List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers
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The following is a list of Lord Chancellors, Lord Keepers of the Great Seal and Commissioners entrusted with Parliament's Great Seal of England and Great Britain.
Contents
Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers of England, 1068–1707
11th century
- Herfast (1068–1070)
- Saint Osmund, count of Sées and bishop of Salisbury (1070–1078)
- Maurice, Archdeacon of Le Mans (1078–1085)
- Gerard, Preceptor of Rouen (1085–1092), later Archbishop of York
- Robert Bloet (1092–1093)
- William Giffard (1093–1101)
12th century
- Roger of Salisbury (1101–1102)
- Waldric (1102–1107)
- Ranulf (1107–1123)
- Geoffrey Rufus (1123–1133)
- Robert de Sigello (1133–1135) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- Roger le Poer (1135–1139)
- Philip de Harcourt, Dean of Lincoln (1139–1140)
- Robert of Ghent, Dean of York (1140–1141)
- William FitzGilbert (1141–1142)
- William de Vere (1142)
- Robert of Ghent, Dean of York (1142–1154)
- Thomas Becket, Archdeacon of Canterbury (1155–1162)
- Geoffrey Ridel, Archdeacon of Canterbury (1162–1173)
- Ralph de Warneville, Treasurer of York (1173–1181)
- Geoffrey, the Bastard, Plantagenet (1181–1189)
- William Longchamp, Bishop of Ely (1189–1197)
- Eustace, Dean of Salisbury (1197–1199) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
13th century
- Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury (1199–1205)
- Walter de Gray ?"Bishop of Lichfield"?, 1214-15 Bishop of Worcester, from 1215 Archbishop of York (1205–1214)
- Richard Marsh (1214–1226), from 1217 Bishop of Durham
- Ralph Neville, Bishop of Chichester (1226–1240)
- Richard le Gras, Abbot of Evesham (1240–1242)
- Ralph Neville, Bishop of Chichester (1242–1244)
- Silvester de Everdon, Archdeacon of Chester (1244–1246) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- John Maunsell, Provost of Beverley (1246–1247) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- Sir John Lexington (1247–1248) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- John Maunsell (1248–1249) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- Sir John Lexington (1249–1250) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- William of Kilkenny (1250–1255) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- Henry Wingham (1255–1260), from 1259/1260 Bishop of London
- Nicholas of Ely, Archdeacon of Ely (1260–1261)
- Walter de Merton, Archdeacon of Bath (1261–1263)
- Nicholas of Ely, Archdeacon of Ely (1263)
- John Chishull, Archdeacon of London (1263–1264)
- Thomas Cantilupe, Archdeacon of Stafford (1264–1265)
- Ralph Sandwich (1265) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- Walter Giffard, Bishop of Bath and Wells (1265–1266)
- Godfrey Giffard, Archdeacon of Wells (1266–1268)
- John Chishull, Dean of St Paul's (1268–1269)
- Richard Middleton, Archdeacon of Northumberland (1269–1272)
- Walter de Merton, Archdeacon of Bath (1272–1274)
- Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath (1274–1292)
- John Langton, Canon of Lincoln (1292–1302)
14th century
- William Greenfield, Dean of Chichester (1302–1305)
- William Hamilton, Dean of York (1305–1307)
- Ralph Baldock, Bishop of London (1307)
- John Langton, Bishop of Chichester (1307–1310)
- Walter Reynolds, Bishop of Worcester (1310–1314)
- John Sandale, Canon of Lincoln (1314–1318)
- John Hotham, Bishop of Ely (1318–1320)
- John Salmon, Bishop of Norwich (1320–1323)
- Robert Baldock, Archdeacon of Middlesex (1323–1326)
- William Ayermin, Bishop of Norwich (1326–1327)
- John Hotham, Bishop of Ely (1327–1328)
- Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln (1328–1330)
- John de Stratford, Bishop of Winchester (1330–1334)
- Richard Bury, Bishop of Durham (1334–1335)
- John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury (1335–1337)
- Robert de Stratford, Bishop of Chichester (1337–1338)
