Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

United Kingdom

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the United Kingdom

Government Sovereign Queen Elizabeth II The Crown The Privy Council Cabinet Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP Chancellor Alistair Darling MP Foreign Secretary David Miliband MP Home Secretary Alan Johnson MP Justice Secretary Jack Straw MP Full list of members Her Majesty's Civil Service Departments Executive agencies Parliament State Opening of Parliament Act of Parliament House of Lords Lord Speaker Baroness Hayman House of Commons Speaker John Bercow MP Leader Harriet Harman MP Prime Minister's Questions Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition Leader David Cameron MP Shadow Cabinet Judiciary Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Courts of the United Kingdom Courts of England and Wales Courts of Northern Ireland Courts of Scotland Constitution Human rights Countries of the UK Politics of England English Regional Assemblies Greater London Authority Politics of Scotland Scottish Government Scottish Parliament Politics of Wales Welsh Assembly Government National Assembly for Wales Politics of Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Executive Northern Ireland Assembly Reserved matters Elections Elections in the United Kingdom Parliament constituencies Political parties Last election Next election Foreign Policy Foreign relations Politics of the European Union

Other countries · Atlas Politics portal view • talk • edit

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a sinecure office in the government of the United Kingdom.

History

Originally he was the chief officer in the daily management of the Duchy of Lancaster (a former county palatine merged into the Crown in 1399), but that estate is now run by a deputy, leaving the position of Chancellor to serve in effect as an alternative Minister without Portfolio. The position has often been given to a junior Cabinet minister with responsibilities in a particular area of policy for which there is no department with an appropriate portfolio.

Until recently, ownership of the title had been combined with serving as one of the Ministers for the Cabinet Office. This was true of Alan Milburn, who was given the title by Labour PM Tony Blair in 2004 and at the same time rejoined the Cabinet.

The post was vacant from 2 November 2005 to 5 May 2006, the longest period that the post has been left unfilled since at least 1687. The current Chancellor is The Baroness Royall, who, unlike her recent predecessors, is the Leader of the House of Lords^[1]. Since 2003 the holder of that office had been given the sinecure title of Lord President of the Council while the Chancellorship had been given to the Minister for the Cabinet Office (as discussed above), however in the reshuffle of 5 June 2009 Lord Mandelson was made Lord President and, as the new Cabinet Office Minister Tessa Jowell retained her prevoius sinecure as Paymaster General, this left the Chancellorship to the Baroness Royall^[1].

In recent times, the Chancellor's duties, administrative, financial and legal, have been said to occupy an average of one day a week. Since 1491 there has been a Vice Chancellor. He is now the Chancery Division Judge in the north-west, and no longer appointed to that position as legal officer of the Duchy.

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster, 14th century

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party
	Sir Henry de Haydock		1361	1373
	Ralph de Ergham		1373	16 April 1377
	Thomas de Thelwall		16 April 1377	1378
	Sir John De Yerborough		1378	10 November 1382
	Sir Thomas Stanley (pro term)		10 November 1382	29 November 1382
	Sir Thomas Scarle		29 November 1382	October 1383
	Sir William Okey		October 1383	1400

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster, 15th century

• John de Wakering (1400 - 1400)
• William Burgoyne (1400 - 15 May 1404)
• Sir Thomas Stanley (15 May 1404 - 30 March 1410)
• John Springthorpe (30 March 1410 - 4 April 1413)
• John Wodehouse (4 April 1413 - 10 June 1424)
• William Troutbecke (10 June 1424 - 16 February 1431)
• Walter Sherington (16 February 1431 - 3 July 1442)
• William Tresham (3 July 1442 - 10 June 1449)
• John Say (10 June 1449 - 10 June 1462)
• Sir Richard Fowler (10 June 1462 - 3 November 1477)
• Sir John Say (3 November 1477-2 April 1478)
• Thomas Thwaites (2 April 1478 - 7 July 1483)
• Thomas Metcalfe (7 July 1483 - 13 September 1486)
• Sir Reginald Bray (13 September 1486 - 24 June 1503)

