- Royal Almonry
The Royal Almonry is a small office within the
Royal Household of the Sovereign of theUnited Kingdom , headed by the Lord High Almoner, an office dating from 1103.The Lord High Almoner is a
diocesan bishop of theChurch of England . The current holder of the office is the LordBishop of Manchester , the Rt Rev'dNigel Simeon McCulloch , appointed 1997. There is also an hereditaryGrand Almoner , an office dating from 1685 and vested in the person of theMarquess of Exeter , but this is not an office of the Royal Almonry and he has no role to play. The actual work of the office is undertaken by the Sub-Almoner, who is also the Sub-dean of theChapel Royal , DeputyClerk of the Closet of theEcclesiastical Household , and Domestic Chaplain atBuckingham Palace .There are in addition a Secretary, and Assistant Secretary, both offices of which are shared with other
Royal Household appointments. There are also half a dozen wandsmen.The Almonry is responsible to the
Keeper of the Privy Purse for the arrangements for the annualMaundy service.Lord High Almoners
"incomplete list"
* 1509- :
Thomas Wolsey
* 1619- :George Mountain (or Montaigne)
* 1675-1684:John Dolben
* 1687-1688: Hon. Philip Howard
* 1761-1777: Hon. Robert Hay-Drummond
* 1777-1808:William Markham
* 1808-1837: Hon. Edward Venables-Vernon
* 1882-1906: Lord Alwyne Compton
* 1933- :Cosmo Gordon Lang
* 1953-1970:Edward Michael Gresford Jones
* 1970-1988: Richard David Say
* 1988-1997:John Bernard Taylor
* 1997-present:Nigel Simeon McCulloch
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