War Office
The offices of master and clerk of the Ordnance first appeared early in the fifteenth century
Around them an Ordnance Office was gradually established at the Tower of London, where from 1429 there was also a separate Armoury Office.
1543 A reform of the Ordnance Office added the offices of the lieutenant of the Ordnance, surveyor, storekeeper and clerk of deliveries.
From the early seventeenth century the titles of master general and lieutenant general began to replace those of master and lieutenant.
1671 the Armoury Office was abolished and its duties transferred to the Ordnance Office.
1855 The Ordnance Office became the War Department
1857 Renamed the War Office
1964 Became the Ministry of Defence
1855 the War Office took over from the Board of Ordnance responsibility for establishments engaged in research and development of munitions. They were made the responsibility of a succession of Artillery and Ordnance Departments.
1904 The Department of the Master General of the Ordnance took responsibility for these departments.
WWI a number of new research establishments were created, mainly under the Ministry of Munitions, which also took over those previously under War Office control.
Post-WWI responsibility for armaments research returned to the War Office, together with control of its former research establishments and several of the new ones created under the Ministry of Munitions.
1939 Responsibility for these establishments passed to the Ministry of Supply
1959 Responsibility for these establishments was transferred to the master general of the Ordnance at the War Office, except for those establishments which passed to the Ministry of Aviation.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] National Archives