Lord Chancellor of Ireland

Origins

There is a good deal of confusion as to precisely when the office originated. Until the reign of Henry III of England, it is doubtful if the offices of Irish and English Chancellor were distinct. Only in 1232 is there a clear reference to a separate Court of Chancery (Ireland). Early Irish Lord Chancellors, beginning with Stephen Ridell in 1186, were simply the English Chancellor acting through a Deputy. In about 1244 the decision was taken that there must be separate holders of the office in England and Ireland. Elrington Ball states that the salary was fixed at sixty marks a year, equivalent to forty pounds sterling. Although it was twice what an itinerant justice was paid at the time, it was apparently not considered to be a very generous amount: Richard Northalis, Lord Chancellor 1393–97, complained that it did not cover even a third of his expenses, and asked for an extra payment of twenty pounds a year. In his case, it is thought that the hostility of his colleagues in government was responsible for the poor salary.

In the earlier centuries, the Lord Chancellor was always a cleric, and usually an Englishman. Lay Chancellors became common after the Reformation, and no cleric was appointed Chancellor after 1665, but although there were a number of exceptions, the Crown retained a preference for English-born Chancellors until the mid-nineteenth century.

Lord Chancellors of Ireland, 1186–1922

12th century

Stephen Ridell. Appointed in 1186. (first Chancellor). Came to Ireland in the entourage of the future King John, and was then referred to as "his Chancellor".

13th century

John de Worchley (1219–1234)

Ralph Neville (1234–1235). Also Lord Chancellor of England, Bishop of Chichester and Archbishop of Canterbury.

Alan de Sanctafide (1235–1237)

Geoffrey de Turville, Bishop of Ossory (1237)

Ralph de Norwich (1237–1238), same as below

Robert Luttrell (1238–1245), Archdeacon of Armagh and Treasurer of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin.

William Welwood (1245–1246)

Ralph de Norwich (1249-1256). He was elected Archbishop of Dublin in 1256, but his election was quashed by the Pope, on the grounds of his "secular" lifestyle and closeness to King Henry III. He surrendered the Great Seal of Ireland in 1356, returned to England and became a judge there.

Fromund Le Brun (1259–1283). He was elected Archbishop of Dublin, but his election was contested by William de la Corner: the conflict lasted from 1271 to 1279. Pope Nicholas III declared both elections void in 1279, and appointed John de Derlington instead.

Walter de Fulburn, Bishop of Waterford (1283–1288).

William de Beverley, or Le Buerlaco (1288–1292).

Thomas Cantock, Bishop of Emly (1292–1294).

Adam de Wodington. Appointed in 1294.

14th century

Thomas Cantock, Bishop of Emly (1306–1308). The same as the above.

Adam de Wodington (1308). The same as above.

Richard de Beresford. Deputy in 1307, Chancellor in 1308

Walter de Thornbury, died 1313: while he was travelling to Avignon to secure his election as Archbishop of Dublin, his ship was sunk in a storm and he drowned.

Stephen Riddel (c. 1313–1318).

William FitzJohn, Bishop of Ossory (1318– 1320). Later Archbishop of Cashel.

Roger Utlagh, Prior of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Kilmainham. Appointed in 1321.

Adam de Lymbergh (1330–1334)

William, Prior of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Kilmainham (?1331–)

Alexander de Bicknor, Primate of Ireland (c. 1335 – ?1337)

Thomas Charlton, Bishop of Hereford (1337–1338).

Robert de Hemmingburgh (1338–)

Robert de Askeby (1340–)

John L'Archers, Prior of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Appointed in 1343.

John Morice. c. 1344-1349

William de Bromley, Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin (1346-1350)

John de St Paul, Archbishop of Dublin (1350–1356)

15th century

Thomas Cranley, Primate of Ireland (1401–1410)

Sir Laurence Merbury, Deputy Chancellor (1403–1410), who exercised the duties of Chancellor while Cranley was too ill to do so.

