", ▁but ▁still ▁sat ▁on ▁the ▁Army ▁Board ▁as ▁Master - General ▁of ▁the ▁Or dn ance ; ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁the ▁post ▁was ▁elimin ated . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Office ▁of ▁Arm our y ▁split ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁Priv y ▁Ward ro be ▁of ▁the ▁Tower ▁( of ▁London ) ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 5 th ▁century . ▁The ▁Master ▁of ▁the ▁Or dn ance ▁came ▁into ▁being ▁in ▁ 1 4 1 5 ▁with ▁the ▁appointment ▁of ▁Nicholas ▁Mer bury ▁by ▁Henry ▁V . ▁The ▁Office ▁of ▁Or dn ance ▁was ▁created ▁by ▁Henry ▁VIII ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 4 ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Or dn ance ▁in ▁ 1 5 9 7 . ▁Its ▁head ▁was ▁the ▁Master - General ▁of ▁the ▁Or dn ance ; ▁his ▁sub ordinates ▁included ▁the ▁Lieutenant - General ▁of ▁the ▁Or dn ance ▁and ▁the ▁Survey or - General ▁of ▁the ▁Or dn ance . ▁Before ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁standing ▁army ▁or ▁n avy , ▁the ▁Or dn ance ▁Office ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁permanent ▁military ▁department ▁in ▁England . ▁In ▁ 1 7 6 4 ▁it ▁established ▁the ▁British ▁standard ▁ord n ance ▁weights ▁and ▁measurements ▁for ▁the ▁art illery , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁standards ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁position ▁of ▁Master - General ▁was ▁frequently ▁a ▁cabinet - level ▁one , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries , ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁normally ▁a