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.
Lord chancellors and lord keepers of England, 1050–1707
From the House of Wessex (1050) to the Commonwealth (1646)
| Lord Chancellor and/or Lord Keeper | Term of office | Monarch (reign) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regenbald | 1050 | after 1066 | Edward the Confessor (r. 1042–1066) | |
| Harold II (r. 1066) | ||||
| William I (r. 1066–1087) | ||||
| Herfast | 1068 | 1070 | ||
| Saint Osmund, Count of Sées and Bishop of Salisbury | c. 1070 | c. 1078 | ||
| Maurice, Archdeacon of Le Mans | c. 1078 | c. 1085 | ||
| Gerard, Preceptor of Rouen, later Archbishop of York | c. 1085 | before 1091 | ||
| William II (r. 1087–1100) | ||||
| Robert Bloet | after January 1091 | 1094 | ||
| William Giffard | 1094 | April 1101 | ||
| Henry I (r. 1100–1135) | ||||
| Roger of Salisbury | 1101 | 1102 | Henry I (r. 1100–1135) | |
| Waldric | 1102 | 1107 | ||
| Ranulf | 1107 | 1123 | ||
| Geoffrey Rufus | 1123 | 1133 | ||
| Robert de Sigello | 1133 | 1135 | ||
| Roger le Poer | 1135 | 1139 | Stephen (r. 1135–1154) | |
| 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 | 1152 | 1162 | Henry II (r. 1154–1189) | |
| 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 (r. 1189–1199) | |
| Eustace, Dean of Salisbury | 1197 | 1199 | ||
| Eustace, Dean of Salisbury | 1198 | 1199 | ||
| Hubert Walter, Archbishop of Canterbury | 1199 | 1205 | John (r. 1199–1216) | |
| Walter de Gray, at various times Bishop of Lichfield, Bishop of Worcester, Archbishop of York | 1205 | 1214 | ||
| Richard Marsh, later Bishop of Durham | 1214 | 1226 | ||
| Henry III (r. 1216–1272) | ||||
| 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 | 5 January 1255 | 18 October 1260 | ||
| Nicholas of Ely, Archdeacon of Ely | 18 October 1260 | 12 July 1261 | ||
| Walter de Merton, Archdeacon of Bath | 12 July 1261 | 19 July 1263 | ||
| Nicholas of Ely, Archdeacon of Ely | 19 July 1263 | November 1263 | ||
| John Chishull, Archdeacon of London | November 1263 | 1264 | ||
| Thomas Cantilupe, Archdeacon of Stafford | 1264 | 21 February 1265 | ||
| Ralph Sandwich | 21 February 1265 | 10 August 1265 | ||
| Walter Giffard, Bishop of Bath and Wells | 10 August 1265 | 1266 | ||
| Godfrey Giffard, Archdeacon of Wells | 1266 | 1268 | ||
| John Chishull, Dean of St Paul's | 30 October 1268 | 29 July 1269 | ||
| Richard Middleton, Archdeacon of Northumberland | 29 July 1269 | Before 29 November 1272 | ||
| Walter de Merton, Archdeacon of Bath | Before 29 November 1272 | 21 September 1274 | Edward I (r. 1272–1307) | |
| Robert Burnell, Bishop of Bath | 21 September 1274 | 17 December 1292 | ||
| Thomas Bek, Archdeacon of Dorset | 1279 | 1279 | ||
| John Langton, Canon of Lincoln | 17 December 1292 | 30 September 1302 | ||
| William Greenfield, Dean of Chichester | 30 September 1302 | 29 December 1304 | Edward I (r. 1272–1307) | |
| William Hamilton, Dean of York | 29 December 1304 | 21 April 1307 | ||
| Ralph Baldock, Bishop of London | 21 April 1307 | 2 August 1307 | ||
| Edward II (r. 1307–1327) | ||||
| John Langton, Bishop of Chichester | 18 August 1307 | 6 July 1310 | ||
| Walter Reynolds, Bishop of Worcester | 6 July 1310 | 26 September 1314 | ||
| John Sandale, Canon of Lincoln | 26 September 1314 | 11 June 1318 | ||
| John Hotham, Bishop of Ely | 11 June 1318 | 26 January 1320 | ||
| John Salmon, Bishop of Norwich | 26 January 1320 | 20 August 1323 | ||
| Robert Baldock, Archdeacon of Middlesex | 20 August 1323 | 1326 | ||
| William Ayermin, Bishop of Norwich | 1326 | 1327 | ||
| John Hotham, Bishop of Ely | 26 January 1327 | 12 May 1328 | Edward III (r. 1327–1377) | |
| Henry Burghersh, Bishop of Lincoln | 12 May 1328 | 28 November 1330 | ||
| John de Stratford, Bishop of Winchester | 28 November 1330 | 28 September 1334 | ||
| Richard Bury, Bishop of Durham | 28 September 1334 | 6 June 1335 | ||
| John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury | 6 June 1335 | 24 March 1337 | ||
| Robert de Stratford, Bishop of Chichester | 24 March 1337 | 6 July 1338 | ||
| Richard Bintworth, Bishop of London | 6 July 1338 | 28 April 1339 | ||
| John de Stratford, Archbishop of Canterbury | 28 April 1340 | 20 June 1340 | ||
| Robert de Stratford, Bishop of Chichester | 20 June 1340 | 14 December 1340 | ||
| Robert Bourchier, Baron Bourchier | 14 December 1340 | 28 October 1341 | ||
| Robert Parning | 28 October 1341 | 29 September 1343 | ||
| Robert Sadington | 29 September 1343 | 26 October 1345 | ||
| John de Ufford, Dean of Lincoln | 26 October 1345 | 16 June 1349 | ||
| John Thoresby, Bishop of Worcester | 16 June 1349 | 27 November 1356 | ||
| William Edington, Bishop of Winchester | 27 November 1356 | 19 February 1363 | ||
| Simon Langham, Bishop of Ely | 19 February 1363 | Before 17 September 1367 | ||
| William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester | Before 17 September 1367 | 26 March 1371 | ||
| Robert Thorpe | 26 March 1371 | 5 July 1372 | ||
| John Knyvet | 5 July 1372 | 11 January 1377 | ||
| Adam Houghton, Bishop of St David's | 11 January 1377 | 26 June 1378 | Richard II (r. 1377–1399) | |
| Richard Scrope, Baron Scrope of Bolton | 29 October 1378 | 30 January 1380 | ||
| Simon Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury | 30 January 1380 | 10 August 1381 | ||
| Hugh Segrave | 1381 | 1381 | ||
| William Courtenay, Bishop of London | 10 August 1381 | 4 December 1381 | ||
| Richard Scrope, Baron Scrope of Bolton | 4 December 1381 | 9 September 1382 | ||
| Robert Braybrooke, Bishop of London | 9 September 1382 | 13 March 1383 | ||
| Michael de la Pole, Baron de la Pole (later Earl of Suffolk) | 13 March 1383 | 24 October 1386 | ||
| Thomas Arundel, Bishop of Ely | 24 October 1386 | 4 May 1389 | ||
| William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester | 4 May 1389 | 27 September 1391 | ||
| Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of York | 27 September 1391 | 15 November 1396 | ||
| Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter | 15 November 1396 | 5 September 1399 | ||
| Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury | 5 September 1399 | 1399 | ||
| John Scarle, Archdeacon of Lincoln | 1399 | 9 March 1401 | Henry IV (r. 1399–1413) | |
| Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter | 9 March 1401 | 26 February–1 March 1403 | ||
| Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Lincoln | 26 February–1 March 1403 | c. 28 February 1405 | ||
| Thomas Langley, Dean of York | c. 28 February 1405 | 30 January 1407 | ||
| Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury | 30 January 1407 | 31 January 1410 | ||
| Sir Thomas Beaufort | 31 January 1410 | 5 January 1412 | ||
| Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury | 5 January 1412 | 21 March 1413 | ||
| Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester | 21 March 1413 | 23 July 1417 | Henry V (r. 1413–1422) | |
| Thomas Langley, Bishop of Durham | 23 July 1417 | 6 July 1424 | ||
| Henry VI (r. 1422–1461) | ||||
| Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester | 6 July 1424 | 16 March 1426 | ||
| John Kemp, Archbishop of York | 16 March 1426 | 4 March 1432 | ||
