Master-General of the Ordnance
The Master-General of the Ordnance (MGO) was an important British military position before 1855, when its duties were largely abolished. Usually held by a serving General, the Master-General of the Ordnance was responsible for all British artillery, engineers, fortifications, military supplies, and much else, and was not subordinate to the Commander in Chief, the titular head of the British military. The position was frequently a cabinet level one, especially in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Board of Ordnance, which had its headquarters in the Tower of London, was abolished in 1855, but the title of Master-General still exists as the title of the Fourth Military Member of the Army Board, who oversees procurement and research and development and usually holds the rank of Lieutenant General.
Masters-General of the Ordnance, 1544–1855Sir Thomas Seymour 1544–1547Sir Philip Hoby 1547–1554Sir Richard Southwell 1554–1559Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick 1560–1585Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick jointly with Sir Philip Sidney 1585–1586Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick 1586–1590vacant 1590–1597Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex 1597–1601vacant 1601–1603Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire 1603–1606vacant 1606–1608George Carew, 1st Lord Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes (1626) 1608–1629Horace Vere, 1st Lord Vere 1629–1634Mountjoy Blount, 1st Earl of Newport 1634–1661Sir William Compton 1661–1663in commission 1664–1670
::William Berkeley, 1st Lord Berkeley
::Sir John Duncombe
::Thomas ChicheleySir Thomas Chicheley 1670–1679in commission 1679–1682
::Sir John Chicheley
::Sir William Hickman, 2nd Bt.
::Sir Christopher MusgraveGeorge Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth 1682–1688Frederick Schomberg, 1st Duke of Schomberg 1689–1690vacant 1690–1693Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney 1693–1702John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough 1702–1712Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers 1712James Douglas, 4th Duke of Hamilton 1712vacant 1712–1714John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough 1714–1722William Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan 1722–1725John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll 1725–1740John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu 1740–1742John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll 1742John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu 1742–1749vacant 1749–1755Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough 1755–1758vacant 1758–1759John Ligonier, 1st Viscount Ligonier 1759–1763John Manners, Marquess of Granby 1763–1770vacant 1770–1772George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend 1772–1782Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond 1782–1783George Townshend, 4th Viscount Townshend 1783–1784Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond 1784–1795Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis 1795–1801John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham 1801–1806Francis Rawdon Hastings, 2nd Earl of Moira 1806–1807John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham 1807–1810Henry Phipps, 1st Earl of Mulgrave 1810–1819Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington 1819–1827Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey 1827–1828William Carr Beresford, 1st Viscount Beresford 1828–1830Sir James Kempt 1830–1834Sir George Murray 1834–1835Sir Richard Hussey Vivian, 1st Bt. 1835–1841Sir George Murray 1841–1846Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey 1846–1852Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge 1852Fitzroy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan 1852–1855
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