Commissioners of Woods and Forests

The Commissioners of Woods, Forests and Land Revenues were 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 Commissioners of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings.

William Huskisson, First Commissioner of Woods and Forests between 1814 and 1823.

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.

The Crown Lands Act 1851 replaced the Commissioners with two separate commissions, 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.

Commissioners of Woods and Forests, 1810-1851

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First Commissioners are followed by the names of their co-commissioners

Name Entered office Left office
Sylvester Douglas, 1st Baron Glenbervie
- William Dacres Adams
- Henry Dawkins
1810 1814
William Huskisson
- William Dacres Adams
- Henry Dawkins
1814 1823
Charles Arbuthnot
- William Dacres Adams
- Henry Dawkins
1823 1827
George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle
- William Dacres Adams
- Henry Dawkins
1827 1827
William Sturges Bourne
- William Dacres Adams
- Henry Dawkins
1827 1828
Charles Arbuthnot
- William Dacres Adams
- Henry Dawkins
1828 1828
William Lowther, 2nd Earl of Lonsdale
- William Dacres Adams
- Henry Dawkins
1828 1830
George Agar-Ellis
- William Dacres Adams
- Henry Dawkins
1830 1831
John Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon
- William Dacres Adams
- Henry Dawkins
- Sir Benjamin C. Stephenson (replaced Dawkins)
1831 1834
Sir John Hobhouse
- William Dacres Adams
- Sir Benjamin C. Stephenson
1834 1834
Lord Granville Somerset
- Sir Benjamin C. Stephenson
- Alexander Milne
- Charles Henry Somerset
1834 1835
John Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon
- Sir Benjamin C. Stephenson
- Alexander Milne
1835 1841
Henry Pelham-Clinton, Earl of Lincoln
- Alexander Milne
- Hon. Charles Alexander Gore
1841 1846
Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning
- Alexander Milne
- Hon. Charles Alexander Gore
1846 1846
George Howard, Viscount Morpeth
- Alexander Milne
- Hon. Charles Alexander Gore
1846 1850
Edward Seymour, Lord Seymour
- Alexander Milne
- Hon. Charles Alexander Gore
- Thomas Francis Kennedy (replaced Milne)
1850 1851

References

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