The original required utilization of the strengthening, after that called ‘Treasure House’, are the fresh keeping of beloved items, eg silver plate. The first keeper, William Sleaford, probably made use of the ground floor since the a management workplace (and possibly holiday accommodation to own their personnel) therefore the a couple of top floor since stores; the second flooring, which in fact had twice doors, might have housed the most valuable items. Documents of one’s later 14th and very early fifteenth ages describe the newest periodic dispatch out of affairs for usage in other royal manors and castles.
Brand new Tudors
Inside 1512 areas of brand new Privy Castle was forgotten because of the flame, and entry to Westminster as a royal house efficiently ended. 1509–47) gotten the nearby Whitehall Castle (previously York Lay, new quarters off Cardinal Wolsey since Archbishop off 
York), and went on so you can rebuild they.
The fresh Treasure Tower’s have fun with is actually correspondingly downgraded. In 1547, a listing detailed an unrelated list of items together with gowns, desk and you will bed linen, chairs, gaming-tables plus doll dolls used by Henry VIII’s girl, Mary and you will Age.
The newest Parliament Office
A bit just before 1600, the former Treasure Household is actually gone to live in the Clerk of one’s Parliaments, the official exactly who recorded sittings and you will panel group meetings of the home from Lords. Where seasons an alternative wood-framed household towards the clerk are based from the eastern side of your own tower, while the tower’s first floor turned into a databases to the Acts from Parliament, Lords’ journals and you can moment-guides. (The ground-floor room turned into the kitchen and scullery for the clerk’s house; the event of the second floor is not familiar.) Into the 1621 a brick vault is actually placed into the smaller first-flooring area, the first many tips to guard brand new tower’s information against flames.
It is undecided just what, if any, disturbance to your techniques on the Treasure Tower is actually caused whenever within the 1649 our house regarding Lords is actually abolished and the Jewel Tower appeared in power of Clerk of your Commons. At the Maintenance of monarchy inside 1660, yet not, our home from Lords was revived and its own former clerk, John Browne, reinstated.
18th-100 years Transformation
Because of the very early 18th 100 years, a few difficulties came into existence evident: brand new medieval tower was in a ruinous status, and also the number of files on first floor came into existence uncontrollable.
Ranging from 1718 and you may 1719 any office away from Really works produced repairs and you may changes towards building, starting multiple features apparent now, like the stone parapets as well as the Portland brick windows during the (as well as numerous recently authored screen), in addition to joinery cabinets and you may presses to hold the new data. Nicholas Hawksmoor, who had been Assistant for the Panel out of Works from inside the 1717, have conceived no less than these new features. Using this time ahead, ideas was in fact kept on the second floors together with basic.
These types of really works went poorly throughout the years and you can finances, partly compliment of administrative interruption of working regarding Works. Next advancements observed: within the 1726 a stone partition is built among them second-floor room, to evolve fire protection; and soon after, perhaps for the 1753, the first floor gotten a stone vault.
Inside the October 1834 brand new tower’s location, somewhat taken off a portion of the Palace out of Westminster (at that time getting used just like the seat of Parliament), protected the fresh new ideas when highest areas of brand new palace have been gutted by fire. Even the individuals ideas that had been transmitted on tower with the the new palace many years before was in fact salvaged, whereas the majority of new ideas of the property out of Commons was indeed burned.
The building out of Sir Charles Barry’s the brand new Palace from Westminster saw brand new demolition of almost all the remainder medieval houses, conserve Westminster Hall, the latest chapel away from St Mary Undercroft, St Stephen’s Cloister therefore the Treasure Tower. Into the brand new palace the huge Victoria Tower try founded as a fireproof file repository, and info have been eliminated truth be told there regarding the Jewel Tower for the 1864.