| John Stafford, Bishop of Bath (later Archbishop of Canterbury) | 4 March 1432 | 31 January 1450 | ||
| John Kemp, Archbishop of York | 31 January 1450 | 2 April 1454 | ||
| Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury | 2 April 1454 | 7 March 1455 | ||
| Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury | 7 March 1455 | 11 October 1456 | ||
| William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester | 11 October 1456 | 25 July 1460 | ||
| George Neville, Bishop of Exeter | 25 July 1460 | 20 June 1467 | ||
| Edward IV (r. 1461–1470) | ||||
| Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath | 20 June 1467 | 29 September 1470 | ||
| George Neville, Archbishop of York | 29 September 1470 | 1471 | Henry VI (r. 1470–1471) | |
| Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath | 1471 | 27 July 1473 | Edward IV (r. 1471–1483) | |
| Laurence Booth, Bishop of Durham | 27 July 1473 | Before 28 May 1474 | ||
| John Alcock, Bishop of Rochester | 10 June 1475 | 28 September 1475 | ||
| Thomas Rotheram, Bishop of Lincoln | Before 28 May 1475 | 9 April–13 May 1483 | ||
| John Russell, Bishop of Lincoln | 9 April–13 May 1483 | 18 September 1485 | Richard III (r. 1483–1485) | |
| Thomas Rotheram, Archbishop of York | 18 September 1485 | 7 October 1485 | Henry VII (r. 1485–1509) | |
| John Alcock, Bishop of Worcester | 7 October 1485 | 6 March 1487 | ||
| John Morton, Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury | 6 March 1487 | 21 January 1504 | ||
| Henry Deane, Archbishop of Canterbury | 13 October 1500 | 27 July 1502 | Henry VII (r. 1485–1509) | |
| William Warham, Archbishop of Canterbury | 21 January 1502 | 24 December 1515 | ||
| Henry VIII (r. 1509–1547) | ||||
| Thomas Wolsey, Cardinal Archbishop of York | 24 December 1515 | 26 October 1529 | ||
| Thomas More | 26 October 1529 | 16 May 1532 | ||
| Thomas Audley (Baron Audley of Walden from 1538) | 26 January 1533 | 3 May 1544 | ||
| Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Baron Wriothesley | 3 May 1544 | 1547 | ||
| Edward VI (r. 1547–1553) | ||||
| William Paulet, Baron St John Keeper | 1547 | 23 October 1547 | ||
| Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich | 23 October 1547 | 19 January 1552 | ||
| Thomas Goodrich, Bishop of Ely | 19 January 1552 | 23 August 1553 | ||
| Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester | 23 August 1553 | 14 November 1555 | Mary I (r. 1553–1558) | |
| Nicholas Heath, Archbishop of York | 14 November 1555 | 18 November 1558 | ||
| With the queen | 18 November 1558 | 22 December 1558 | Elizabeth I (r. 1558–1603) | |
| Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper | 22 December 1558 | 20 February 1579 | ||
| With the queen | 20 February 1579 | 26 April 1579 | ||
| Thomas Bromley | 26 April 1579 | 29 April 1587 | ||
| Christopher Hatton | 29 April 1587 | 22 November 1591 | ||
In commission:
| 22 November 1591 | 28 May 1592 | ||
| John Puckering, Lord Keeper | 28 May 1592 | 6 May 1596 | ||
| Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper to 19 July 1603 (Lord Ellesmere from 1603; Viscount Brackley from 1616) | 6 May 1596 | 5 March 1617 | ||
| James I (r. 1603–1625) | ||||
| Francis Bacon, Lord Keeper to 1618 (Lord Verulam from 1618 Viscount St Alban from 1621) | 7 March 1617 | 1 May 1621 | ||
In commission:
| 1 May 1621 | 16 July 1621 | ||
| John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln, Lord Keeper | 16 July 1621 | 1 November 1625 | ||
| Charles I (r. 1625–1649) | ||||
| 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 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.
