King's wardrobe

The king's wardrobe was involved with more than his clothing, although that had been its origin. It became an administrative department which dispensed money and kept accounts, handling domestic expenses of the court; for example, the king's messengers were paid from the wardrobe. It was run by a keeper and his subordinates, the controller and *cofferer. The keeper was responsible for receiving money for the household's expenses, for checking the accounts of its departments and for rendering these accounts in the *exchequer. The controller kept a duplicate set of accounts by way of a control on the keeper. The cofferer was the official charged with the care of the coins themselves. The privy wardrobe was based at the Tower of London, where military supplies were also kept. The Great Wardrobe, near Barnard's Castle, was responsible for civilian supplies, from furs to imported spices. -

Cf. Signet seal, office of the