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.
Image | Name | Term of office | Monarch (reign) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Henry Deane, Archbishop of Canterbury, Keeper | 1500 | 1502 |
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 | ||
Thomas More [b] | 1529 | 1532 | ||
Thomas Audley (Lord Audley of Walden from 1538) [b] |
1532 | 1544 | ||
Lord Wriothesley | 1544 | 1547 | ||
Edward VI (1547–1553) | ||||
Lord St John, Keeper | 1547 | 1547 | ||
Lord Rich [b] | 1547 | 1551 | ||
Thomas Goodrich, Bishop of Ely | 1552 | 1553 | ||
Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester | 1553 | 1555 |
Mary I (1553–1558) | |
Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York | 1555 | 1558 | ||
Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper | 1558 | 1579 |
Elizabeth I (1558–1603) | |
Thomas Bromley | 1579 | 1587 | ||
Christopher Hatton | 1587 | 1591 | ||
In commission:
|
1591 | 1592 | ||
John Puckering, Lord Keeper [b] | 1592 | 1596 | ||
Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper to 19 July 1603 (Lord Ellesmere from 1603; Viscount Brackley from 1616) |
6 May 1596 |
5 March 1617 | ||
James I (1603–1625) | ||||
Francis Bacon, Lord Keeper to 1618 (Lord Verulam from 1618 Viscount St Alban from 1621) |
7 March 1617 |
1621 | ||
In commission:
|
1621 | 1621 | ||
John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln, Lord Keeper | 1621 | 1625 | ||
Thomas Coventry, Lord Keeper ( Lord Coventry from 1628) |
1625 | 1640 |
Charles I (1625–1649) | |
Lord Finch, Lord Keeper [b] | 1640 | 1641 | ||
Lord Lyttleton of Mounslow, Lord Keeper (Took Great Seal to the King in 1642) |
1641 | 1645 | ||
Richard Lane, Lord Keeper | 1645 | 1650 | ||
Charles II Court in exile from 1649 | ||||
Vacant | 1650 | 1653 | ||
Edward Herbert, Lord Keeper | 1653 | 1654 |
The Great Seal was captured and destroyed by Parliament on 11 August 1646.
Image | Name [2] | Term |
---|---|---|
In commission:
|
Nov 1643 – Oct 1646 | |
In commission:
|
1646–1648 | |
In commission: | 1648–1649 | |
In commission: | 1649–1654 | |
In commission: | 1654–1656 | |
In commission: | 1656–1659 | |
In commission: | January–June 1659 | |
In commission: | June 1659 – 1660 | |
In commission: | 1660–1660 |
Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper | Term of office | Other peerage(s) | Monarch (reign) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Edward Hyde | 13 January 1658 |
30 August 1667 |
Baron Hyde in 1660 Earl of Clarendon in 1661 |
Charles II (1660–1685) | |
Orlando Bridgeman [c] | 31 August 1667 |
17 November 1672 |
— | ||
Anthony Ashley Cooper 1st Earl of Shaftesbury |
17 November 1672 |
9 November 1673 |
|||
Heneage Finch (Lord Keeper until 1675) (Lord Finch from 10 January 1673, Earl of Nottingham from 12 May 1681) |
9 November 1673 |
18 December 1682† |
— | ||
Francis North [c] | 20 December 1682 |
5 September 1685† |
Baron Guilford in 1683 | ||
James II (1685–1688) | |||||
Lord Jeffreys | 28 September 1685 |
December 1688 |
— | ||
In commission: | 4 March 1689 |
14 May 1690 |
— |
Mary II (1689–1694) & William III (1689–1702) | |
In commission: | 14 May 1690 |
22 March 1693 |
— | ||
John Somers (Lord Keeper until 1697) ( Lord Somers from 1697) |
23 March 1693 |
27 April 1700 |
— | ||
In commission: | 27 April 1700 |
31 May 1700 |
— | ||
Nathan Wright [c] | 31 May 1700 |
11 October 1705 |
— | ||
Anne (1702–1714) | |||||
William Cowper [c] | 11 October 1705 |
4 May 1707 |
Baron Cowper in 1706 |
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.
