List of lord chancellors and lord keepers

The following is a list of lords chancellor and lords keeper 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.

Lords chancellor and lords keeper of England, 1050–1707

From the House of Wessex (1050) to the Commonwealth (1646) Lord Chancellor and/or Lord Keeper Term of office Monarch Regenbald 1050 after 1066 Edward the Confessor Harold II William I Herfast 1068 1070 Saint Osmund,Count of Sées and Bishop of Salisbury Maurice,Archdeacon of Le Mans Gerard,Preceptor of Rouen, later Archbishop of York c. 1085 before 1091 William II Robert Bloet 1091 1094 William Giffard 1094 April 1101 Henry I Roger of Salisbury 1101 1102 Henry I Waldric 1102 1107 Ranulf 1107 1123 Geoffrey Rufus 1123 1133 Robert de Sigello 1133 1135 Roger le Poer 1135 1139 Stephen Philip de Harcourt,Dean of Lincoln 1139 1140 Robert of Ghent,Dean of York 1140 1141 William FitzGilbert 1141 1142 Robert of Ghent,Dean of York 1142 1154 Thomas Becket,Archdeacon of Canterbury, later Archbishop of Canterbury 1155 1162 Henry II Geoffrey Ridel,Archdeacon of Canterbury 1162 1173 Ralph de Warneville,Treasurer of York 1173 1181 Geoffrey, the Bastard,Archbishop of York 1181 1189 William Longchamp,Bishop of Ely 1189 1197 Richard I Eustace,Dean of Salisbury 1197 1199 Eustace,Dean of Salisbury 1198 1199 Hubert Walter,Archbishop of Canterbury 1199 1205 John Walter de Gray,at various times Bishop of Lichfield, Bishop of Worcester, Archbishop of York 1205 1214 Richard Marsh,later Bishop of Durham12141226 Henry III 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 John Maunsell,Provost of Beverley 1246 1247 John Lexington 1247 1248 John Maunsell 1248 1249 John Lexington 1249 1253 Eleanor of Provence,Queen Consort and Regent of England 1253 1254 William of Kilkenny 1254 1255 Henry Wingham,from 1259/1260 Bishop of London 1255 1260 Nicholas of Ely,Archdeacon of Ely 1260 1261 Walter de Merton,Archdeacon of Bath 1261 1263 Nicholas of Ely,Archdeacon of Ely 1263 1263 John Chishull,Archdeacon of London 1263 1264 Thomas Cantilupe,Archdeacon of Stafford 1264 1265 Ralph Sandwich 1265 1265 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 Edward I Robert Burnell,Bishop of Bath and Wells 1274 1292 Thomas Bek,Archdeacon of Dorset 1279 1279 John Langton,Canon of Lincoln 1292 1302 William Greenfield,Dean of Chichester 1302 1304 Edward I William Hamilton,Dean of York 1304 1307 Ralph Baldock,Bishop of London 1307 1307 Edward II 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 Edward III 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 1340 Robert de Stratford,Bishop of Chichester 1340 1340 Robert Bourchier,Baron Bourchier 1340 1341 Robert Parning 1341 1343 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 Robert Thorpe 1371 1372 John Knyvet 1372 1377 Adam Houghton,Bishop of St David's 1377 1378 Richard II Richard Scrope,Baron Scrope of Bolton 1378 1380 Simon Sudbury,Archbishop of Canterbury 1380 1381 Hugh Segrave 1381 1381 William Courtenay,Bishop of London 1381 1381 Richard Scrope,Baron Scrope of Bolton 1381 1382 Robert Braybrooke,Bishop of London 1382 1383 Michael de la Pole,Baron 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 1399 John Scarle,Archdeacon of Lincoln 1399 1401 Henry IV 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 Henry V Thomas Langley,Bishop of Durham 1417 1424 Henry VI Henry Beaufort,Bishop of Winchester 1424 1426 John Kemp,Archbishop of York 1426 1432 John Stafford,Bishop of Bath and Wells (later Archbishop of Canterbury) 1432 1450 John Kemp,Archbishop of York 1450 1454 Richard Neville,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 Edward IV Robert Stillington,Bishop of Bath and Wells 1467 1470 George Neville,Archbishop of York 1470 1471 Henry VI Robert Stillington,Bishop of Bath and Wells 1471 1473 Edward IV Laurence Booth,Bishop of Durham 1473 1474 John Alcock,Bishop of Rochester 1475 1475 Thomas Rotheram,Bishop of Lincoln 1475 1483 John Russell,Bishop of Lincoln 1483 1485 Richard III Thomas Rotheram,Archbishop of York 1485 1485 Henry VII John Alcock,Bishop of Worcester 1485 1487 John Morton,Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury 1487 1504 Henry Deane,Archbishop of Canterbury 1500 1502 Henry VII William Warham,Archbishop of Canterbury 1502 1515 Henry VIII Thomas Wolsey,Cardinal Archbishop of York 1515 1529 Thomas More 1529 1532 Thomas Audley(Baron Audley of Walden from 1538) 1533 1544 Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Baron Wriothesley 1544 1547 Edward VI William Paulet,Baron St JohnKeeper 1547 1547 Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich 1547 1552 Thomas Goodrich,Bishop of Ely 1552 1553 Stephen Gardiner,Bishop of Winchester 1553 1555 Mary I Nicholas Heath,Archbishop of York 1555 1558 With the queen 1558 1558 Elizabeth I Nicholas Bacon,Lord Keeper 1558 1579 With the queen 1579 1579 Thomas Bromley 1579 1587 Christopher Hatton 1587 1591 In commission: Commissioners of the Great Seal William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley Henry Carey, 1st Baron Hunsdon William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham Thomas Sackville, 1st Baron Buckhurst Commissioners to hear causes Gilbert Gerard and others 1591 1592 John Puckering,Lord Keeper 1592 1596 Sir Thomas Egerton,Lord Keeper to 19 July 1603(Lord Ellesmere from 1603;Viscount Brackley from 1616) 1596 1617 James I Francis Bacon,Lord Keeper to 1618(Lord Verulam from 1618Viscount St Alban from 1621) 1617 1621 In commission: Commissioners to hear causes in the Court of Chancery Julius Caesar and others Commissioners to hear causes in the House of Lords James Ley and others Commissioners to use the Great Seal Henry Montagu, 1st Viscount Mandeville Ludovic Stewart, 2nd Duke of Lennox Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel 1621 1621 John Williams,Bishop of Lincoln, Lord Keeper 1621 1625 Charles I Thomas Coventry,Lord Keeper(Lord Coventry from 1628) 1625 1640 John Finch,Baron Finch, Lord Keeper 1640 1641 Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttelton,Lord Keeper(Took Great Seal to the King in 1642) 1641 1645 Richard Lane,Lord Keeper 1645 1650 Charles II Vacant 1650 1653 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