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster, 16th century

• Sir John Mordaunt (24 June 1503 - 3 October 1505)
• Sir Richard Empson (3 October 1505 - 14 May 1509)
• Sir Henry Marney (14 May 1509 - 14 April 1523)
• Sir Richard Wingfield (14 April 1523 - 31 December 1525)
• Sir Thomas More (31 December 1525 - 3 November 1529)
• Sir William Fitzwilliam (3 November 1529 - 10 May 1533)
• Sir John Gage (10 May 1533 - 1 July 1547)
• Sir William Paget, 1st Baron Paget (1549) (1 July 1547 - 7 July 1552)
• Sir John Gates (7 July 1552 - 1553)
• Sir Robert Rochester (1553 - 1557)
• Sir Edward Waldegrave (22 June 1558 - 1559)
• Sir Ambrose Cave (1559 - 16 May 1568)
• Sir Ralph Sadler (16 May 1568 - 15 June 1587)
• Sir Francis Walsingham (15 June 1587 - 1590)
• Sir Thomas Heneage (1590 - 7 October 1595)
• Seal in commission (1595 - 1597)
• Sir Robert Cecil (8 October 1597 - 1599)
• Seal in commission (1599 - 16 September 1601)

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster, 17th century

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office
	Sir John Fortescue		16 September 1601	1601
	In Commission		1601	1601
	Sir John Fortescue		1601	1607
	Sir Thomas Parry		1607	5 June 1616
	Sir John Dacombe and Sir Thomas Parry		27 May 1615	5 June 1616
	Sir John Dacombe		5 June 1616	1618
	In commission		1618	23 March 1618
	Sir Humphrey May		23 March 1618	16 April 1629
	The Lord Barrett of Newburgh		16 April 1629	10 February 1644
	The Lord Seymour of Trowbridge (for the king)		1644	1645
	The Lord Grey of Warke and William Lenthall (for parliament)		10 February 1644	1648
	Sir Gilbert Gerrard		1648	1 August 1649
	John Bradshaw		1 August 1649	1653
	John Bradshaw and Thomas Fell (commissioners)		1653	1654
	Thomas Fell		1654	1658
	John Bradshaw		1658	1659
	William Lenthall		1659	1659
	Sir Gilbert Gerrard		14 May 1659	9 July 1659
	The Lord Seymour of Trowbridge		9 July 1660	21 July 1664
	Sir Thomas Ingram		21 July 1664	22 February 1672
	Sir Robert Carr, Bt		22 February 1672	21 November 1682
	Sir Thomas Chicheley		21 November 1682	1682
	In commission		1687	1687
	Robert Phelipps		1687	21 March 1689
	The Lord Willoughby of Eresby		21 March 1689	4 May 1697
	The Earl of Stamford		4 May 1697	12 May 1702

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster, 18th century

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party
	Sir John Leveson-Gower, Bt [2]		12 May 1702	10 June 1706
	The Earl of Derby		10 June 1706	21 September 1710
	The Lord Berkeley of Stratton		21 September 1710	6 November 1714
	The Earl of Aylesford		6 November 1714	12 March 1716
	The Earl of Scarborough		12 March 1716	19 June 1717
	The Lord Lechmere		19 June 1717	17 July 1727
	The Duke of Rutland		17 July 1727	21 May 1735
	The Earl of Cholmondeley		21 May 1735	22 December 1742
	The Lord Edgcumbe		22 December 1742	27 February 1759
	The Earl of Kinnoull		27 February 1759	13 December 1762
	Lord Strange		13 December 1762	14 June 1771
	The Earl of Clarendon		14 June 1771	17 April 1782
	The Lord Ashburton		17 April 1782	29 August 1783
	The Earl of Derby		29 August 1783	31 December 1783
	The Earl of Clarendon		31 December 1783	6 September 1786
	The Lord Hawkesbury [3]		6 September 1786	11 November 1803

