First Commissioner of Works

{{Short description|Former UK government role}}

{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}

Image:Lord John Manners.jpg, later 7th Duke of Rutland, who served thrice as First Commissioner of Works in the 1850s and 1860s]]

The First Commissioner of Works and Public Buildings was a position within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and subsequent to 1922, within the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It took over some of the functions of the First Commissioner of Woods and Forests in 1851 when the portfolio of Crown holdings was divided into the public and the commercial. The position was frequently of cabinet level. The office was renamed Minister of Works and Buildings and First Commissioner of Works in 1940, Minister of Works and Planning upon receiving statutory planning powers from the Ministry of Health in 1942, Minister of Works when those planning powers were moved to the Ministry of Town and Country Planning in 1943, and finally Minister of Public Buildings and Works in 1962. In this last form the commissioner had "additional responsibility for studying the problems of the building industry". On 15 October 1970 the role was amalgamated with the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Housing and Local Government in the Department of the Environment.{{Cite book |title=National approaches to the governance of historical heritage over time: a comparative report |date=2008 |publisher=IOS Press |isbn=978-1-58603-853-3 |editor-last=Fisch |editor-first=Stefan |series=Cahier d'histoire de l'administration |location=Amsterdam Berlin |pages=189–190 |chapter=Administering the English national heritage |first=Gavin |last=Drewry}}

List of Works Commissioners and Ministers

= First Commissioners of Works (1851–1940) =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+First Commissioner of Works

! colspan=2 | Portrait

! Name
(Birth–Death)

! colspan=2 | Term of office

! Party

! Ministry

style="background-color:{{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |

| 75px

| Edward Seymour
Lord Seymour

MP for Totnes
(1804–1885)

| 1 August
1851

| 21 February
1852

| {{Party shading/Whigs}} | Whig

| {{Party shading/Whigs}} | Russell I

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Lord John Manners
MP for Colchester
(1818–1906)

| 4 March
1852

| 17 December
1852

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Who? Who?

style="background-color: {{party color|Radicals (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Sir William Molesworth, Bt
MP for Southwark
(1810–1855)

| 5 January
1853

| 21 July
1855

| {{Party shading/Radicals}} | Radical

| {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Aberdeen
(PeeliteWhig)

style="background-color:{{party color|Whigs (British political party)}}" |

| 75px

| Sir Benjamin Hall, Bt
MP for Marylebone
(1802–1867)

| 21 July
1855

| 21 February
1858

| {{Party shading/Whigs}} | Whig

| {{Party shading/Whigs}} | Palmerston I

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Lord John Manners
MP for Leicestershire North
(1818–1906)

| 26 February
1858

| 11 June
1859

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Derby–Disraeli II

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Henry FitzRoy
MP for Lewes
(1807–1859)

| 18 June
1859

| 17 December
1859

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} rowspan=2 | Palmerston II

rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | 75px

| rowspan=2 | William Cowper
MP for Hertford
(1811–1888)

| rowspan=2 | 9 February
1860

| rowspan=2 | 26 June
1866

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

{{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Russell II
style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Lord John Manners
MP for Leicestershire North
(1818–1906)

| 6 July
1866

| 1 December
1868

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Derby–Disraeli III

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Austen Henry Layard
MP for Southwark
(1817–1894)

| 9 December
1868

| 26 October
1869

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

| rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Gladstone I

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Acton Smee Ayrton
MP for Tower Hamlets
(1816–1886)

| 26 October
1869

| 11 August
1873

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| William Patrick Adam
MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire
(1823–1881)

| 11 August
1873

| 17 February
1874

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Lord Henry Lennox
MP for Chichester
(1821–1886)

| 21 March
1874

| 14 August
1876

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Disraeli II

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Gerard Noel
MP for Rutland
(1823–1911)

| 14 August
1876

| 21 April
1880

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| William Patrick Adam
MP for Clackmannanshire and Kinross-shire
(1823–1881)

| 3 May
1880

| 1880

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

| rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Gladstone II

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| George Shaw Lefevre
MP for Reading
(1831–1928)

| 29 November
1881

| 13 February
1885

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Archibald Primrose
5th Earl of Rosebery

(1847–1929)

| 13 February
1885

| 9 June
1885

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| David Plunket
MP for Dublin University
(1838–1919)

| 24 June
1885

| 28 January
1886

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Salisbury I

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Albert Parker
3rd Earl of Morley