Image | Name | Term of office | Monarch (reign) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Henry Deane, Archbishop of Canterbury, Keeper | 1500 | 1502 |
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 | ||
Thomas More [b] | 1529 | 1532 | ||
Thomas Audley (Lord Audley of Walden from 1538) [b] |
1532 | 1544 | ||
Lord Wriothesley | 1544 | 1547 | ||
Edward VI (1547–1553) | ||||
Lord St John, Keeper | 1547 | 1547 | ||
Lord Rich [b] | 1547 | 1551 | ||
Thomas Goodrich, Bishop of Ely | 1552 | 1553 | ||
Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester | 1553 | 1555 |
Mary I (1553–1558) | |
Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York | 1555 | 1558 | ||
Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper | 1558 | 1579 |
Elizabeth I (1558–1603) | |
Thomas Bromley | 1579 | 1587 | ||
Christopher Hatton | 1587 | 1591 | ||
In commission:
|
1591 | 1592 | ||
John Puckering, Lord Keeper [b] | 1592 | 1596 | ||
Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper to 19 July 1603 (Lord Ellesmere from 1603; Viscount Brackley from 1616) |
6 May 1596 |
5 March 1617 | ||
James I (1603–1625) | ||||
Francis Bacon, Lord Keeper to 1618 (Lord Verulam from 1618 Viscount St Alban from 1621) |
7 March 1617 |
1621 | ||
In commission:
|
1621 | 1621 | ||
John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln, Lord Keeper | 1621 | 1625 | ||
Thomas Coventry, Lord Keeper ( Lord Coventry from 1628) |
1625 | 1640 |
Charles I (1625–1649) | |
Lord Finch, Lord Keeper [b] | 1640 | 1641 | ||
Lord Lyttleton of Mounslow, Lord Keeper (Took Great Seal to the King in 1642) |
1641 | 1645 | ||
Richard Lane, Lord Keeper | 1645 | 1650 | ||
Charles II Court in exile from 1649 | ||||
Vacant | 1650 | 1653 | ||
Edward Herbert, Lord Keeper | 1653 | 1654 |
The Great Seal was captured and destroyed by Parliament on 11 August 1646.
Image | Name [2] | Term |
---|---|---|
In commission:
|
Nov 1643 – Oct 1646 | |
In commission:
|
1646–1648 | |
In commission: | 1648–1649 | |
In commission: | 1649–1654 | |
In commission: | 1654–1656 | |
In commission: | 1656–1659 | |
In commission: | January–June 1659 | |
In commission: | June 1659 – 1660 | |
In commission: | 1660–1660 |
Lord Chancellor and Lord Keeper | Term of office | Other peerage(s) | Monarch (reign) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Edward Hyde | 13 January 1658 |
30 August 1667 |
Baron Hyde in 1660 Earl of Clarendon in 1661 |
Charles II (1660–1685) | |
Orlando Bridgeman [c] | 31 August 1667 |
17 November 1672 |
— | ||
Anthony Ashley Cooper 1st Earl of Shaftesbury |
17 November 1672 |
9 November 1673 |
|||
Heneage Finch (Lord Keeper until 1675) (Lord Finch from 10 January 1673, Earl of Nottingham from 12 May 1681) |
9 November 1673 |
18 December 1682† |
— | ||
Francis North [c] | 20 December 1682 |
5 September 1685† |
Baron Guilford in 1683 | ||
James II (1685–1688) | |||||
Lord Jeffreys | 28 September 1685 |
December 1688 |
— | ||
In commission: | 4 March 1689 |
14 May 1690 |
— |
Mary II (1689–1694) & William III (1689–1702) | |
In commission: | 14 May 1690 |
22 March 1693 |
— | ||
John Somers (Lord Keeper until 1697) ( Lord Somers from 1697) |
23 March 1693 |
27 April 1700 |
— | ||
In commission: | 27 April 1700 |
31 May 1700 |
— | ||
Nathan Wright [c] | 31 May 1700 |
11 October 1705 |
— | ||
Anne (1702–1714) | |||||
William Cowper [c] | 11 October 1705 |
4 May 1707 |
Baron Cowper in 1706 |