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List of lord chancellors and lord keepers facts for kids

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The Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper of the Great Seal are very old and important jobs in England and Great Britain. For hundreds of years, these people were like the King or Queen's main legal advisor and the head of the justice system. They were in charge of the Great Seal, a special stamp used to make official documents from the monarch valid.

This list tells you about some of the people who held these powerful positions throughout history.

Important Legal Leaders in England (1050–1707)

For many centuries, the Lord Chancellor was often a church leader, like a bishop or archbishop. They were usually very educated and trusted by the King.

Early Chancellors (11th to 14th Century)

  • Regenbald (1050 – after 1066)
  • William Giffard (1094–1101)
  • Thomas Becket (1155–1162): A famous Archbishop of Canterbury who was once a close friend of King Henry II.
  • Hubert Walter (1199–1205): Another Archbishop of Canterbury who served as Chancellor.
  • Ralph Neville, Bishop of Chichester (1226–1240, 1242–1244): He held the Great Seal for many years.
  • Eleanor of Provence, Queen Consort and Regent of England (1253–1254): Unusually, a Queen held the Great Seal for a short time!
  • Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath (1274–1292): A key advisor to King Edward I.
  • Robert Bourchier, 1st Baron Bourchier (1340–1341): The first non-church leader to become Lord Chancellor. This was a big change!
  • William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester (1367–1371, 1389–1391): A very influential figure who also founded Winchester College and New College, Oxford.
  • Lord de la Pole (1383–1386): An important noble who served as Chancellor.

Chancellors in the 15th Century

  • Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Lincoln (1403–1405, 1413–1417, 1424–1426): A powerful cardinal and uncle to King Henry VI.
  • John Stafford, Bishop of Bath (1432–1450): Later became Archbishop of Canterbury.
  • Richard Neville, 5th Earl of Salisbury (1454–1455): A key figure during the Wars of the Roses.
  • John Morton, Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury (1486–1500): A trusted advisor to King Henry VII.

From Henry VII to Charles II (1500–1654)

During this period, the role of Lord Chancellor became even more important, especially during the time of the Tudors and Stuarts.

Image Name Time in Office Monarch
Hans Holbein d. J. 066.jpg William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury 1502 1515 Henry VIII
Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.jpg Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal Archbishop of York 1515 1529
Hans Holbein, the Younger - Sir Thomas More - Google Art Project.jpg Thomas More 1529 1532 Henry VIII
Thomas Audley (c.1488–1544), Lord Audley, 1569.jpg Thomas Audley 1532 1544
Sir Nicholas Bacon.jpeg Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper 1558 1579 Elizabeth I
Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley from NPG.jpg Thomas Egerton 1596 1617
William Larkin Francis Bacon.jpg Francis Bacon, Lord Keeper 1617 1621 James I
1stLordCoventry.jpg Thomas Coventry, Lord Keeper 1625 1640 Charles I

The Great Seal was a very important symbol of royal power. During the English Civil War, Parliament actually captured and destroyed the King's Great Seal in 1646! This showed how much power had shifted.

Parliament's Great Seal (1643–1660)

During the English Civil War and the time when England was a republic (the Interregnum), Parliament appointed its own "Commissioners" to use a new Great Seal. This was a clear sign that Parliament, not the King, was in charge.

Image Name Term
No image.svg Key Commissioners included: Nov 1643 – 1660

Lord Chancellors of Great Britain (1707–Present)

After the Act of Union in 1707, England and Scotland joined to form Great Britain. The role of Lord Chancellor continued to be very important, overseeing the legal system for the whole country.

