Secret Minutes of the Board of Control

Minutes of the Board of Control [IOR/F/1]; Secret Minutes of the EIC Court of Directors 1785-1791 [IOR/L/PS/1/1]; Minutes of the Secret Committee of the EIC Court of Directors 1785-1805 [IOR/L/PS/1/9].

Unrestricted

The Board of Control (formal title the Board of Commissioners for the Affairs of India) was the Government body established by Act of Parliament in 1784 to 'superintend, direct and control' the East India Company in its administration of India - for an account of the history of the Board and its departmental organization see Martin Moir 'A General Guide to the India Office Records' (London 1988), pp 15-17, 46-53. In April 1785 the then Chief Commissioner of the Board, Henry Dundas, instituted meetings of what was called the 'Secret Board of Control' to discuss confidential affairs especially those concerning the EIC Secret Committee. From about 1798 onwards the attendance of the other Commissioners at these meetings became increasingly irregular and the last recorded meeting of the Secret Board was held on 17 October 1805.