Commissioners of Parliament's Great Seal 1643–1660
| Name | 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 |
From the Restoration (1660) to the Act of Union (1707)
| 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 (r. 1660–1685) | |
| Orlando Bridgeman | 31 August 1667 | 17 November 1672 | — | ||
| Anthony Ashley Cooper 1st Earl of Shaftesbury | 17 November 1672 | 9 November 1673 | |||
| Heneage Finch Baron Finch (Lord Keeper until 1675) | 9 November 1673 | 18 December 1682† | Earl of Nottingham from 12 May 1681 | ||
| Francis North | 20 December 1682 | 5 September 1685† | Baron Guilford in 1683 | ||
| James II (r. 1685–1688) | |||||
| George Jeffreys 1st Baron Jeffreys | 28 September 1685 | December 1688 | — | ||
In commission:
| 4 March 1689 | 14 May 1690 | — | Mary II (r. 1689–1694) & William III (r. 1689–1702) | |
In commission:
| 14 May 1690 | 22 March 1693 | — | ||
| John Somers (Lord Keeper until 1697) | 23 March 1693 | 27 April 1700 | Baron Somers from 1697 | ||
In commission:
| 27 April 1700 | 31 May 1700 | — | ||
| Nathan Wright | 31 May 1700 | 11 October 1705 | — | ||
| Anne (r. 1702–1714) | |||||
| William Cowper | 11 October 1705 | 4 May 1707 | Baron Cowper in 1706 | ||
Lord high chancellors and lord keepers of Great Britain (1707–present)
| High Chancellor and Lord Keeper | Term of office | Party | Ministry | Other peerage(s) | Monarch (Reign) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Cowper, 1st Baron Cowper (1st time) | 4 May 1707 | 23 September 1710 | — | Godolphin–Marlborough | see below | Anne (r. 1702–1714) | |
| Oxford–Bolingbroke | |||||||
In commission:
| 26 September 1710 | 19 October 1710 | — | — | |||
| Simon Harcourt, 1st Baron Harcourt | 19 October 1710 | 21 September 1714 | Tory | Viscount Harcourt in 1721 | |||
| William Cowper, 1st Baron Cowper (2nd time) | 21 September 1714 | 15 April 1718 | — | Townshend | Earl Cowper in 1718 | George I (r. 1714–1727) | |
| Stanhope–Sunderland I | |||||||
In commission:
| 18 April 1718 | 12 May 1718 | — | Stanhope–Sunderland II | — | ||
| Thomas Parker, 1st Baron Parker | 12 May 1718 | 7 January 1725 | Whig | Earl of Macclesfield in 1721 | |||
| Walpole–Townshend | |||||||
In commission:
| 7 January 1725 | 1 June 1725 | — | — | |||
| Peter King, 1st Baron King | 1 June 1725 | 29 November 1733 | — | — | |||
| George II (r. 1727–1760) | |||||||
| Walpole | |||||||
| Charles Talbot, 1st Baron Talbot | 29 November 1733 | 14 February 1737† | — | — | |||
| Philip Yorke, 1st Baron Hardwicke | 21 February 1737 | 19 November 1756 | Whig | Earl of Hardwicke in 1754 | |||
| Carteret | |||||||
| Broad Bottom (I & II) | |||||||
| Newcastle I | |||||||
In commission:
| 19 November 1756 | 30 June 1757 | — | Pitt–Devonshire | — | ||
| 1757 Caretaker | |||||||
| Robert Henley, 1st Baron Henley | 30 June 1757 | 30 July 1766 | Whig | Pitt–Newcastle | Earl of Northington in 1764 | ||
| George III (1760–1820) | |||||||
| Bute | |||||||
| Grenville (Whig–Tory) | |||||||
| Rockingham I | |||||||
| Charles Pratt, 1st Baron Camden | 30 July 1766 | 17 January 1770 | Whig | Chatham (Whig–Tory) | Earl Camden in 1786 | ||
| Grafton (Whig–Tory) | |||||||
| Charles Yorke MP for Cambridge University | 17 January 1770 | 20 January 1770† | Whig | ||||
In commission:
| 21 January 1770 | 23 January 1771 | — | North | — | ||
| Henry Bathurst, 1st Baron Apsley | 23 January 1771 | 3 June 1778 | Tory | Succeeded as Earl Bathurst in 1775 | |||
| Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow (1st time) | 3 June 1778 | 7 April 1783 | Tory | see below | |||
| Rockingham II | |||||||
| Shelburne (Whig–Tory) | |||||||
In commission:
| 9 April 1783 | 23 December 1783 | — | Fox–North (Whig–Tory) | — | ||
| Edward Thurlow, 1st Baron Thurlow (2nd time) | 23 December 1783 | 15 June 1792 | Tory | Pitt I | Baron Thurlow in 1792 | ||
In commission:
| 15 June 1792 | 28 January 1793 | — | — | |||
| Alexander Wedderburn, 1st Baron Loughborough | 28 January 1793 | 14 April 1801 | — | Earl of Rosslyn in 1801 | |||
| John Scott, 1st Baron Eldon (1st time) | 14 April 1801 | 7 February 1806 | Tory | Addington | see below | ||
| Pitt II | |||||||
| Thomas Erskine, 1st Baron Erskine | 7 February 1806 | 1 April 1807 | Whig | All the Talents (Whig–Tory) | — | ||
| John Scott, 1st Baron Eldon (2nd time) | 1 April 1807 | 12 April 1827 | Tory | Portland II | Earl of Eldon in 1821 | ||
| Perceval | |||||||
| Liverpool | |||||||
| George IV (r. 1820–1830) | |||||||
| John Copley, 1st Baron Lyndhurst (1st time) | 2 May 1827 | 24 November 1830 | Tory | Canning (Canningite–Whig) | — | ||
| Goderich (Canningite–Whig) | |||||||
| Wellington–Peel | |||||||
| William IV (r. 1830–1837) | |||||||
| Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux | 24 November 1830 | 21 November 1834 | Whig | Grey | Baron Brougham and Vaux in 1860 | ||
| Melbourne I | |||||||
| John Copley, 1st Baron Lyndhurst (2nd time) | 21 November 1834 | 8 April 1835 | Conservative | Wellington Caretaker | — | ||
| Peel I | |||||||
In commission:
| 23 April 1835 | 16 January 1836 | — | Melbourne II | — | ||
| Charles Pepys, 1st Baron Cottenham (1st time) | 16 January 1836 | 30 August 1841 | Whig | see below | |||
| Victoria (r. 1837–1901) | |||||||
| John Copley, 1st Baron Lyndhurst (3rd time) | 3 September 1841 | 27 June 1846 | Conservative | Peel II | — | ||
| Charles Pepys, 1st Baron Cottenham (2nd time) | 6 July 1846 | 19 June 1850 | Whig | Russell I | Earl of Cottenham in 1850 | ||
In commission:
| 19 June 1850 | 15 July 1850 | — | — | |||
| Thomas Wilde, 1st Baron Truro | 15 July 1850 | 21 February 1852 | Whig | — | |||
| Edward Sugden, 1st Baron St Leonards | 27 February 1852 | 17 December 1852 | Conservative | Who? Who? | — | ||
| Robert Rolfe, 1st Baron Cranworth (1st time) | 28 December 1852 | 21 February 1858 | Whig | Aberdeen (Peelite–Whig) | — | ||
| Palmerston I | |||||||
| Frederic Thesiger, 1st Baron Chelmsford (1st time) | 26 February 1858 | 11 June 1859 | Conservative | Derby–Disraeli II | — | ||
| John Campbell, 1st Baron Campbell | 18 June 1859 | 24 June 1861 | Liberal | Palmerston II | — | ||
| Richard Bethell, 1st Baron Westbury | 26 June 1861 | 7 July 1865 | Liberal | — | |||
| Robert Rolfe, 1st Baron Cranworth (2nd time) | 7 July 1865 | 26 June 1866 | Liberal | — | |||
| Russell II | |||||||
| Frederic Thesiger, 1st Baron Chelmsford (2nd time) | 6 July 1866 | 29 February 1868 | Conservative | Derby–Disraeli III | — | ||
| Hugh Cairns, 1st Baron Cairns (1st time) | 29 February 1868 | 1 December 1868 | Conservative | see below | |||
| William Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley | 9 December 1868 | 15 October 1872 | Liberal | Gladstone I | — | ||
| Roundell Palmer, 1st Baron Selborne (1st time) | 15 October 1872 | 17 February 1874 | Liberal | see below | |||
| Hugh Cairns, 1st Baron Cairns (2nd time) | 21 February 1874 | 21 April 1880 | Conservative | Disraeli II | Earl Cairns in 1878 | ||
