The Treasurer of the Navy[1] originally called Treasurer of Marine Causes[2] also originally called Paymaster of the Navy[3] was a civilian officer of the Royal Navy, he was one of the principal commissioners of the Navy Board responsible for naval finance[4] from 1524 to 1832. The treasurer was based at the Navy Pay Office.
History
Originally established in 1524 the first post holder was William Gonson he held the office for twenty years until 1544.[5] Although a member of the board his office was semi-autonomous. The office-holder was responsible for the direction and control of naval finance of the Royal Navy. The office was a political appointment and frequently was held by up-and-coming young politicians who would later go on to hold more important positions. Before 1832 all accounts were dealt with by a number of different offices and officials. The Treasurer of the Navy originated during the reign of Henry VIII. He was the senior member of the Navy Board responsible for all Navy accounts, he gradually withdrew during the seventeenth century from the board's day-to-day affairs and his office, and the Navy Pay Office, came to be regarded as entirely separate from the Navy Office. The Treasurer of the Navy survived the re-organisational changes of 1832, but his office was abolished in 1835 when his duties were transferred to the Paymaster General's' Office.
^1899-1995., Miller, Helen Hill, (1985). Captains from Devon: the great Elizabethan seafarers who won the oceans for England. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. p. 33. ISBN9780912697277. {{cite book}}: |last1= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Miller, Helen Hill (1985). Captains from Devon : the great Elizabethan seafarers who won the oceans for England. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. p. 33. ISBN9780912697277.
^Bennell, John (2004). "Gonson, William (d. 1544)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/47400. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^"Greville, Fulke (GRVL568F)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.