to
Titles Page
to Life Page
to Home PageLord High Treasurer
Lord High Treasurer is an ancient English government position, the fourth-ranking Great Officer of State.
The English Treasury seems to have come into existence around 1126, in the reign of King Henry I, as the financial responsibilities were separated from the rest of the job that evolved into Lord Great Chamberlain. The Treasury was the section of the royal household where the King kept his treasures, and the head of the treasury was called Lord Treasurer or later Lord High Treasurer. By Tudor times, the Lord High Treasurer had achieved a place among the Great Officers immediately behind the Lord Chancellor and ahead of the Lord President of the Council.
In the 16th century the Lord Treasurer was often considered the most important official of the government, especially in the time of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley. However, in the 17th century it became increasingly common to entrust the Treasury not to one person, but to a board of Lords Commissioners of the Treasury, and after the brief term of Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury as Lord High Treasurer ended in 1714, this has been the invariable practice.
| Office Holder |
Year |
| Nigel (nephew of Roger, Bishop of Salisbury) | c.1126-res. 1133 |
| Adelelm (nephew of Roger, Bishop of Salisbury) | c.1136-dism.1139 |
| Richard FitzNeal, Dean of Lincoln, Bishop of London | c.1158-1189 |
| William of Ely, Archdeacon of Cleveland | 1196-res. Aug 1215 |
| Eustace of Fauconberg, Bishop of London | 4 Nov 1217-Oct 1228 |
| Walter Mauclerc, Bishop of Carlisle | 13 Nov 1228-1233 |
| Peter des Rivaux, Canon of St. Paul's | 14 Jan 1233-1234 |
| Hugh Pateshull, Bishop of Coventry | 1 Jun 1234 |
| William Haverhill, Canon of Lichfield | Mar 1240-23 Aug 1252 |
| Phillip Lovell, Archdeacon of Coventry | 27 Aug 1252-rem. Oct 1258 |
| John Crakehall, Archdeacon of Bedford | 2 Nov 1258-10 Sep 1260 |
| John of Caux, Abbot of Petersborough | 28 Oct 1260-Mar 1263 |
| Nicholas of Ely | 6 May 1263-vac. 19 Jul 1263 |
| Henry, Prior of St. Radegund | Jul 1263-Nov 1263 |
| John Chishull (acting) | Nov 1263 |
| Roger de la Leye (acting) | 30 Nov 1263 |
| Henry, Prior of St. Radegund | 3 Nov 1264-summer 1265 |
| Thomas Wymondham, Preceptor of Lichfield | 23 Oct 1265 |
| John Chishull | 6 Feb 1270-vac. 9 Jun 1271 |
| Phillip of Eye, Canon of St. Paul's | 16 Oct 1271 |
| Sir Joseph Chauncy, Prior of the Knights of St. John in England | 2 Oct 1273 |
| Richard Ware, Abbot of Westminster | 18 Jun 1280-1283 |
| John Kirkby, Bishop of Ely | 6 Jan 1284-26 Mar 1290 |
| William Mar, Bishop of Bath and Wells | 6 Apr 1290 |
| John Droxford (acting) | 16 Aug 1295 |
| Walter Langton, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield | 28 Sep 1295 |
| Walter Reynolds, Bishop of Worcester | 22 Aug 1307 |
| John Sandall, Provost of Wells | 6 Jul 1310 |
| Walter Norwich (acting) | 23 Oct 1311 |
| Walter Langton, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield | 23 Jan 1312 |
| Walter Norwich, acting | 17 May 1312 |
| John Sandall (acting) | 4 Oct 1312 |
| Walter Noriwich | 26 Sep 1314 |
| John Hotham, Bishop of Ely | 27 May 1317 |
| John Walwayn, Canon of St. Paul's and Hereford | 10 Jun 1318 |
| John Sandall, Bishop of Winchester | 16 Nov 1318 |
| Walter Norwich (acting) | 29 Sep 1319 |
| Walter Stapeldon, Bishop of Exeter | 18 Feb 1320 |
| Walter Norwich (acting) | 25 Aug 1321 |
| Walter Stapeldon, Bishop of Exeter | 10 May 1322 |
| William Melton, Archbishop of York | 3 Jul 1325 |
| John Stratford, Bishop of Winchester | 14 Nov 1326 |
| Adam Orleton, Bishop of Hereford | 28 Jan 1327 |
| Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln | 28 Mar 1327 |
| Thomas Charlton, Bishop of Hereford | 2 Jul 1328 |
| Robert Wodehouse, Archdeacon of Richmond | 16 Sep 1329 |
| William Melton, Archbishop of York | 1 Dec 1330 |
| William Airmyn, Bishop of Norwich | 1 Apr 1331 |
| Robert Ayleston, Archdeacon of Berkshire | 29 Mar 1332 |
| Richard Bury, Bishop of Durham | 9 Mar 1334 |
| Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln | 1 Aug 1334 |
| William La Zouche, Dean of York | 24 Mar 1337 |
| Robert Wodehouse, Archdeacon of Richmond | 10 Mar 1338 |
| William De la Zouche, Dean of York | 31 Dec 1338 |
| Sir Robert Sadington | 5 May 1340 |
| Roger Northburgh, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield | 26 Jun 1340-1 dism. Dec 1340 |
| Sir Robert Parving | 15 Jan 1341 |
| William Cusance | 30 Oct 1341 |
| William Edington, Bishop of Winchester | 10 Apr 1344 |
| John Sheppey, Bishop of Rochester | 29 Nov 1356 |
| Simon Langham, Bishop of Ely | 23 Nov 1360 |