- Richard Bintworth, Bishop of London (1338–1339)
- John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury (1340)
- Robert de Stratford, Bishop of Chichester (1340)
- Sir Robert Bourchier (1340–1341)
- Sir Robert Parning (1341–1343)
- Sir Robert Sadington (1343–1345)
- John de Ufford, Dean of Lincoln (1345–1349)
- John Thoresby, Bishop of Worcester (1349–1356)
- William Edington, Bishop of Winchester (1356–1363)
- Simon Langham, Bishop of Ely (1363–1367)
- William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester (1367–1371)
- Sir Robert Thorpe (1371–1372)
- Sir John Knyvet (1372–1377)
- Adam Houghton, Bishop of St David's (1377–1378)
- The Lord Scrope of Bolton (1378–1380)
- Simon Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury (1380–1381)
- Hugh Segrave (1381) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- William Courtenay, Bishop of London (1381)
- The Lord Scrope of Bolton (1381–1382)
- Robert Braybrooke, Bishop of London (1382–1383)
- The Lord de la Pole (later Earl of Suffolk) (1383–1386)
- Thomas Arundel, Bishop of Ely (1386–1389)
- William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester (1389–1391)
- Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of York (1391–1396)
- Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter (1396–1399)
- Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury (1399)
15th century
- John Scarle, Archdeacon of Lincoln (1399–1401)
- Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter (1401–1403)
- Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Lincoln (1403–1405)
- Thomas Langley, Dean of York (1405–1407)
- Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury (1407–1410)
- Sir Thomas Beaufort (1410–1412)
- Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury (1412–1413)
- Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester (1413–1417)
- Thomas Langley, Bishop of Durham (1417–1424)
- Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester (1424–1426)
- John Kemp, Archbishop of York (1426–1432)
- John Stafford, Bishop of Bath (later Archbishop of Canterbury) (1432–1450)
- John Kemp, Archbishop of York (1450–1454)
- The Earl of Salisbury (1454–1455)
- Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury (1455–1456)
- William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester (1456–1460)
- George Neville, Bishop of Exeter (1460–1467)
- Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath (1467–1470)
- George Neville, Archbishop of York (1470–1471)
- Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath (1471–1473)
- Laurence Booth, Bishop of Durham (1473–1474)
- John Alcock, Bishop of Rochester (1475)
- Thomas Rotheram, Bishop of Lincoln (1475–1483)
- John Russell, Bishop of Lincoln (1483–1485)
- Thomas Rotheram, Archbishop of York (1485)
- John Alcock, Bishop of Worcester (1485–1487)
- John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury (1487–1500)
16th century
- Henry Deane, Archbishop of Canterbury (1500–1502) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury (1502–1515) (Keeper of the Great Seal to 1504)
- Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal Archbishop of York (1515–1529)
- Sir Thomas More (1529–1532)
- Sir Thomas Audley (later Baron Audley of Walden) (1532–1544)
- The Lord Wriothesley (1544–1547)
- The Lord St John (1547) (Keeper of the Great Seal)
- The Lord Rich (1547–1551)
- Thomas Goodrich, Bishop of Ely (1552–1553)
- Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester (1553–1555)
- Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York (1555–1558)
- Sir Nicholas Bacon (1558–1579) (Lord Keeper)
- Sir Thomas Bromley (1579–1587)
- Sir Christopher Hatton (1587–1591)
- In Commission (1591–1592)
- Commissioners of the Great Seal
- Commissioners to hear causes
- Sir Gilbert Gerard and others
- Sir John Puckering (1592–1596) (Lord Keeper)
Early 17th century
