After the Board was re-established in 1696, there were 15 (and later 16) members of the Board - 7 (later 8) Great officers of state, and 8 unofficial members, who did the majority of the work. The senior unofficial member of the board was the President of the Board, commonly known as the First Lord of Trade. The board was abolished on 11 July 1782, but a Committee of the Privy Council was established on 5 March 1784 for the same purposes. On 23 August 1786 a new Committee was set up, more strongly focused on commercial functions than the previous boards of trade. At first the President of the Board of Trade only occasionally sat in the Cabinet, but from the early 19th century it was usually a cabinet level position.
| Date began |
Date ended |
Incumbent |
Subsequent post |
| 16 September 1672 |
1676 |
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury |
Lord Chancellor |
| 16 December 1695 |
9 June 1699 |
John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgewater |
First Lord of the Admiralty |
| 9 June 1699 |
8 January 1702 |
Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford |
None |
| 8 January 1702 |
1705 |
Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth |
None |
| 1705 |
12 June 1711 |
Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford |
None |
| 12 June 1711 |
15 September 1713 |
Charles Finch, 4th Earl of Winchilsea |
None |
| 15 September 1713 |
September 1714 |
Francis North, 2nd Baron Guilford |
None |
| September 1714 |
12 May 1715 |
William Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley |
None |
| 12 May 1715 |
31 January 1718 |
Henry Howard, 6th Earl of Suffolk |
None |
| 31 January 1718 |
11 May 1719 |
Robert Darcy, 3rd Earl of Holderness |
None |
| 11 May 1719 |
May 1735 |
Thomas Fane, 6th Earl of Westmorland |
None |
| May 1735 |
June 1737 |
Benjamin Mildmay, 1st Earl Fitzwalter |
None |
| June 1737 |
1 November 1748 |
John Monson, 1st Baron Monson |
None |
| 1 November 1748 |
21 March 1761 |
George Montague-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax |
First Lord of the Admiralty (1762–) |
| 21 March 1761 |
1 March 1763 |
Samuel Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys |
None |
| 1 March 1763 |
20 April 1763 |
The Rt. Hon. Charles Townshend MP |
Paymaster of the Forces (1765–) |
| 20 April 1763 |
9 September 1763 |
William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne |
Secretary of State for the Southern Department (1766–) |
| 9 September 1763 |
20 July 1765 |
Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough |
First Lord of Trade (1766–) |
| 20 July 1765 |
16 August 1766 |
William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth |
Secretary of State for the Colonies (1772–) |
| 16 August 1766 |
December 1766 |
Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough |
First Lord of Trade (1768–) |
| 19 January 1767 |
20 January 1768 |
Robert Nugent, 1st Viscount Clare |
Vice-Treasurer of Ireland |
| 20 January 1768 |
31 August 1772 |
Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough |
Secretary of State for the Southern Department (1779–) |
| 31 August 1772 |
10 November 1775 |
William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth |
Lord Privy Seal |
| 10 November 1775 |
6 November 1779 |
Lord George Sackville-Germain |
Secretary of State for the Colonies (1776–1782) |
| 6 November 1779 |
9 December 1780 |
Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle |
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland |
| 9 December 1780 |
11 July 1782 |
Thomas Robinson, 2nd Baron Grantham |
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs |
† - Primarily referred to as President of the Board of Trade, and not as Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.