List of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers

The following is a list of Lord Chancellors and Lord Keepers of the Great Seal of England and Great Britain. It also includes a list of Commissioners of Parliament's Great Seal during the English Civil War and Interregnum.

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)
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)
Lord Scrope of Bolton (1381–1382)
Robert Braybrooke, Bishop of London (1382–1383)
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)
Richard Neville, 5th 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)
Sir Robert Kirkeham, Master of the Rolls (1467), (Keeper of the Great Seal)^[1]
Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath (1467–1470)
George Neville, Archbishop of York (1470–1471)
Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath (1471–1473)
Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex (1473), (Keeper of the Great Seal)^[2]
Laurence Booth, Bishop of Durham (1473–1474)
John Alcock, Bishop of Rochester (1475), (Keeper of the Great Seal)
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 (1485–1486)
John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury (1486–1500)

1500–1654

Image	Name	Tenure	Monarch
	Henry Deane, Archbishop of Canterbury, Keeper	1500–1502	Henry VII 1485–1509
	William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury, Keeper to 1504	1502–1515	Henry VII 1485–1509
	William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury, Keeper to 1504	1502–1515	Henry VIII 1509–1547
	Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal Archbishop of York	1515–1529
	Sir Thomas More	1529–1532
	Sir Thomas Audley (Lord Audley of Walden from 1538)	1532–1544
	Lord Wriothesley	1544–1547
	Lord Wriothesley	1544–1547	Edward VI 1547–1553
	Lord St John, Keeper	1547
	Lord Rich	1547–1551
	Thomas Goodrich, Bishop of Ely	1552–1553
	Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester	1553–1555	Mary I 1553–1558 (with Philip 1558–1558)
	Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York	1555–1558	Mary I 1553–1558 (with Philip 1558–1558)
	Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper	1558–1579	Elizabeth I 1558–1603
	Sir Thomas Bromley	1579–1587
	Sir Christopher Hatton	1587–1591
	In Commission: Commissioners of the Great Seal Lord Burghley Lord Hunsdon Lord Cobham Lord Buckhurst Commissioners to hear causes Sir Gilbert Gerard and others	1591–1592
	Sir John Puckering, Lord Keeper	1592–1596
	Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper to 19 July 1603 (Lord Ellesmere from 1603 Viscount Brackley from 1616)	6 May 1596 – 5 March 1617
		6 May 1596 – 5 March 1617	James I 1603–1625
	Lord Verulam, Lord Keeper to 1618	1617–1621
	In Commission: 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 Viscount Mandeville Duke of Lennox Earl of Arundel	1621
	John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln, Lord Keeper	1621–1625
	Sir Thomas Coventry, Lord Keeper (Lord Coventry from 1628)	1625–1640	Charles I 1625–1649
	Lord Finch, Lord Keeper	1640–1641
	Lord Lyttleton of Mounslow, Lord Keeper (Took Great Seal to the King in 1642)	1641–1645
	Sir Richard Lane, Lord Keeper	1645–1650
	Sir Richard Lane, Lord Keeper	1645–1650	Charles II Court in exile from 1649
Vacant		1650–1653
	Sir Edward Herbert, Lord Keeper	1653–1654

The Great Seal was captured and destroyed by Parliament on 11 August 1646

Commissioners of Parliament's Great Seal 1643-1660

Image	Name^[3]	Term (From – To)
	In Commission: Earl of Kent Earl of Bolingbroke died July 1646 Oliver St John John Wilde Samuel Browne Edmund Prideaux Earl of Salisbury replacing Bolingbroke	Nov 1643 – Oct 1646
	In Commission: Earl of Salisbury Earl of Manchester William Lenthall (as Speaker of the House of Commons)	1646 – 1648
	In Commission: Earl of Kent Lord Grey of Werke Sir Thomas Widdrington Bulstrode Whitelocke	1648 – 1649
	In Commission: Bulstrode Whitelocke John Lisle Richard Keble	1649 – 1654
	In Commission: Bulstrode Whitelocke Sir Thomas Widdrington John Lisle	1654 – 1656
	In Commission: Nathaniel Fiennes John Lisle	1656 – 1659
	In Commission: Nathaniel Fiennes John Lisle Bulstrode Whitelocke	January – June 1659
	In Commission: John Bradshaw Thomas Tyrrell John Fountaine	June 1659 – 1660
	In Commission: William Lenthall Sir Thomas Widdrington Thomas Tyrrell John Fountaine Earl of Manchester	1660-1660

