Lord Chancellors

of England

The office of Lord Chancellor dates back to the Kingdom of England, at least as far back as the Norman Conquest, and possibly earlier. Originally, the Lord Chancellor was the officer responsible for keeping the Great Seal of England, the king's right hand man, and was usually a clergyman. Until well into the 17th century, the Lord Chancellor often was one of the most important officials in the English government. Killing the king's chancellor is still an act of treason under the Treason Act 1351. In 1362 the Lord Chancellor addressed Parliament in English, rather than French, for the first time following the Norman Conquest.

Year
of
appointment

Office Holder

605 Angmendus
? Cenmora
? Bosa
? Swithulplus
827 St Swithin
920 Turketel
959 Adolphus
978 Alfric
1043 Lesfric
1050 Reinhildus
1067 Maurice
? Osmund
1073 Augustus
1075 Baldrick
1075 Herman
1086 Giffard
1088 Bloct
1090 Flambard
1100 Giffard
? Weldric
? Godfrey
? Herbert
? Geoffrey Rufus
? Ranulfus
1135 Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln
? Roger Pauper
? Philip
? Roger de Gant
? Reginald
1142 William Fitzgibert
1155 St Thomas Becket
1162 John
? Ralph de Warnailla
? Walter de Constantis
1181 Geoffrey son of Rosand
? Nigel, Bishop of Ely
? Walter de Bidem
1189 William Longchamp
1192 Geoffrey son of Rosand
1195 William Longchamp
1196 Eustace, Bishop of Ely
1199 Walter Herbert
1206 Walter de Grey
1214 Richard de Marisco
1227 Ralph de Neville, Bishop of Chichester
1240 Simon the Norman
1242 Ralph de Neville, Bishop of Chichester
1244 Silvester de Everden
1246 John Maunsel
1249 John de Laxington
1253 Queen Eleanour
1254 William de Kilkenny
1255 Henry de Wangham
1260 Nicholas de Ely
1261 Walter de Merton
1263 Nicholas de Ely
1265 Thomas de Cantilupe
1265 Walter Giffard
1266 Godfrey Giffard
1268 John de Chrishull
1269 Richard de Middleton
1272 Walter de Merton
1274 Robert Burnal
1292 John de Langton
1302 William de Grenefield
1304 William de Hamilton
1307 Ralph de Baldock
1307 John de Langton
1310 Walter Reynolds
1314 John de Sandale
1318 John de Hottram
1320 John de Salmon
1323 Robert de Baldock
1327 John de Hottram
1327 Henry de Bungash
1330 John de Stratford
1334 Richard de Bury
1337 Robert de Stratford
1338 Richard de Bynkworth
1340 John de Stratford
1340 Robert de Stratford
1340 Sir Robert Bourchier
1341 Sir Robert Parnage
1343 Robert de Sandyngton
1345 John de Offord
1349 John Thoresby, Bishop of St. David
1356 William de Edington
1363 Simon de Langham
1367 William de Wickham
1371 Sir Robert Thorpe
1372 Sir John Knynett
1377 Adam Haughton, Bishop of St. David
1378 Richard Scrope
1380 Simon de Sudbury
1381 William Courtenay, Bishop of London
1381 Richard Scrope, Lord Scrope of Bolton
1382 Robert de Braybrooke, Bishop of London
1383 Sir Michael de la Pole
1383 Thomas Fitzalan, Archbishop of Bath
1389 William de Wickham
1391 Thomas Fitzalan, Archbishop of Canterbury
1396 Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter
1399 Thomas Fitzalan, Archbishop of Canterbury
John Scarle
1401 Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter
1403 Cardinal Henry Beaufort
1405 Thomas Langley, Dean of York
1407 Thomas Fitzalan, Archbishop of Canterbury
1410 Sir Thomas Beaufort
1412 Thomas Fitzalan, Archbishop of Canterbury
1413 Cardinal Henry Beaufort
1417 Thomas Langley, Bishop of Durham
1424 Cardinal Henry Beaufort
1426 Cardinal John Kempe
1432 John Stafford, Archbishop of Canterbury
1450 Cardinal John Kempe
1454 Richard Neville, E. Salisbury
1455 Cardinal Thomas Bourchier
1456 William Waynflete
1460 George Neville, Archbishop of York
Sir John Fortescue
1461 George Neville, Archbishop of York
1467 Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Wells
1473 Henry Bourchier, E. Essex
Lawrence Booth, Bishop of Durham
1475 Thomas Rotheram, Bishop of Lincoln
1483 John Russell, Bishop of Lincoln
1485 John Alcock, Bishop of Worcester
1487 Cardinal John Morton
1500 Henry Deane, Archbishop of Canterbury
1502 William Worham, Archbishop of Canterbury
1509 William Worham, Archbishop of Canterbury
1515 Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
1529 Sir Thomas More
1533 Thomas Audley, Lord Audley
1544 Thomas Wriothesley
1547

Thomas Wriothesley, Earl of Southampton

William Poulet, Lord St. John

Richard Rich, Lord Rich

1552 Thomas Goodricke, Bishop of Ely
1553 Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester
1556 Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York
1558 Sir Nicholas Bacon
1579 Sir Thomas Bromley
1587 Sir Christopher Hatton
1591 William Cecil, Lord Burghley
1592 Sir John Puckering
1596 Lord Ellesmere
1603 Thomas Egerton
1617 V Bruckley
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