NameCook and Wroughton, English Historical Facts, 1603–1688, pp. 8–9 Term In commission: Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent Oliver St John, 1st Earl of Bolingbroke died July 1646 Oliver St John John Wilde Samuel Browne Edmund Prideaux William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury replacing Bolingbroke Nov 1643 – Oct 1646 In commission: William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Salisbury Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester William Lenthall (as Speaker of the House of Commons) 1646–1648 In commission: Henry Grey, 10th Earl of Kent William Grey, 1st Baron Grey of Werke Thomas Widdrington Bulstrode Whitelocke 1648–1649 In commission: Bulstrode Whitelocke John Lisle Richard Keble 1649–1654 In commission: Bulstrode Whitelocke 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 Thomas Widdrington Thomas Tyrrell John Fountaine Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester 1660–1660

From the Restoration (1660) to the Act of Union (1707) Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper Term of office Other peerage(s) Monarch Edward Hyde 1658 1667 Baron Hyde in 1660Earl of Clarendon in 1661 Charles II Orlando Bridgeman 1667 1672 — Anthony Ashley Cooper1st Earl of Shaftesbury 1672 1673 Heneage FinchBaron Finch(Lord Keeper until 1675) 1673 1682† Earl of Nottingham from 12 May 1681 Francis North 1682 1685† Baron Guilford in 1683 James II George Jeffreys1st Baron Jeffreys 1685 1688 — In commission: John Maynard Anthony Keck William Rawlinson 1689 1690 — Mary II&William III In commission: John Trevor William Rawlinson George Hutchins 1690 1693 — John Somers (Lord Keeper until 1697) 1693 1700 Baron Somers from 1697 In commission: John Holt, George Treby, Edward Ward, 1700 1700 — Nathan Wright 1700 1705 — Anne William Cowper 1705 1707 Baron Cowper in 1706

Lords high chancellor and lords keeper of Great Britain (1707–present) High Chancellor and Lord Keeper Term of office Party Ministry Other peerage(s) Monarch William Cowper,1st Baron Cowper 1707 1710Geoffrey 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 — Godolphin–Marlborough see below Anne Oxford–Bolingbroke In commission: Thomas Trevor, Robert Tracy, John Scrope, 1710 1710 — — Simon Harcourt,1st Baron Harcourt 1710 1714 Tory Viscount Harcourt in 1721 William Cowper,1st Baron Cowper 1714 1718 — Townshend Earl Cowper in 1718 George I Stanhope–Sunderland I In commission: Robert Tracy, John Pratt, James Montagu, 1718 1718 — Stanhope–Sunderland II — Thomas Parker,1st Baron Parker 1718 1725 Whig Earl of Macclesfield in 1721 Walpole–Townshend In commission: Joseph Jekyll, Jeffrey Gilbert, Robert Raymond, 1725 1725 — — Peter King,1st Baron King 1725 1733 — — George II Walpole Charles Talbot,1st Baron Talbot 1733 1737† — — Philip Yorke,1st Baron Hardwicke 1737 1756 Whig Earl of Hardwicke in 1754 Carteret Broad Bottom Newcastle I In commission: John Willes, Sidney Stafford Smythe, John Eardley Wilmot, 1756 1757 — Pitt–Devonshire — 1757 Caretaker Robert Henley,1st Baron Henley 1757 1766 Whig Pitt–Newcastle Earl of Northington in 1764 George III Bute Grenville Rockingham I Charles Pratt,1st Baron Camden 1766 1770 Whig Chatham Earl Camden in 1786 Grafton Charles Yorke 1770 1770† Whig In commission: Sidney Stafford Smythe, Henry Bathurst, Richard Aston, 1770 1771 — North — Henry Bathurst,1st Baron Apsley 1771 1778 Tory Succeeded as Earl Bathurst in 1775 Edward Thurlow,1st Baron Thurlow 1778 1783 Tory see below Rockingham II Shelburne In commission: Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Baron Loughborough, William Henry Ashurst, Beaumont Hotham, 1783 1783 — Fox–North — Edward Thurlow,1st Baron Thurlow 1783 1792 Tory Pitt I Baron Thurlow in 1792 In commission: James Eyre, William Henry Ashurst,