Clerk of the Privy Council (United Kingdom)

The Clerk of the Privy Council is a senior civil servant in His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, being Head of the Privy Council Office.
This historic office is less powerful now 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 Civil Service have been divided between the Cabinet Secretary and the Head of HM Civil Service.
Until 1859 there were multiple — usually four — clerks of the Privy Council. Three of the four positions then extant were progressively abolished in the 19th century until only one remained in 1859. The Clerk of the Privy Council is deputized by one or two Deputy Clerks, although the office of Senior Clerk has been established in the past.

Clerks in Ordinary, 1540–1859

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
14 May 1649	Sir Edward Walker	vacant	vacant	vacant	-	-
18 November 1656	Sir Edward Walker	Sir George Lane	vacant	vacant	-	-
27 October 1658	Sir Edward Walker	Sir George Lane	Sir John Nicholas	vacant	-	-
22 June 1660	Sir Edward Walker	Sir George Lane	Sir John Nicholas	Sir Richard Browne	-	-
23 September 1664	Sir Edward Walker	Sir Robert Southwell	Sir John Nicholas	Sir Richard Browne	-	-
24 January 1672	Sir Edward Walker	Sir Robert Southwell	Sir John Nicholas	Sir Joseph Williamson	-	-
16 September 1674	Sir Edward Walker	Sir Robert Southwell	Sir John Nicholas	Sir Philip Lloyd	-	-
21 February 1677	Sir Thomas Doleman	Sir Robert Southwell	Sir John Nicholas	Sir Philip Lloyd	-	-
5 December 1679	Sir Thomas Doleman	Francis Gwyn	Sir John Nicholas	Sir Philip Lloyd	-	-
16 January 1685	William Bridgeman	Sir Philip Musgrave	Sir John Nicholas	Sir Philip Lloyd	-	-
6 February 1685	vacant	Sir Philip Musgrave	Sir John Nicholas	Sir Philip Lloyd	-	-
22 October 1686	William Bridgeman	Sir Philip Musgrave	Sir John Nicholas	William Blathwayt	-	-
11 December 1688	vacant	vacant	Sir John Nicholas	William Blathwayt	-	-
21 February 1689	Charles Montagu	Richard Cooling	Sir John Nicholas	William Blathwayt	-	-
24 March 1692	John Dyve	Richard Cooling	Sir John Nicholas	William Blathwayt	-	-
12 January 1693	William Bridgeman	Richard Cooling	Sir John Nicholas	William Blathwayt	-	-
27 July 1697	William Bridgeman	John Povey	Sir John Nicholas	William Blathwayt	-	-
18 May 1699	Edward Southwell	John Povey	Sir John Nicholas	William Blathwayt	-	-
11 January 1705	Edward Southwell	John Povey	Sir Christopher Musgrave	William Blathwayt	-	-
2 November 1710	Edward Southwell	John Povey	Sir Christopher Musgrave	William Blathwayt	-	-
12 May 1715	Edward Southwell	James Vernon	Sir Christopher Musgrave	William Blathwayt	-	-
26 March 1716	Edward Southwell	James Vernon	Sir Robert Hales	William Blathwayt	-	-
23 October 1717	Edward Southwell	James Vernon	Sir Robert Hales	Abraham Stanyan	-	-
3 February 1720	Edward Southwell	James Vernon	Sir Robert Hales	Temple Stanyan	-	-
22 May 1729	Edward Southwell	James Vernon	Sir Walter Carey	Temple Stanyan	-	-
11 February 1731	William Sharpe	James Vernon	Sir Walter Carey	Temple Stanyan	-	-
21 April 1752	William Sharpe	James Vernon	Sir Walter Carey	Gilbert West	-	-
14 April 1756	William Sharpe	James Vernon	Sir Walter Carey	Henry Fane	-	-
6 May 1756	William Sharpe	William Blair	Sir Walter Carey	Henry Fane	-	-
19 May 1757	William Sharpe	William Blair	Francis Vernon	Henry Fane	-	-
22 April 1762	William Sharpe	William Blair	Philip Sharpe	Henry Fane	-	-
23 June 1764	William Sharpe	William Blair	Philip Sharpe	Robert Walpole	-	-
11 September 1767	Sir Stephen Cotterell	William Blair	Philip Sharpe	Robert Walpole	-	-
4 December 1772	Sir Stephen Cotterell	William Blair	Sir George Chetwynd	Robert Walpole	-	-
1 January 1779	Sir Stephen Cotterell	William Fawkener	Sir George Chetwynd	Robert Walpole	-	-
25 August 1786	Sir Stephen Cotterell	William Fawkener	Sir George Chetwynd	Robert Walpole	Grey Elliot	-
June 1787	Sir Stephen Cotterell	William Fawkener	Sir George Chetwynd	Robert Walpole	-	-
19 April 1810	Sir Stephen Cotterell	William Fawkener	Sir George Chetwynd	abolished	-	-
8 August 1810	Richard Chetwynd, 5th Viscount Chetwynd	William Fawkener	Sir George Chetwynd	abolished	-	-
19 August 1811	Richard Chetwynd, 5th Viscount Chetwynd	James Buller	Sir George Chetwynd	abolished	-	-
20 March 1821	Charles Greville	James Buller	Sir George Chetwynd	abolished	-	-
24 March 1824	Charles Greville	James Buller	abolished	abolished	-	-
15 December 1830	Charles Greville	William Bathurst	abolished	abolished	-	-
May 1859	abolished	William Bathurst	abolished	abolished	-	-

Clerks in Ordinary, 1859–present

May 1859: William Bathurst
June 1860: Sir Arthur Helps
17 March 1875: Sir Charles Lennox Peel
9 August 1898: Sir Almeric FitzRoy
31 May 1923: Sir Maurice Hankey
1 August 1938: Sir Rupert Howorth
1942: Sir Eric Leadbitter
30 June 1951: Major Francis Ford Fernau
1953: Sir Godfrey Agnew
1974: Sir Neville Leigh
1984: Sir Geoffrey de Deney
1992: Sir Nigel Nicholls
1996: Robert Bulling
1998: Alex Galloway
2007: Judith Simpson
2012: Richard Tilbrook