A brief history of HM Treasury

450 years of history starts here

The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the most senior minister at HM Treasury and acts as the nation’s primary finance minister.

The Treasury dates back to the Norman Conquest, but the information within our website and interactive explorer begins in the 1550s, when the role of the Chancellor of the Exchequer as we know it really began.

This section of our website offers an HTML alternative to our interactive explorer, but still contains all of the fascinating facts and stories.

History of the Treasury
HM Treasury interactive explorer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer
History of the Budget
The Treasury Building - 1 Horse Guards Road
11 Downing Street