| Name | Entered office | Left office | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Lonyson | 18 April 1572 | 21 August 1582 | ||
| Richard Martin from 1592, Sir Richard Martin |
21 August 1582 | 28 September 1599 | ||
| Sir Richard Martin and Richard Martin | 28 September 1599 | 1616 | ||
| Richard Martin | 1616 | July 1617 | ||
| Sir Edward Villiers | 23 December 1617 | 11 July 1623 | ||
| Sir Randal Cranfield | 11 July 1623 | 25 December 1635 | disputed with Sir Robert Harley from 1626 | |
| Sir Robert Harley | 12 September 1626 | 3 August 1635 | ||
| in commission | 3 August 1635 | 5 May 1643 | ||
| Sir Robert Harley | 6 May 1643 | 15 May 1649 | Parliamentary | |
| Aaron Guerdon | 16 May 1649 | 30 November 1653 | parliamentary | |
| Sir Ralph Freeman | 9 July 1660 | 20 December 1662 | ||
| Sir Ralph Freeman and Henry Slingsby | 31 December 1662 | 12 June 1667 | ||
| Henry Slingsby | 12 June 1667 | 14 July 1680 | ||
| in commission | 15 July 1680 | 20 July 1686 | ||
| Thomas Neale | 20 April 1686 | December 1699 | ||
| Isaac Newton from 1705, Sir Isaac Newton |
3 February 1700 | 20 March 1727 | ||
| John Conduitt | 14 April 1727 | 23 May 1737 | ||
| Richard Arundell | 23 June 1737 | 3 January 1745 | ||
| William Chetwynd<br.""from 1767, the Viscount Chetwynd | 3 January 1745 | 31 May 1769 | ||
| Charles Cadogan from 1776, the Lord Cadogan |
31 May 1769 | 27 January 1784 | ||
| The Earl of Effingham | 27 January 1784 | 15 September 1789 | Tory | |
| Philip Stanhope, 5th Earl of Chesterfield | 15 September 1789 | 17 April 1790 | Tory | |
| The Earl of Leicester | 17 April 1790 | 28 July 1794 | Tory | |
| Sir George Yonge | 28 July 1794 | 12 August 1799 | Tory | |
| Lord Hawkesbury | 12 August 1799 | 18 April 1801 | Tory | |
| The Lord Arden | 18 April 1801 | 1 July 1802 | Tory | |
| John Smyth | 1 July 1802 | 7 July 1804 | Tory | |
| The Earl Bathurst | 7 July 1804 | 20 February 1806 | Tory | |
| Lord Charles Spencer | 20 February 1806 | 27 October 1806 | Whig | |
| Charles Bathurst | 27 October 1806 | March 1807 | Tory | |
| The Earl Bathurst | March 1807 | June 1812 | Tory | |
| The Earl of Clancarty | June 1812 | September 1814 | Tory | |
| William Wellesley-Pole from 17 July 1821, the Lord Maryborough |
28 September 1814 | 9 October 1823 | Tory | |
| Thomas Wallace | 9 October 1823 | 29 May 1827 | Tory | |
| George Tierney | 29 May 1827 | 12 February 1828 | Whig | |
| John Herries | 12 February 1828 | 14 December 1830 | Tory | |
| The Lord Auckland | 14 December 1830 | 13 June 1834 | Whig | |
| James Abercromby | 13 June 1834 | 14 November 1834 | Whig | |
| Alexander Baring | 23 December 1834 | 8 April 1835 | Tory | |
| Henry Labouchere | 25 April 1835 | 30 August 1841 | Whig | |
| William Gladstone | 9 September 1841 | 12 February 1845 | Conservative | |
| Sir George Clerk | 12 February 1845 | 27 June 1846 | Conservative | |
| Richard Sheil | 14 July 1846 | 16 December 1850 | ||
| Sir John Herschel | 16 December 1850 | 27 April 1855 | ||
| Thomas Graham | 27 April 1855 | 11 September 1869 |
Since 1870, the post has been held ex officio by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.