(1843–1905)

| 17 February
1886

| 16 April
1886

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Gladstone III

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Victor Bruce
9th Earl of Elgin

(1849–1917)

| 16 April
1886

| 20 July
1886

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| David Plunket
MP for Dublin University
(1838–1919)

| 5 August
1886

| 11 August
1892

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Salisbury II

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| George Shaw Lefevre
MP for Bradford Central
(1831–1928)

| 18 August
1892

| 10 March
1894

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Gladstone IV

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Herbert Gladstone
MP for Leeds West
(1854–1930)

| 10 March
1894

| 21 June
1895

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Rosebery

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Aretas Akers-Douglas
MP for St Augustine's
(1851–1926)

| 4 July
1895

| 11 August
1902

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Unionist government, 1895–1905
(Con.Lib.U.)

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Robert Windsor-Clive
14th Baron Windsor

(1857–1923)

| 11 August
1902

| 4 December
1905

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Balfour
(Con.Lib.U.)

rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | 75px

| rowspan=2 | Lewis Vernon Harcourt
MP for Rossendale
(1863–1922)

| rowspan=2 | 10 December
1905

| rowspan=2 | 3 November
1910

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} |  
Campbell-Bannerman
 

rowspan=3 {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal government, 1905–1915
style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| William Lygon
7th Earl Beauchamp

(1872–1938)

| 3 November
1910

| 6 August
1914

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Alfred Emmott
1st Baron Emmott

(1858–1926)

| 6 August
1914

| 25 May
1915

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Lewis Vernon Harcourt
MP for Rossendale
(1863–1922)

| 25 May
1915

| 10 December
1916

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

| {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Asquith Coalition
(Lib.Con.Lab.)

style="background-color:{{party color|Liberal Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Sir Alfred Mond, Bt
MP for Swansea West
(1868–1930)
{{efn|MP for Swansea until 1918; MP for Swansea West thereafter}}

| 10 December
1916

| 1 April
1921

| {{Party shading/Liberal (UK)}} | Liberal

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Lloyd George
(I & II)

(Lib.Con.Lab.)

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| David Lindsay
27th Earl of Crawford

(1871–1940)

| 1 April
1921

| 19 October
1922

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | 75px

| rowspan=2 | Sir John Baird, Bt
MP for Ayr Burghs
(1874–1941)

| rowspan=2 | 31 October
1922

| rowspan=2 | 22 January
1924

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Law

{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Baldwin I
style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Fred Jowett
MP for Bradford East
(1864–1944)

| 22 January
1924

| 3 November
1924

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | MacDonald I

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| William Wellesley Peel
2nd Viscount Peel

(1867–1937)

| 10 November
1924

| 18 October
1928

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Baldwin II

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart
7th Marquess of Londonderry

(1878–1949)

| 18 October
1928

| 4 June
1929

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| George Lansbury
MP for Bow and Bromley
(1859–1940)

| 7 June
1929

| 24 August
1931

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | MacDonald II

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart
7th Marquess of Londonderry

(1878–1949)

| 25 August
1931

| 5 November
1931

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | National I
(N.Lab.Con.Lib.N.Lib.)

rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | 75px

| rowspan=2 | William Ormsby-Gore
MP for Stafford
(1885–1964)

| rowspan=2 | 5 November
1931

| rowspan=2 | 16 June
1936

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | National II
(N.Lab.Con.Lib.N.Lib.)

rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | National III
(Con.N.Lab.Lib.N.)
style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| James Stanhope
7th Earl Stanhope

(1880–1967)

| 16 June
1936

| 27 May
1937

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Sir Philip Sassoon, Bt
MP for Hythe
(1888–1939)

| 27 May
1937

| 7 June
1939

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | National IV
(Con.N.Lab.Lib.N.)

rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | 75px

| rowspan=2 | Herwald Ramsbotham
MP for Lancaster
(1887–1971)

| rowspan=2 | 7 June
1939

| rowspan=2 | 3 April
1940

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Chamberlain War
(Con.N.Lab.Lib.N.)
style="background-color: {{party color|National Labour Organisation}}" |

| 75px

| Herbrand Sackville
9th Earl De La Warr

(1900–1976)

| 3 April
1940

| 18 May
1940

| {{Party shading/National Labour}} | National Labour

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| George Tryon
1st Baron Tryon

(1871–1940)

| 18 May
1940

| 3 October
1940

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Churchill War
(All parties)