       Tory            Whig            Conservative            Liberal            Labour
Lord Chancellor Time in Office Party Monarch
William Earl Cowper LC by Jonathan Richardson.jpg William Cowper 1707 1710 — Anne
Simon Viscount Harcourt LC by Godfrey Kneller.jpg Simon Harcourt 1710 1714 Tory Anne
The Rt. Honble. Thomas Ld. Parker Barn. of Macclesfield and Ld. High Chancelor of Great Britain etc NYPL Hades-286750-1253707) crop.jpg Thomas Parker 1718 1725 Whig George I
Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke (1690-1764) by William Hoare of Bath.jpg Philip Yorke 1737 1756 Whig George II
Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington by Thomas Hudson.jpg Robert Henley 1757 1766 Whig George III
Edward Thurlow.jpg Edward Thurlow 1778 1783 Tory
John Scott Lord High Chancellor of England 1801–1806 by William Cowen.jpg John Scott 1801 1806 Tory George III
Lord Erskine LC.jpg Thomas Erskine 1806 1807 Whig
John Scott Lord High Chancellor of England 1801–1806 by William Cowen.jpg John Scott 1807 1827 Tory George IV
Lord Lyndhurst LC by HW Pickersgill.jpg John Copley 1827 1830 Conservative George IV
Lord Brougham & Vaux mezzotint.jpg Henry Brougham 1830 1834 Whig William IV
Lord Lyndhurst LC by HW Pickersgill.jpg John Copley 1834 1835 Conservative William IV
Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham by Charles Robert Leslie cropped.jpg Charles Pepys 1836 1841 Whig Victoria
Lord Lyndhurst LC by HW Pickersgill.jpg John Copley 1841 1846 Conservative Victoria
Lord Campbell LC by GF Watts.jpg John Campbell 1859 1861 Liberal Victoria
Lord Cairns LC by LC Dickinson.jpg Hugh Cairns 1868 1868 Conservative Victoria
Lord Selborne LC by Bassano.jpg Roundell Palmer 1872 1874 Liberal Victoria
Hardinge Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury.jpg Hardinge Giffard 1885 1886 Conservative Victoria
Farrer Lord Herschell LC by Hubert von Herkomer.jpg Farrer Herschell 1886 1886 Liberal Victoria
Hardinge Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury.jpg Hardinge Giffard 1886 1892 Conservative Victoria
Farrer Lord Herschell LC by Hubert von Herkomer.jpg Farrer Herschell 1892 1895 Liberal Victoria
Hardinge Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury.jpg Hardinge Giffard 1895 1905 Conservative Edward VII
1stEarlLoreburn crop.jpg Robert Reid 1905 1912 Liberal George V
Viscount Haldane LC by Vandyk.jpg Richard Haldane 1912 1915 Liberal George V
FE Smith Earl of Birkenhead LC.jpg F. E. Smith 1919 1922 Conservative George V
Viscount Haldane LC by Vandyk.jpg Richard Haldane 1924 1924 Labour George V
Hailsham1.JPG Douglas Hogg 1928 1929 Conservative George V
1stViscountSankey.jpg John Sankey 1929 1935 Labour George V
Hailsham1.JPG Douglas Hogg 1935 1938 Conservative Edward VIII
Viscount Simon.jpg John Simon 1940 1945 National Liberal George VI
William Jowitt.png William Jowitt 1945 1951 Labour George VI
David Maxwell Fyfe, Nuremberg, 1946 (Art. IWM ART LD 5863).jpg David Maxwell Fyfe 1954 1962 Conservative Elizabeth II
Gardiner Escutcheon.png Gerald Gardiner 1964 1970 Labour Elizabeth II
Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham Allan Warren.jpg Quintin Hogg 1970 1974 Conservative Elizabeth II
Elwyn Jones in Romania (cropped).jpg Frederick Elwyn Jones 1974 1979 Labour Elizabeth II
Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham Allan Warren.jpg Quintin Hogg 1979 1987 Conservative Elizabeth II
Official portrait of Lord Mackay of Clashfern crop 2.jpg James Mackay 1987 1997 Conservative Elizabeth II
Irvine of Lairg Escutcheon.png Derry Irvine 1997 2003 Labour Elizabeth II
Portrait of Lord Falconer.jpg Charlie Falconer 2003 2007 Labour Elizabeth II
Jack Straw 2.jpg Jack Straw 2007 2010 Labour Elizabeth II
Kenneth-clarke-hi-res.jpg Kenneth Clarke 2010 2012 Conservative Elizabeth II
Official portrait of Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP crop 2.jpg Chris Grayling 2012 2015 Conservative Elizabeth II
Official portrait of Rt Hon Michael Gove MP crop 2.jpg Michael Gove 2015 2016 Conservative Elizabeth II
Liz Truss official portrait (cropped)2.jpg Liz Truss 2016 2017 Conservative Elizabeth II
Official portrait of Mr David Gauke crop 2.jpg David Gauke 2018 2019 Conservative Elizabeth II
Robert Buckland KC official portrait (cropped).jpg Robert Buckland 2019 2021 Conservative Elizabeth II
Official portrait of Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP crop 2.jpg Dominic Raab 2021 2022 Conservative Elizabeth II
Official portrait of Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP crop 2.jpg Brandon Lewis 2022 2022 Conservative Elizabeth II
Official portrait of Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP crop 2.jpg Dominic Raab 2022 2023 Conservative Charles III
Alex Chalk (Lord Chancellor 1.5) 2023.jpg Alex Chalk 2023 Incumbent Conservative Charles III

Images for kids

  • Coat of Arms of Henry VII of England (1485-1509)

    Royal Arms of Henry VII

  • Coat of Arms of England (1509-1554) - Dragon with pizzle

    Royal Arms of Henry VIII and Edward VI

  • Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton by Hans Holbein the Younger

    Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton

  • William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester from NPG

    William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester

  • Hans Holbein the Younger - Sir Richard Rich, later 1st Baron Rich RL 12238

    Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich

  • ThomasGoodrich

    Thomas Goodrich, Bishop of Ely

  • Stephen Gardiner

    Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester

  • Nicholas Heath by Hans Eworth

    Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York

  • Coat of Arms of England (1554-1558)

    Royal Arms of Mary I

  • ThomasBromley

    Thomas Bromley

  • Sir Christopher Hatton from NPG (2) cropped

    Christopher Hatton

  • Coat of Arms of England (1558-1603)

    Royal Arms of Elizabeth I

  • Sir John Puckering

    John Puckering

  • Coat of Arms of England (1603-1649)