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster, 19th century

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party
	Lord Pelham		11 November 1803	6 June 1804
	The Lord Mulgrave		6 June 1804	14 January 1805
	The Earl of Buckinghamshire		14 January 1805	10 July 1805
	The Lord Harrowby		10 July 1805	12 February 1806
	The Earl of Derby		12 February 1806	30 March 1807
	Hon. Spencer Perceval		30 March 1807	23 May 1812
	The Earl of Buckinghamshire		23 May 1812	23 June 1812
	Charles Bathurst		23 June 1812	13 February 1823
	The Lord Bexley		13 February 1823	26 January 1828
	The Earl of Aberdeen		26 January 1828	2 June 1828
	Charles Arbuthnot		2 June 1828	25 November 1830
	The Lord Holland		25 November 1830	14 November 1834
	Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn		26 December 1834	8 April 1835
	The Lord Holland		23 April 1835	31 October 1840
	The Earl of Clarendon		31 October 1840	23 June 1841
	Sir George Grey, Bt		23 June 1841	30 August 1841
	Lord Granville Somerset		3 September 1841	27 June 1846
	The Lord Campbell		6 July 1846	6 March 1850
	The Earl of Carlisle		6 March 1850	21 February 1852
	Robert Adam Christopher		1 March 1852	17 December 1852
	Edward Strutt		3 January 1853	21 June 1854
	The Earl Granville		21 June 1854	30 January 1855
	The Earl of Harrowby		31 March 1855	7 December 1855
	Matthew Talbot Baines		7 December 1855	21 February 1858
	The Duke of Montrose		26 February 1858	11 June 1859
	Sir George Grey, Bt		22 June 1859	25 July 1861
	Edward Cardwell		25 July 1861	7 April 1864
	The Earl of Clarendon		7 April 1864	3 November 1865
	George Goschen		26 January 1866	26 June 1866
	The Earl of Devon		10 July 1866	26 June 1867
	John Wilson-Patten		26 June 1867	7 November 1868
	Thomas Edward Taylor		7 November 1868	1 December 1868
	The Lord Dufferin and Claneboye [4]		12 December 1868	9 August 1872
	Hugh Childers		9 August 1872	30 September 1873
	John Bright		30 September 1873	17 February 1874
	Thomas Edward Taylor		2 March 1874	21 April 1880
	John Bright		28 April 1880	25 July 1882
	The Earl of Kimberley		25 July 1882	28 December 1882
	John George Dodson		28 December 1882	29 October 1884
	George Trevelyan		29 October 1884	9 June 1885
	Henry Chaplin		24 June 1885	28 January 1886
	Edward Heneage		6 February 1886	16 April 1886
	Sir Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth, Bt		16 April 1886	20 July 1886
	The Viscount Cranbrook		3 August 1886	16 August 1886
	Lord John Manners		16 August 1886	11 August 1892
	James Bryce		18 August 1892	28 May 1894
	The Lord Tweedmouth		28 May 1894	21 June 1895
	The Viscount Cross		29 June 1895	4 July 1895
	Sir Henry James (Baron James of Hereford from August 1895)		4 July 1895	8 August 1902

