Records of the Board of General Officers and records relating to soldiers' clothing

Division within WO

1801-1995

Records of the Board of General Officers and records relating to soldiers' clothing comprising records of the Army Clothing Department, Pimlico in WO 359 and miscellanea relating to stores and clothing amassed from various establishments in WO 377

Minutes of the Board of General Officers are in:

Journals and an index of correspondence of the Board of Claims are in

WO 2

Indexes to claims for losses are in

WO 25

WO 93

PRO 30/26/87

PRO 30/26/88

Public Record(s)

English

2 series

Topics

Clothing

Army

By a warrant of 18 February 1695 William III ordered the chief officers of the Army to meet at least twice a week in the Great Chamber of the Horse Guards to hear complaints against officers and soldiers and to inquire into disputes regarding payments. This board heard complaints from the public as well as of one soldier against another. It met regularly until June 1699, and infrequently between November 1702 and February 1703.

It was revived by a warrant of 1 February 1705 as a Council of General Officers of the Army to inquire into abuses, especially in recruiting, and by a warrant of 9 February 1706 with similar terms of reference; it was also concerned with disputes over accounts and pay and questions of precedence. In 1708 it acquired responsibility for regulating the clothing of the Army. This duty was exercised by a subordinate Clothing Board, which took over the clothing functions and the office of the comptroller of army accounts. Its responsibilities extended only to the infantry and cavalry.

The main board was reconstituted in 1711 and 1714, and it continued to be appointed, usually by annual warrant, throughout the eighteenth century. The judge advocate general was secretary of the board until 1809. In peacetime it rarely met, and its main preoccupation was with clothing, which continued to be dealt with by clothing boards. It also dealt with pay, precedence, revision of the articles of war, and important special inquiries. In 1799 the Clothing Board was made independent of the Board of General Officers and appointed by separate warrant. It shared the office and secretary of the comptrollers of Army accounts.

A second special standing board was set up on 11 April 1809 to investigate claims for losses during the campaign in Portugal and Spain; subsequently its terms of reference were extended to cover claims for losses in other campaigns. This Board of Claims had its own office and secretary.

On 25 December 1816 these separate boards were merged in a single Consolidated Board of General Officers, served by an Office of Military Boards. After claims arising from the Napoleonic War had been wound up in the 1820s, this board's functions were once again largely confined to clothing matters, though it also became concerned with claims for war medals. Its work was performed by an Acting Committee which approved and sealed clothing patterns. The board was abolished by royal warrant of 21 June 1855 as part of the general reform of Army administration.