= Ministers of Works & Buildings and First Commissioner of Works (1940–1942) =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Minister of Works & Buildings and First Commissioner of Works

! colspan=2 | Portrait

! Name
(Birth–Death)

! colspan=2 | Term of office

! Party

! Ministry

style="background-color:{{party color|National Government (United Kingdom)}}" |

| 75px

| John Reith
1st Baron Reith

(1889–1971) {{efn|MP for Southampton until 21 October 1940; elevated to the House of Lords as Baron Reith thereafter}}

| 3 October
1940

| 11 February
1942

| {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Independent
(National)

| {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Churchill War
(All parties)

= Ministers of Works and Planning (1942–1943) =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Minister of Works and Planning

! colspan=2 | Portrait

! Name
(Birth–Death)

! colspan=2 | Term of office

! Party

! Ministry

style="background-color:{{party color|National Government (United Kingdom)}}" |

| 75px

| John Reith
1st Baron Reith

(1889–1971)

| 3 October
1940

| 11 February
1942

| {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Independent
(National)

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Churchill War
(All parties)

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Wyndham Portal
1st Baron Portal

(1885–1949)

| 22 February
1942

| February
1943

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

= Ministers of Works (1943–1962) =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Minister of Works

! colspan=2 | Portrait

! Name
(Birth–Death)

! colspan=2 | Term of office

! Party

! Ministry

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Wyndham Portal
1st Baron Portal

(1885–1949)

| February
1943

| 21 November
1944

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Churchill War
(All parties)

rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | 75px

| rowspan=2 | Duncan Sandys
MP for Norwood
(1908–1987)

| rowspan=2 | 21 November
1944

| rowspan=2 | 26 July
1945

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

{{Party shading/Coalition (UK)}} | Churchill Caretaker
(Con.N.Lib.)
style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| George Tomlinson
MP for Farnworth
(1890–1952)

| 4 August
1945

| 10 February
1947

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour

| rowspan=4 {{Party shading/Labour}} | Attlee
(I & II)

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Charles Key
MP for Bow and Bromley
(1883–1964)

| 10 February
1947

| 28 February
1950

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Richard Stokes
MP for Ipswich
(1897–1957)

| 28 February
1950

| 26 April
1951

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| George Brown
MP for Belper
(1914–1985)

| 26 April
1951

| 26 October
1951

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Sir David Eccles
MP for Chippenham
(1904–1999)

| 1 November
1951

| 18 October
1954

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Churchill III

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Nigel Birch
MP for West Flintshire
(1906–1981)

| 18 October
1954

| 20 December
1955

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Patrick Buchan-Hepburn
MP for Beckenham
(1901–1974)

| 20 December
1955

| 16 January
1957

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Eden

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Hugh Molson
MP for High Peak
(1903–1991)

| 16 January
1957

| 22 October
1959

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Macmillan
(I & II)

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Lord John Hope
MP for Edinburgh Pentlands
(1912–1996)

| 22 October
1959

| 16 July
1962

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

= Ministers of Public Buildings and Works (1962–1970) =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+Minister of Public Buildings and Works

! colspan=2 | Portrait

! Name
(Birth–Death)

! colspan=2 | Term of office

! Party

! Ministry

rowspan=2 style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | 75px

| rowspan=2 | Geoffrey Rippon
MP for Norwich South
(1924–1997)

| rowspan=2 | 16 July
1962

| rowspan=2 | 10 October
1964

| rowspan=2 {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Macmillan
(I & II)

{{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Douglas-Home
style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Charles Pannell
MP for Leeds West
(1902–1980)

| 19 October
1964

| 6 April
1966

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour

| rowspan=4 {{Party shading/Labour}} |Wilson
(I & II)

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Reg Prentice
MP for East Ham North
(1923–2001)

| 6 April
1966

| 29 August
1967

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Bob Mellish
MP for Bermondsey
(1913–1998)

| 29 August
1967

| 30 April
1969

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour

style="background-color: {{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| John Silkin
MP for Deptford
(1923–1987)

| 30 April
1969

| 19 June
1970

| {{Party shading/Labour}} | Labour

style="background-color:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |

| 75px

| Julian Amery
MP for Brighton Pavilion
(1919–1996)

| 23 June
1970

| 15 October
1970

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Conservative

| {{Party shading/Conservative (UK)}} | Heath

Notes

{{notelist}}

References