- Sir Thomas Egerton, later 1st Baron Ellesmere and then 1st Viscount Brackley (May 6, 1596 – March 5, 1617) (Lord Keeper to July 19, 1603)
- The Lord Verulam later Viscount St Alban (1617–1621) (Lord Keeper to 1618)
- In Commission (1621)
- Commissioners to hear causes in the Court of Chancery
- Sir Julius Caesar and others
- Commissioners to hear causes in the House of Lords
- Sir James Ley and others
- Commissioners to use the Great Seal
- Commissioners to hear causes in the Court of Chancery
- John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln (1621–1625) (Lord Keeper)
- Sir Thomas Coventry (later Baron Coventry) (1625–1640) (Lord Keeper)
- The Lord Finch (1640–1641) (Lord Keeper)
- The Lord Lyttleton of Mounslow (1641–1645) (Lord Keeper) (Took Great Seal to King, 1642)
- Sir Richard Lane (1645–1650) (Lord Keeper) (Great Seal captured and destroyed by Parliament, 11 August 1646)
Civil War and Interregnum – Commissioners entrusted with Parliament's Great Seal [1]
- New Parliamentary Great Seal in Commission (Nov 1643 to Oct 1646)
- The Earl of Kent
- The Earl of Bolingbroke, died July 1646 and replaced by The Earl of Salisbury
- Oliver St John
- John Wilde
- Samuel Browne
- Edmund Prideaux
- Great Seal in Commission (1646–1648)
- The Earl of Salisbury
- The Earl of Manchester
- William Lenthall (as Speaker of the House of Commons)
- Great Seal in Commission (1648–1649)
- Great Seal in Commission (1649–1654)
- Great Seal in Commission (1654–1656)
- Great Seal in Commission (1656–1659)
- Great Seal in Commission (January 1659 – June 1659)
- Great Seal in Commission (June 1659 – 1660)
- Great Seal in Commission (1660–1660)
Charles II
- Sir Edward Herbert (1653–1654) (Lord Keeper)
- Sir Edward Hyde (later Lord Hyde and Earl of Clarendon (1658–1667)
- Sir Orlando Bridgeman (1667–1672) (Lord Keeper)
- The Earl of Shaftesbury (1672–1673)
- Sir Heneage Finch (later Lord Finch and Earl of Nottingham) (1673–1682) (Lord Keeper to 1675)
- Sir Francis North (later Lord Guilford) (1682–1685) (Lord Keeper)
James II and beyond
| Image | Name | Term (From – To) |
|---|---|---|
 |
The Lord Jeffreys | 1685–1688 |
 |
In Commission: | 1689-1690 |
|
In Commission: | 1690-1693 |
 |
Sir John Somers (later Lord Somers) (Lord Keeper to 1697) | 1693–1700 |
|
In Commission: | 1700 |
 |
Sir Nathan Wright (Lord Keeper) | 1700–1705 |
 |
William Cowper (later Lord Cowper) (Lord Keeper) | 1705–1707 |
Lord High Chancellors and Lord Keepers of Great Britain, 1707–2005
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Notes:
1: Yorke, who had been associated with the opposition, was persuaded to accept appointment as Lord Chancellor and was to have been created Baron Morden. However on meeting with his erstwhile opposition colleagues he became ashamed of his action. He refused to sign the patent conferring the peerage on himself and then committed suicide.
After the Constitutional Reform Act 2005
| Image | Name | Term (From – To) |
|---|---|---|
| 100px | Jack Straw | 2007–2010 |
| 100px | Kenneth Clarke | 2010–2012 |
 |
Chris Grayling | 2012–2015 |
 |
Michael Gove | 2015–present |
See also
References
- ↑ Cook and Wroughton, English Historical Facts, 1603–1688, PP 8–9
- ↑ Geoffrey Treasure, ‘Cowper, William, first Earl Cowper (1665–1723)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2009 accessed 27 March 2009
- ↑ Yorke, who had been associated with the opposition, was persuaded to accept appointment as Lord Chancellor and was to have been created Baron Morden. However on meeting with his erstwhile opposition colleagues he became ashamed of his action. He refused to sign the patent conferring the peerage on himself and then committed suicide.
- John Haydn and Horace Ockerby, The Book of Dignities, third edition, W.H. Allen and Co. Ltd, London 1894, reprinted Firecrest Publishing Limited, Bath 1969, p. 352–358
- John Lord Campbell (1845) Lives of the Lords Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal of England. 5th ed. (1868) London: Murray, vol. 10
