| Board of Ordnance | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Government Department |
| Country | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Founded | 1597 |
| Abolished | 1855 |
| Appointee | Monarch of England |
| Head | Master-General of the Ordnance |
| Deputy head | Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance |
| Role | Management & Supply Ordnance |
| Affiliations | Royal Navy |
| Succeeding | War Department |
The Board of Ordnance previously called the Office of Ordnance was first the English then British government body. Established in the Tudor period in 1597.It became a civil department of state in 1683. The board had its headquarters in the Tower of London, it existed until 1855.
1) History
The Board of Ordnance previously called the Office of Ordnance was first the English then British government body. Established in the Tudor period in 1597, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence of the realm and its overseas possessions, and as the supplier of munitions and equipment to both the Army and the Navy'. The Board also maintained and directed the Artillery and Engineer corps, which it founded in the 18th century. By the 19th century, the Board of Ordnance was second in size only to HM Treasury among government departments. The Board lasted until 1855, at which point (tarnished by poor performance in supplying the Army in Crimea) it was disbanded.
2) Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Board of Ordnance
3) Attribution
- http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/Records of the Ordnance Office and its successors at the War Office. This article contains some copied content from this source available under the Open Government Licence (OGL) Version 3.
- https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb~fleet.html, image of the naval ensign of the Board of Ordnance from 1801 to 1855 by Martin Grieve appear courtesy of crwflags.com. The flag was then used War Department ensign 1855-1864 before a new design was created.