| Roundell Palmer, 1st Baron Selborne (2nd time) | 28 April 1880 | 9 June 1885 | Liberal | Gladstone II | Earl of Selborne in 1882 | ||
| Hardinge Giffard, 1st Baron Halsbury (1st time) | 24 June 1885 | 28 January 1886 | Conservative | Salisbury I | see below | ||
| Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell (1st time) | 6 February 1886 | 20 July 1886 | Liberal | Gladstone III | — | ||
| Hardinge Giffard, 1st Baron Halsbury (2nd time) | 3 August 1886 | 11 August 1892 | Conservative | Salisbury II | — | ||
| Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell (2nd time) | 18 August 1892 | 21 June 1895 | Liberal | Gladstone IV | — | ||
| Rosebery | |||||||
| Hardinge Giffard, 1st Baron Halsbury (3rd time) | 29 June 1895 | 4 December 1905 | Conservative | Salisbury (III & IV) (Con.–Lib.U.) | Earl of Halsbury in 1898 | ||
| Edward VII (r. 1901–1910) | |||||||
| Balfour (Con.–Lib.U.) | |||||||
| Robert Reid, 1st Baron Loreburn | 10 December 1905 | 10 June 1912 | Liberal | Campbell-Bannerman | Earl Loreburn in 1911 | ||
| Asquith (I–III) | |||||||
| George V (r. 1910–1936) | |||||||
| Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane (1st time) | 10 June 1912 | 25 May 1915 | Liberal | — | |||
| Stanley Buckmaster, 1st Baron Buckmaster | 25 May 1915 | 5 December 1916 | Liberal | Asquith Coalition (Lib.–Con.–Lab.) | Viscount Buckmaster in 1933 | ||
| Robert Finlay, 1st Baron Finlay | 10 December 1916 | 10 January 1919 | Conservative | Lloyd George (I & II) (Lib.–Con.–Lab.) | Viscount Finlay in 1919 | ||
| F. E. Smith, 1st Baron Birkenhead | 10 January 1919 | 19 October 1922 | Conservative | Viscount Birkenhead in 1921 Earl of Birkenhead in 1922 | |||
| George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave (1st time) | 24 October 1922 | 22 January 1924 | Conservative | Law | — | ||
| Baldwin I | |||||||
| Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane (2nd time) | 22 January 1924 | 6 November 1924 | Labour | MacDonald I | — | ||
| George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave (2nd time) | 6 November 1924 | 28 March 1928 | Conservative | Baldwin II | — | ||
| Douglas Hogg, 1st Baron Hailsham (1st time) | 28 March 1928 | 4 June 1929 | Conservative | Viscount Hailsham in 1929 | |||
| John Sankey, 1st Baron Sankey | 7 June 1929 | 7 June 1935 | Labour | MacDonald II | Viscount Sankey in 1932 | ||
| National Labour | National I (N.Lab.–Con.–N.Lib. –Lib.) | ||||||
| National II (N.Lab.–Con.–N.Lib. –Lib. until 1932) | |||||||
| Douglas Hogg, 1st Viscount Hailsham (2nd time) | 7 June 1935 | 9 March 1938 | Conservative | National III (Con.–N.Lab.–N.Lib.) | — | ||
| Edward VIII (1936) | |||||||
| National IV (Con.–N.Lab.–N.Lib.) | George VI (r. 1936–1952) | ||||||
| Frederic Maugham, Baron Maugham | 9 March 1938 | 3 September 1939 | Conservative | Viscount Maugham in 1939 | |||
| Thomas Inskip, 1st Viscount Caldecote | 3 September 1939 | 12 May 1940 | Conservative | Chamberlain War (Con.–N.Lab.–N.Lib.) | — | ||
| John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon | 10 May 1940 | 27 July 1945 | National Liberal | Churchill War (All parties) | — | ||
| Churchill Caretaker (Con.–N.Lib.) | |||||||
| William Jowitt, 1st Baron Jowitt | 27 July 1945 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | Attlee (I & II) | Viscount Jowitt in 1947 Earl Jowitt in 1951 | ||
| Gavin Simonds, Baron Simonds | 30 October 1951 | 18 October 1954 | Conservative | Churchill III | Baron Simonds in 1952 Viscount Simonds in 1954 | ||
| Elizabeth II (r. 1952–2022) | |||||||
