First Commissioner of Woods and Forests

The Commission of Woods, Forests, and Land Revenues was established in the United Kingdom in 1810 by merging the former offices of Surveyor General of Woods, Forests, Parks, and Chases and Surveyor General of the Land Revenues of the Crown into a three-man commission. The name of the commission was changed in 1832 to the Commission of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works, and Buildings. In 1851 under the Acts of Parliament 14 and 15 Vict Cap 42 it was replaced by the Commissioners of Works and Public Buildings and the Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues dividing between them the public and the commercial functions of the Crown lands.

The hereditary land revenues of the Crown in Scotland, formerly under the management of the Barons of the Exchequer, were transferred to the Commissioners of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings and their Successors under the Crown Lands (Scotland) Acts of 1832, 1833 and 1835.

Commissioners of Woods and Forests, 1810-1851

First Commissioners are followed by the names of their co-commissioners
*Sylvester Douglas, 1st Baron Glenbervie 1810-1814
**William Dacres Adams
**Henry Dawkins
*William Huskisson 1814-1823
**William Dacres Adams
**Henry Dawkins
*Charles Arbuthnot 1823-1827
**William Dacres Adams
**Henry Dawkins
*George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle 1827
**William Dacres Adams
**Henry Dawkins
*William Sturges Bourne 1827-1828
**William Dacres Adams
**Henry Dawkins
*Charles Arbuthnot 1828
**William Dacres Adams
**Henry Dawkins
*William Lowther, Viscount Lowther 1828-1830
**William Dacres Adams
**Henry Dawkins
*George James Welbore Agar Ellis 1830-1831
**William Dacres Adams
**Henry Dawkins
*John William Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon 1831-1834
**William Dacres Adams
**Henry Dawkins followed by Sir Benjamin C Stephenson
*Sir John Cam Hobhouse 1834
**William Dacres Adams
**Sir Benjamin C Stephenson
*Lord Granville Somerset 1834-1835
**Sir Benjamin C Stephenson
**Alexander Milne
**Charles Henry Somerset
*John William Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon 1835-1841
**Sir Benjamin C Stephenson
**Alexander Milne
*Henry Pelham-Clinton, Earl of Lincoln 1841-1846
**Alexander Milne
**Hon Charles Alexander Gore
*Charles John Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning 1846
**Alexander Milne
**Hon Charles Alexander Gore
*George Howard, Viscount Morpeth 1846-1850
**Alexander Milne
**Hon Charles Alexander Gore
*Edward Adolphus Seymour, Lord Seymour 1850-1851
**Alexander Milne followed by Thomas Francis Kennedy
**Hon Charles Alexander Gore

References

*R.B. Pugh: The Crown Estate – an Historical Essay, London, The Crown Estate, 1960
*Annual Report of Commissioners of Woods & Forests 1811
*The Crown Estate publication scheme: website consulted January 2007