From the Restoration, 1660, to the Act of Union, 1707

Portrait	Name	Term of office
	Sir Edward Hyde (Lord Hyde from 1660, Earl of Clarendon from 1661)	13 January 1658 – 30 August 1667
	Sir Orlando Bridgeman (Lord Keeper)	31 August 1667 – 17 November 1672
	Earl of Shaftesbury	17 November 1672 – 9 November 1673
	Sir Heneage Finch (Lord Keeper until 1675) (Lord Finch from 1673, Earl of Nottingham from 1681)	9 November 1673 – 18 December 1682^†
	Sir Francis North (Lord Keeper) (Lord Guilford from 1683)	20 December 1682 – 5 September 1685^†
	Lord Jeffreys	28 September 1685 – December 1688
	In Commission: Sir John Maynard MP Sir Anthony Keck Sir William Rawlinson	4 March 1689 – 14 May 1690
	In Commission: Sir John Trevor MP Sir William Rawlinson Sir George Hutchins MP	14 May 1690 – 22 March 1693
	Sir John Somers (Lord Keeper until 1697) (Lord Somers from 1697)	23 March 1693 – 27 April 1700
	In Commission: Sir John Holt LCJ Sir George Treby CJ Sir Edward Ward CB	27 April 1700 – 31 May 1700
	Sir Nathan Wright (Lord Keeper)	31 May 1700 – 11 October 1705
	William Cowper (Lord Keeper) (Lord Cowper from 1706)	11 October 1705 – 4 May 1707

Lord High Chancellors and Lord Keepers of Great Britain, from 1707 to the present

