 1635 | Sir Thomas Meautys | vacant | Sir William Beecher | Sir Edward Nicholas | John Dickenson | vacant |
| By 20 January 1636 | Sir Thomas Meautys | vacant | Sir William Beecher | Sir Edward Nicholas | vacant | vacant |
| 26 May 1636 | Sir Thomas Meautys | vacant | Sir William Beecher | Sir Edward Nicholas | Sir Dudley Carleton | vacant |
| 27 January 1641 | Sir Thomas Meautys | vacant | Sir Richard Browne | Sir Edward Nicholas | Sir Dudley Carleton | vacant |
| 27 November 1641 | Sir Thomas Meautys | vacant | Sir Richard Browne | vacant | Sir Dudley Carleton | vacant |
