Forms: 4–5 counter-, conter-, cownterroller, counteroller, countrollour, 5 cowntroller, 6 controwler, 7 (contrerollour, -rouler), 6–9 controuler, 6– controller. Also 5– comptroller. [In ME. counterroller, -our, a. AF. contrerollour, countreroullour = OF. contre-rolleor (= med.L. contrā-rotulātor), agent-n. from OF. contre-roller, med.L. type *contrārotulāre: see CONTROL. (Examples of the agent-noun as name of an official apparently occur earlier than those of the verb.) Already in 15th c. often reduced (as in contemporary Fr. contrôleur) to counterollour, countrollour: the first syllable of this was mistakenly supposed to be count, etymologically compt, and the word was spelt comptroller; this erroneous way of writing the word was especially affected by official scribes, and hence became the established form in connection with various offices; in these its retention has prob. been partly due to a desire to separate the title from the general modern sense of control.]
1. One who keeps a counter-roll so as to check a treasurer or person in charge of accounts.
[1292. Britton, I. ii. § 16. En presence del viscounte qi nous volums qe soit soen countreroullour en tut soen office.]
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XII. 298. Selde … falleþ þe seruant so diepe in arerages As doþ þe reyue oþer þe conterroller [v.rr. counteroller, counterrollers, countrollour] þat rekene mot and acounte.
c. 1450. Bk. Curtasye, 550, in Babees Bk. (1868), 317. Þer-fore þo countrollour … Wrytes vp þo somme as euery day.
1551. T. Wilson, Logike, 47 b. Comptroller or any other officer in the common weale.
1780. Burke, Sp. Econ. Ref., Wks. III. 293. There is taken away … the treasurer, the comptroller (for a comptroller is hardly necessary where there is no treasurer), [etc.].
2. Hence a title of office.
a. A household officer whose duty was primarily to check expenditure, and so to manage in general; a steward. Now chiefly used in the household of the sovereign, and in those of members of the royal family, and spelt COMPTROLLER.
1441. Hen. VI., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 35. I. 107. Sir Thomas Stanley, countrollour of oure householde.
1461. Paston Lett., No. 411, II. 43. The sewer wyll not tak no men no dyschys till they be comawndyd by the Cownterroller.
1538. Leland, Itin., VI. 2. One Fogge … that was Countrowlar to Edward the Fowrthe.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., I. iii. 69. For I was spoke to, with Sir Henry Guilford This night to be Comptrollers.
1641. Hinde, J. Bruen, xxxv. 110. Her father … [was] with that honorable Personage Henry Earle of Darby, being Controller of his house.
1710. Swift, Lett. (1767), III. 7. Sir John Holland, comptroller of the houshold.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., I. 299. The archbishop sent his comptroller to the Prior of Christ Church.
b. An officer having similar duties in various public offices. In some of these the spelling is at present controller, in others COMPTROLLER, q.v.
Occurring in many specific titles: e.g., Controller (or Comptroller) of the Hanaper, of the Mint, of the Navy, of the Pell, of the Pipe; see these words.
1486. Act 3 Hen. VII., c. 8. The Customer or Comptroller of the same Port.
1548. Latimer, Ploughers (Arb.), 27. Should we haue ministers of the church to be comptrollers of the myntes?
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., VII. xi. (ed. 7), 664. William Borough controuler of her Maiesties Navy.
1679. Plot, Staffordsh. (1686), 277. Controller of all the Excise in England and Wales.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer., I. II. 75. Alonso de Quintanilla, comptroller of the finances in Castile.
1835. Sir J. Ross, N. W. Pass., ii. 8. My excellent friend Sir Byam Martin, Comptroller of the Navy.
1845. Stephen, Laws Eng., II. 171. An officer in London, called the comptroller in bankruptcy.
† 3. One who takes to task, calls in question, reproves, or censures; a censorious critic. Obs.
1566. Drant, Horace Epist., II. i. (1567), G iv. Of dumpishnes, enuye, and ire a sharpe controwler he.
1583. Fulke, Defence, xviii. 532. These controllers … of the Latin text by the Hebrew.
1589. R. Harvey, Pl. Perceuall, 21. Pert Controulers of Magistracy.
1610. Bp. Hall, Agst. Brownist, § 2. 5. But not onely my omissions were of ignorance, but my censures, though seuere and solemne: An easie imputation from so great a Controuler.
4. One who controls or keeps under control; one who restrains, directs or manages.
1541. Barnes, Wks. (1573), 312/1. Rulers, and counsellers, and controllers.
1630. Prynne, Anti-Armin., 115. It makes the great controwler of the world, a bare spectator.
1772. Priestley, Inst. Relig. (1782), I. 258. God [is] the sole controller of the laws.
1884. Contemp. Rev., Oct., 518. The State stands … as regulator and controller of the family.
b. transf. of things inanimate.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 588. The puissance of their neighbours hath beene … a controler to their famous invasions.
1654. R. Whitlock, Ζωοτομια, 343. Feare, the controuler onely of those that would be bad.
1864. Burton, Scot Abr., I. v. 250. Catholicism was the great rival and controller of the feudal strength and tyranny.
c. A piece of mechanism that controls or regulates motion; Naut. an apparatus for regulating or checking the motion of a chain-cable as it runs towards the hawse-holes.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Chain-cable controller, a contrivance for the prevention of one part of the chain riding on another while heaving in.
1868. Nares, Seamanship (ed. 4), 129. A link of the cable, which in running out is caught in the controller.
1879. Thomson & Tait, Nat. Phil., I. I. 491. Regulating its motion by an abutting controller.
1886. Bicycling News, 23 April, 437/2. The machine … has … a very effective automatic steering controller.
5. Controller-general: an officer entrusted with the supreme direction or control.
1562. in Vicary’s Anat. (1888), App. iii. 143. Controller generall of all ye Cities hospitalles.
1703. Lond. Gaz., No. 3716/3. Comptroller-General of the Revenues of these Countries.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., Wks. V. 416. Grand financier of confiscation, and comptroller general of sacrilege.
1863. P. Barry, Dockyard Econ., 58. The Controller-General should also submit a carefully prepared estimate of the entire cost of the ship.
Hence Controllership, the office of controller.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 33 § 18. Thoffice of Comptrollershippe of all plees.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., I. II. v. We saw Turgot cast forth from the Controllership.
1871. Daily News, 8 Feb. In 1868 … the Controllership of the Navy was associated with the office of Third Lord of the Admiralty.