| John Barnet, Bishop of Bath and Wells and of Ely | 20 Feb 1363 |
| Thomas Brantingham, Bishop of Exeter | 27 Jun 1369 |
| Richard Scrope, Lord Scrope of Bolton | 27 Mar 1371 |
| Sir Robert Ashton | 26 Sep 1375 |
| Henry Wakefield, Bishop of Worcester | 14 Jan 1377 |
| Thomas Brantingham, Bishop of Exeter | 19 Jul 1377 |
| Sir Robert Hales, Prior of the Order of St. John | 1 Feb 1381-14 Jun 1381 |
| Sir Hugh Seagrave | 10 Aug 1381 |
| John Fordham, Bishop of Durham | 17 Jan 1386 |
| John Gilbert, Bishop of Hereford | 24 Oct 1386 |
| Thomas Brantingham | 4 May 1389 |
| John Gilbert, Bishop of St David's | 20 Aug 1389 |
| John Waltham, Bishop of Salisbury | 2 May, 1391 |
| Roger Walden, Archbishop of Canterbury | 20 Sep 1395 |
| Guy De Mohun, Bishop of St. David's | 22 Jan 1398 |
| William Scrope, 1st Earl of Wiltshire | 17 Sep 1398-30 Jul 1399 |
| John Norbury | 3 Sep 1399 |
| Laurence Allerthorp, Canon of London | 31 May 1401 |
| Henry Bowet, Bishop of Bath and Wells | 27 Feb 1402 |
| Guy De Mohun, Bishop of St. David's | 25 Oct 1402 |
| William Ros, Lord Roos of Helmsley | 9 Sep 1403 |
| Thomas Neville, Lord Furnival | 5 Dec 1404-14 Mar 1407 |
| Nicholas Bubwith, Bishop of London | 15 Apr 1407 |
| Sir John Tiptoft | 14 Jul 1408 |
| Henry Scrope, Lord Scrope of Masham | 6 Jan 1410-dism. 20 Dec 1411 |
| Sir John Pelham | 23 Dec 1411 |
| Thomas Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel | 21 Mar 1413-13 Oct 1415 |
| Sir Hugh Mortimer | 10 Jan 1416-13 Apr 1416 |
| Sir Robert Leche | 17 Apr 1416-dism. 23 Nov 1416 |
| Henry FitzHugh, Lord FitzHugh | 6 Dec 1416 |
| William Kinwolmarsh, Dean of St. Martin's le-Grand | 26 Feb 1421 |
| John Stafford, Bishop of Bath and Wells | 18 Dec 1422 |
| Walter Hungerford, 1st Lord Hungerford | 16 Mar 1426 |
| John Scrope, Lord Scrope of Masham | 26 Feb 1432 |
| Ralph Cromwell, Lord Cromwell | 11 Aug 1433 |
| Ralph Butler, 1st Lord Sudley | 7 Jul 1443 |
| Marmaduke Lumley, Bishop of Carlisle | 18 Dec 1446 |
| John Fiennes, 1st Lord Saye and Sele | 16 Sep 1449 |
| John Beauchamp, 1st Lord Beauchamp of Powick | 22 Jun 1450 |
| John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester | 15 Apr 1452 |
| James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormond and 1st Earl of Wiltshire | 15 Mar 1455 |
| Henry Bourchier, 1st Viscount Bourchier | 29 May 1455 |
| John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury | 5 Oct 1456 |
| James Butler, 5th Earl of Ormond and 1st Earl of Wiltshire | 30 Oct 1458 |
| Henry Bourchier, 1st Viscount Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex | 28 Jul 1460 |
| John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester | 14 Apr 1462 |
| Edmund Grey, Lord Grey of Ruthin | 24 Jun 1463 |
| Walter Blount, 1st Baron Mountjoy | 24 Nov 1464 |
| Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers | 4 Mar 1466-12 Aug 1469 |
| Sir John Langstrother | 16 Aug 1469 |
| William De Grey, Bishop of Ely | 25 Oct 1469 |
| John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester | 10 Jul 1470-18 Oct 1470 |
| Sir John Langstrother | 20 Oct 1470 |
| Henry Bourchier, 1st Earl of Essex | 22 Apr 1471-4 Apr 1483 |
| Sir John Wood | 17 May 1483-25 Oct 1484 |
| John Touchet, 8th Baron Audley | 6 Dec 1484-dism. Aug 1485 |
| John Dynham, 1st Baron Dynham | 14 Jul 1486 |
| Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk | 16 Jun 1501 |
| Thomas Howard, 3nd Duke of Norfolk | 4 Dec 1524-vac. 12 Dec 1546 |
| Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset | 10 Feb 1547-dep. 10 Oct 1549 |
| William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester | 3 Feb 1550 |
| William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley | Jul 1572 |
| Thomas Sackville, 1st Earl of Dorset | 15 May 1599-19 Apr 1608 |
| Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury | 4 May 1608 |
| Commission: Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton (1st Lord) & others | 17 Jun 1612 |
| Commission: Thomas Egerton, 1st Lord Ellesmere (1st Lord) & others | 24 Jun 1613 |
| Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk | 11 Jul 1614-susp.1618 |
| Commission: George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury (1st Lord) & others | Jul 1618 |
| Henry Montague, 1st Viscount Mandeville | 14 Dec 1620 |
| Lionel Cranfield, 1st Earl of Middlesex | 29 Sep 1621-susp. 25 Apr 1624 |
| James Ley, 1st Earl of Marlborough | 11 Dec 1624 |
| Richard Weston, 1st Earl of Portland | 15 Jul 1628 |
| Commission: William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury (1st Lord) & others | 15 Mar 1635 |
| William Juxon, Bishop of London | 6 Mar 1636 |
|
to
Titles Page |
to Life Page |
to Home Page |