| David Maxwell Fyfe, 1st Viscount Kilmuir | 18 October 1954 | 13 July 1962 | Conservative | Earl of Kilmuir in 1962 | |||
| Eden | |||||||
| Macmillan (I & II) | |||||||
| Reginald Manningham-Buller, 1st Baron Dilhorne | 13 July 1962 | 16 October 1964 | Conservative | Viscount Dilhorne in 1962 | |||
| Douglas-Home | |||||||
| Gerald Gardiner, Baron Gardiner | 16 October 1964 | 19 June 1970 | Labour | Wilson (I & II) | — | ||
| Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone (1st time) | 20 June 1970 | 4 March 1974 | Conservative | Heath | — | ||
| Frederick Elwyn Jones, Baron Elwyn-Jones | 5 March 1974 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | Wilson (III & IV) | — | ||
| Callaghan | |||||||
| Quintin Hogg, Baron Hailsham of St Marylebone (2nd time) | 4 May 1979 | 13 June 1987 | Conservative | Thatcher I | — | ||
| Thatcher II | |||||||
| Michael Havers, Baron Havers | 13 June 1987 | 26 October 1987 | Conservative | Thatcher III | — | ||
| James Mackay, Baron Mackay of Clashfern | 28 October 1987 | 2 May 1997 | Conservative | — | |||
| Major I | |||||||
| Major II | |||||||
| Derry Irvine, Baron Irvine of Lairg | 2 May 1997 | 12 June 2003 | Labour | Blair I | — | ||
| Blair II | |||||||
| Charlie Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton | 12 June 2003 | 27 June 2007 | Labour | — | |||
| Blair III | |||||||
| Jack Straw MP for Blackburn | 28 June 2007 | 11 May 2010 | Labour | Brown | — | ||
| Kenneth Clarke MP for Rushcliffe | 12 May 2010 | 4 September 2012 | Conservative | Cameron–Clegg (Con.–L.D.) | Baron Clarke of Nottingham for Life in 2020 | ||
| Chris Grayling MP for Epsom and Ewell | 4 September 2012 | 9 May 2015 | Conservative | Baron Grayling for Life in 2024 | |||
| Michael Gove MP for Surrey Heath | 9 May 2015 | 14 July 2016 | Conservative | Cameron II | Baron Gove for Life in 2025 | ||
| Liz Truss MP for South West Norfolk | 14 July 2016 | 11 June 2017 | Conservative | May I | — | ||
| David Lidington MP for Aylesbury | 11 June 2017 | 8 January 2018 | Conservative | May II | — | ||
| David Gauke MP for South West Hertfordshire | 8 January 2018 | 24 July 2019 | Conservative | — | |||
| Robert Buckland MP for South Swindon | 24 July 2019 | 15 September 2021 | Conservative | Johnson I | — | ||
| Johnson II | |||||||
| Dominic Raab MP for Esher and Walton (1st time) | 15 September 2021 | 6 September 2022 | Conservative | — | |||
| Brandon Lewis MP for Great Yarmouth | 6 September 2022 | 25 October 2022 | Conservative | Truss | — | ||
| Charles III (2022–present) | |||||||
| Dominic Raab MP for Esher and Walton (2nd time) | 27 October 2022 | 21 April 2023 | Conservative | Sunak | — | ||
| Alex Chalk MP for Cheltenham | 26 April 2023 | 5 July 2024 | Conservative | — | |||
| Shabana Mahmood MP for Birmingham Ladywood | 5 July 2024 | 5 September 2025 | Labour | Starmer | — | ||
| David Lammy MP for Tottenham | 5 September 2025 | Incumbent | Labour | — | |||
Timeline since the Acts of Union
Sources
- John Haydn and Horace Ockerby, The Book of Dignities, third edition, W.H. Allen and Co. Ltd, London 1894, reprinted Firecrest Publishing Limited, Bath 1969, p. 352–358
- John Lord Campbell (1845) Lives of the Lords Chancellors and Keepers of the Great Seal of England. 5th ed. (1868) London: Murray, vol. 10
- Fryde, E. B.; Greenway, D. E.; Porter, S.; Roy, I. (1996). Handbook of British Chronology (Third revised ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-56350-X.
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