Portrait	Name	Tenure		Political party
	Lord Cowper	4 May 1707	23 September 1710^[4]
	In Commission: Sir Thomas Trevor CJ Robert Tracy J John Scrope B	26 September 1710	19 October 1710	—
	Sir Simon Harcourt (Lord Keeper until 1713) (Lord Harcourt from 1711)	19 October 1710	21 September 1714	Tory
	Lord Cowper	21 September 1714	15 April 1718
	In Commission: Sir Robert Tracy J Sir John Pratt J Sir James Montagu B	18 April 1718	12 May 1718	—
	Lord Parker (Earl of Macclesfield from 1721)	12 May 1718	7 January 1725	Whig
	In Commission: Sir Joseph Jekyll MR Sir Jeffrey Gilbert B Sir Robert Raymond LCJ	7 January 1725	1 June 1725	—
	Lord King	1 June 1725	29 November 1733
	Lord Talbot	29 November 1733	14 February 1737^†
	Lord Hardwicke (Earl of Hardwicke from 1754)	21 February 1737	19 November 1756	Whig
	In Commission: Sir John Willes CJ Sir Sidney Stafford Smythe B Sir John Eardley Wilmot J	19 November 1756	30 June 1757	—
	Sir Robert Henley (Lord Keeper until 1761) (Lord Henley from 1760, Earl of Northington from 1764)	30 June 1757	30 July 1766	Whig
	Lord Camden	30 July 1766	17 January 1770	Whig
	Charles Yorke^[5]	17 January 1770	20 January 1770^†	Whig
	In Commission: Sir Sidney Stafford Smythe B Henry Bathurst J Sir Richard Aston J	21 January 1770	23 January 1771	—
	Lord Apsley (Earl Bathurst from 1775)	23 January 1771	3 June 1778	Tory
	Lord Thurlow	3 June 1778	7 April 1783	Tory
	In Commission: Lord Loughborough CJ Sir William Henry Ashurst J Sir Beaumont Hotham B	9 April 1783	23 December 1783	—
	Lord Thurlow	23 December 1783	June 1792	Tory
	In Commission: Sir James Eyre CB Sir William Henry Ashurst J Sir John Wilson J	15 June 1792	28 January 1793	—
	Lord Loughborough	28 January 1793	14 April 1801
	Lord Eldon	14 April 1801	7 February 1806	Tory
	Lord Erskine	7 February 1806	1 April 1807	Whig
	Lord Eldon (Earl of Eldon from 1821)	1 April 1807	12 April 1827	Tory
	Lord Lyndhurst	2 May 1827	24 November 1830	Tory
	Lord Brougham and Vaux	24 November 1830	9 July 1834	Whig
	Lord Lyndhurst	21 November 1834	8 April 1835	Conservative
	In Commission: Sir Charles Pepys MR Sir Lancelot Shadwell V-C Sir John Bosanquet J	23 April 1835	16 January 1836	—
	Lord Cottenham	16 January 1836	30 August 1841	Whig
	Lord Lyndhurst	3 September 1841	27 June 1846	Conservative
	Lord Cottenham	6 July 1846	19 June 1850	Whig
	In Commission: Lord Langdale MR Sir Lancelot Shadwell V-C Sir Robert Rolfe B	19 June 1850	15 July 1850	—
	Lord Truro	15 July 1850	21 February 1852	Whig
	Lord St Leonards	27 February 1852	17 December 1852	Conservative
	Lord Cranworth	28 December 1852	21 February 1858	Whig
	Lord Chelmsford	26 February 1858	11 June 1859	Conservative
	Lord Campbell	18 June 1859	24 June 1861	Liberal
	Lord Westbury	26 June 1861	7 July 1865	Liberal
	Lord Cranworth	7 July 1865	26 June 1866	Liberal
	Lord Chelmsford	6 July 1866	29 February 1868	Conservative
	Lord Cairns	29 February 1868	1 December 1868	Conservative
	Lord Hatherley	9 December 1868	15 October 1872	Liberal
	Lord Selborne	15 October 1872	17 February 1874	Liberal
	Lord Cairns (Earl Cairns from 1878)	21 February 1874	21 April 1880	Conservative
	Lord Selborne (Earl of Selborne from 1882)	28 April 1880	9 June 1885	Liberal
	Lord Halsbury	24 June 1885	28 January 1886	Conservative
	Lord Herschell	6 February 1886	20 July 1886	Liberal
	Lord Halsbury	3 August 1886	11 August 1892	Conservative
	Lord Herschell	18 August 1892	21 June 1895	Liberal
	Lord Halsbury (Earl of Halsbury from 1898)	29 June 1895	4 December 1905	Conservative
	Lord Loreburn (Earl Loreburn from 1911)	10 December 1905	10 June 1912	Liberal
	Viscount Haldane	10 June 1912	25 May 1915	Liberal
	Lord Buckmaster	25 May 1915	5 December 1916	Liberal
	Lord Finlay	10 December 1916	10 January 1919	Conservative
	Lord Birkenhead (Viscount Birkenhead from 1921, Earl of Birkenhead from 1922)	10 January 1919	19 October 1922	Conservative
	Viscount Cave	24 October 1922	22 January 1924	Conservative
	Viscount Haldane	22 January 1924	6 November 1924	Labour
	Viscount Cave	6 November 1924	28 March 1928	Conservative
	Lord Hailsham	28 March 1928	4 June 1929	Conservative
	Lord Sankey (Viscount Sankey from 1932)	7 June 1929	7 June 1935	Labour
	Viscount Hailsham	7 June 1935	9 March 1938	Conservative
	Lord Maugham	9 March 1938	3 September 1939	Conservative
	Viscount Caldecote	3 September 1939	12 May 1940	Conservative
	Viscount Simon	10 May 1940	27 July 1945	National Liberal
	Lord Jowitt (Viscount Jowitt from 1947)	27 July 1945	26 October 1951	Labour
	Lord Simonds	30 October 1951	18 October 1954	Conservative
	Viscount Kilmuir	18 October 1954	13 July 1962	Conservative
	Lord Dilhorne	13 July 1962	16 October 1964	Conservative
	Lord Gardiner	16 October 1964	19 June 1970	Labour
	Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone	20 June 1970	4 March 1974	Conservative
	Lord Elwyn-Jones	5 March 1974	4 May 1979	Labour
	Lord Hailsham of St Marylebone	4 May 1979	13 June 1987	Conservative
	Lord Havers	13 June 1987	26 October 1987	Conservative
	Lord Mackay of Clashfern	28 October 1987	2 May 1997	Conservative
	Lord Irvine of Lairg	2 May 1997	12 June 2003	Labour
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs Following the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, the position of Lord Chancellor was held jointly with the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, and since 2007, it has been held with the Secretary of State for Justice.
	Lord Falconer of Thoroton	12 June 2003	8 May 2007	Labour

	Lord Falconer of Thoroton	9 May 2007	27 June 2007	Labour
	Jack Straw^[6]	28 June 2007	11 May 2010	Labour
	Kenneth Clarke	12 May 2010	4 September 2012	Conservative
	Chris Grayling	4 September 2012	9 May 2015	Conservative
	Michael Gove	9 May 2015	14 July 2016	Conservative
	Elizabeth Truss	14 July 2016	Incumbent	Conservative

References

↑ The Chronological Historian
↑ The Chronological Historian
↑ 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, September 2004; online edn, January 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.
↑ First non-peer to serve as Lord Chancellor since Sir Robert Henley as Lord Keeper of the Seal in 1760.

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

External links

Department for Constitutional Affairs' list

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