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster, 20th century

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party
	Sir William Walrond, Bt		8 August 1902	4 December 1905
	Sir Henry Fowler		10 December 1905	13 October 1908
	The Lord FitzMaurice		13 October 1908	25 June 1909
	Herbert Samuel		25 June 1909	14 February 1910
	Jack Pease		14 February 1910	23 October 1911
	Charles Hobhouse		23 October 1911	11 February 1914
	Charles Masterman		11 February 1914	3 February 1915
	Hon. Edwin Samuel Montagu		3 February 1915	25 May 1915
	Winston Churchill		25 May 1915	25 November 1915
	Herbert Samuel		25 November 1915	11 January 1916
	Hon. Edwin Samuel Montagu		11 January 1916	9 July 1916
	Thomas McKinnon Wood		9 July 1916	10 December 1916
	Sir Frederick Cawley, Bt		10 December 1916	10 February 1918
	The Lord Beaverbrook		10 February 1918	4 November 1918
	The Lord Downham		4 November 1918	10 January 1919
	The Earl of Crawford		10 January 1919	1 April 1921
	The Viscount Peel		1 April 1921	7 April 1922
	Sir William Sutherland		7 April 1922	19 October 1922
	The Marquess of Salisbury		24 October 1922	25 May 1923
	J. C. C. Davidson		25 May 1923	22 January 1924
	Josiah Wedgwood		22 January 1924	3 November 1924
	The Viscount Cecil of Chelwood		10 November 1924	19 October 1927
	The Lord Cushendun		19 October 1927	4 June 1929
	Sir Oswald Mosley, Bt		7 June 1929	19 May 1930
	Clement Attlee		23 May 1930	13 March 1931
	The Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede		13 March 1931	24 August 1931
	The Marquess of Lothian		25 August 1931	10 November 1931
	J. C. C. Davidson		10 November 1931	28 May 1937
	The Earl Winterton		28 May 1937	29 January 1939
	William Morrison		29 January 1939	3 April 1940
	The Lord Tryon		3 April 1940	14 May 1940
	The Lord Hankey		14 May 1940	20 July 1941
	Duff Cooper		20 July 1941	11 November 1943
	Ernest Brown		11 November 1943	25 May 1945
	Sir Arthur Salter		25 May 1945	26 July 1945
	John Burns Hynd		4 August 1945	17 April 1947
	The Lord Pakenham		17 April 1947	31 May 1948
	Hugh Dalton		31 May 1948	28 February 1950
	The Viscount Alexander of Hillsborough		28 February 1950	26 October 1951
	The Viscount Swinton		31 October 1951	24 November 1952
	The Lord Woolton[5]		24 November 1952	20 December 1955
	The Earl of Selkirk		20 December 1955	13 January 1957
	Charles Hill		13 January 1957	9 October 1961
	Iain Macleod		9 October 1961	20 October 1963
	The Viscount Blakenham		20 October 1963	16 October 1964
	Douglas Houghton		18 October 1964	6 April 1966
	George Thomson		6 April 1966	7 January 1967
	Frederick Lee		7 January 1967	6 October 1969
	Anthony Barber		20 June 1970	28 July 1970
	Geoffrey Rippon		28 July 1970	5 November 1972
	John Davies		5 November 1972	4 March 1974
	Harold Lever		5 March 1974	4 May 1979
	Norman St John-Stevas		5 May 1979	5 January 1981
	Francis Pym		5 January 1981	14 September 1981
	The Baroness Young		14 September 1981	6 April 1982
	Cecil Parkinson		6 April 1982	11 June 1983
	The Lord Cockfield		11 June 1983	11 September 1984
	The Earl of Gowrie		11 September 1984	3 September 1985
	Norman Tebbit		3 September 1985	13 June 1987
	Kenneth Clarke		13 June 1987	25 July 1988
	Tony Newton		25 July 1988	24 July 1989
	Kenneth Baker		24 July 1989	28 November 1990
	Chris Patten		28 November 1990	10 April 1992
	Hon. William Waldegrave		10 April 1992	20 July 1994
	David Hunt		20 July 1994	5 July 1995
	Roger Freeman		5 July 1995	2 May 1997
	David Clark		3 May 1997	27 July 1998
	Jack Cunningham		27 July 1998	11 October 1999
	Mo Mowlam		11 October 1999	11 June 2001

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster, 21st century

Name		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Political party
	The Lord Macdonald of Tradeston		11 June 2001	13 June 2003
	Douglas Alexander		13 June 2003	8 September 2004
	Alan Milburn		8 September 2004	6 May 2005
	John Hutton		6 May 2005	2 November 2005
	Vacant		2 November 2005	5 May 2006
	Hilary Armstrong		5 May 2006	27 June 2007
	Ed Miliband		28 June 2007	3 October 2008
	Liam Byrne		3 October 2008	5 June 2009
	The Baroness Royall of Blaisdon		5 June 2009

Notes