    Royal Arms of James I and Charles I

  • Abp John Williams by Gilbert Jackson

    John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln

  • John Finch, 1st Baron Finch by Sir Anthony Van Dyck lowres color

    John Finch, 1st Baron Finch

  • Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttelton by Sir Anthony Van Dyck.jpg

    Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttelton

  • Coat of Arms of England (1660-1689)

    Royal Arms of Charles II and James II

  • Peter Lely (1618-1680) (after) - Sir Edward Hyde (1609–1674), 1st Earl of Clarendon - 1257076 - National Trust

    Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon

  • SirOrlandoBridgemanLC

    Orlando Bridgeman

  • Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury

    Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury

  • Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt

    Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham

  • Francis North, 1st Baron Guilford by John Riley lowres color

    Francis North, 1st Baron Guilford

  • George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem by William Wolfgang Claret

    George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys

  • Coat of Arms of England (1689-1694)

    Royal Arms of Mary II

  • Coat of Arms of England (1694-1702)

    Royal Arms of William III

  • Portrait of John Somers, Baron Somers

    John Somers, 1st Baron Somers

  • Sir Nathan Wright LC by JB Closterman

    Nathan Wright

  • Coat of Arms of England (1702-1707)

    Royal Arms of Anne

  • Coat of Arms of Great Britain (1707-1714)

    Royal Arms of Anne (after 1707)

  • Simon Viscount Harcourt LC by Godfrey Kneller

    Simon Harcourt, 1st Viscount Harcourt

  • Coat of Arms of Great Britain (1714-1801)

    Royal Arms of George I, George II, George III

  • Lord King LC

    Peter King, 1st Baron King

  • Charles Talbot, 1st Baron Talbot of Hensol by John Vanderbank

    Charles Talbot, 1st Baron Talbot

  • Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington by Thomas Hudson

    Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington

  • Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden by Nathaniel Dance, (later Sir Nathaniel Dance-Holland, Bt)

    Charles Pratt, 1st Earl Camden

  • Charles Yorke by Thomas Hudson

    Charles Yorke

  • 2ndEarlBathurst

    Henry Bathurst, 2nd Earl Bathurst

  • Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Earl of Rosslyn (Lord Loughborough) by William Owen

    Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Earl of Rosslyn

  • Lord Lyndhurst LC by HW Pickersgill

    John Copley, 1st Baron Lyndhurst

  • Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1816-1837)

    Royal Arms of George IV and William IV

  • Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham by Charles Robert Leslie cropped

    Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham

  • Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837-1952)

    Royal Arms of Victoria, Edward VII, George V, George VI

  • Thomas Wilde, 1st Baron Truro by Thomas Youngman Gooderson

    Thomas Wilde, 1st Baron Truro

  • 1stLordStLeonards

    Edward Sugden, 1st Baron St Leonards

  • Robert Monsey Rolfe, Baron Cranworth by George Richmond

    Robert Rolfe, 1st Baron Cranworth

  • Lord Chelmsford LC by EU Eddis (crop)

    Frederic Thesiger, 1st Baron Chelmsford

  • Lord Hatherley LC by George Richmond

    William Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley

  • Farrer Lord Herschell LC by Hubert von Herkomer

    Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell

  • Viscount Haldane LC by Vandyk

    Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane

  • 1stViscountBuckmaster

    Stanley Buckmaster, 1st Viscount Buckmaster

  • 1stViscountFinlay

    Robert Finlay, 1st Viscount Finlay

  • 1stViscountCave

    George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave

  • 1stViscountSankey

    John Sankey, 1st Viscount Sankey

  • Lord Maugham LC

    Frederic Maugham, Baron Maugham

  • Viscount Caldecote LC

    Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote

  • Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom

    Royal Arms of Elizabeth II

  • David Maxwell Fyfe, Nuremberg, 1946 (Art. IWM ART LD 5863)

    David Maxwell Fyfe, 1st Viscount Kilmuir

  • BullerArms

    Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Viscount Dilhorne

  • Gardiner Escutcheon

    Gerald Gardiner, Baron Gardiner

  • Elwyn Jones in Romania (cropped)

    Frederick Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones

  • Jack Straw 2

    Jack Straw

  • Kenneth-clarke-hi-res

    Kenneth Clarke

  • Official portrait of Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP crop 2

    Chris Grayling

  • Official portrait of Rt Hon Michael Gove MP crop 2

    Michael Gove

  • Liz Truss official portrait (cropped)2

    Liz Truss

  • Official portrait of Mr David Lidington crop 2

    David Lidington

  • Official portrait of Mr David Gauke crop 2

    David Gauke

  • Robert Buckland KC official portrait (cropped)

    Robert Buckland

  • Official portrait of Rt Hon Dominic Raab MP crop 2

    Dominic Raab

  • Official portrait of Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP crop 2

    Brandon Lewis

  • Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (Tudor crown)

    Royal Arms of Charles III

  • Alex Chalk (Lord Chancellor 1.5) 2023

    Alex Chalk

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