John Pownall (1720 - 1795) was a lifelong government administrator. Pownall held the following offices with the Board of Trade: clerk (1741-1745), solicitor and clerk of reports (1745-1753), joint secretary (1753-1758), and secretary (1758-May 1776). He additionally served as undersecretary of state for the American department (January 1768-May 1776), provost marshal general of Leeward Island (lifetime appointment beginning 1776), commissioner of excise (1776-1785), and commissioner of customs (1785-1788).