Thomas de Everdon, acted regularly as Deputy, and was briefly named as Chancellor in 1402.

Roger Hawkenshaw, acted as Deputy for Cranley in 1416, when he was again incapacitated by illness.

Patrick Barrett, Bishop of Ferns (1410–1412)

Thomas Le Boteller, Prior of Kilmainham. Lord Keeper (1412–1413). The name of his family would change to Butler.

Robert Sutton, Deputy Chancellor (1412–1413)

Thomas Cranley, Primate of Ireland (1413–1417) (second term)

Sir Laurence Merbury (1417) (second term)

William Fitz Thomas, Prior of Kilmainham (c. 1417–1418)

William Yonge, or Young, Archdeacon of Meath (c. 1418–1419)

Richard Talbot, Primate of Ireland (1423–1426)

William Fitz Thomas (1426) (second term)

Sir Richard FitzEustace (1426)

Richard Talbot, Primate of Ireland (1426–1441)

Thomas Chase (1441–1446)

Richard Wogan (1446–1449), Lord Chancellor

16th century

William Rokeby, Primate of Ireland (1512–1513)

Sir William Compton (1513–1515)

William Rokeby, Primate of Ireland (1515–1521). The same as above.

Hugh Inge, Primate of Ireland (1522–1528)

John Alen, Primate of Ireland (1528–1532)

George Cromer, Archbishop of Armagh (1532–1534)

John Barnewall, 3rd Baron Trimlestown (1534–1538)

Sir John Alan (1538–1546, 1548–1551). Lord Keeper from 1538 to 1539, Lord Chancellor from 1539 to 1546: removed but later reinstated.

Sir Thomas Cusack 1 May 1546 (Lord Keeper)

Sir Richard Reade (6 December 1546 – 1548)

Sir John Alan (1548–1551)

Sir Thomas Cusack (1551–1554)

Sir William Fitzwilliam, Lord Keeper (1554)

Hugh Curwen (1555–1567). Lord Chancellor from 1555 to 1558, Lord Keeper from 1558 to 1559, Lord Chancellor from 1559 to 1567.

Robert Weston, Dean of the Arches (1567–1573)

Adam Loftus (Lord Keeper) (1573–1576)

Sir William Gerard (1576–1581)

Adam Loftus (1581–1605) the same as the above.

17th century

Commissioners of the Great Seal of Ireland (1605)

Thomas Jones, Bishop of Meath

Sir James Ley Lord Chief Justice of Ireland

Sir Edmund Pelham Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer for Ireland

Sir Anthony St Leger Master of the Rolls in Ireland

Thomas Jones (1605–1619)

Commissioners of the Great Seal of Ireland (1619)

Sir William Jones Lord Chief Justice of Ireland

Sir William Methold Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer for Ireland

Sir Francis Aungier Master of the Rolls in Ireland

Adam Loftus, 1st Viscount Loftus (1619–1639)

Sir Richard Bolton (1639 – November 1648)

Commissioners of the Great Seal of Ireland (14 June 1655−1656)

Richard Pepys Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, Chief Commissioner (1655–1656)

Gerard Lowther Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas, Second Commissioner (1655–1656)

Miles Corbet Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, Third Commissioner (1655–1656)

William Steele (1656–1660)

18th century

Sir Richard Cox, 1st Baronet (1703–1707)

Richard Freeman (11 June 1707 – 1710)

Commissioners of the Great Seal of Ireland (1710–1)

Robert FitzGerald, 19th Earl of Kildare

William King

Thomas Keightley

Sir Constantine Henry Phipps (22 January 1711 – September 1714)

Alan Brodrick, 1st Viscount Midleton (11 October 1714 – 1725)

Richard West (29 May 1725 – 1726)

Thomas Wyndham, 1st Baron Wyndham (13 December 1726 – 1739)

Robert Jocelyn, 1st Viscount Jocelyn (7 September 1739 – 3 December 1756)

John Bowes, 1st Baron Bowes (11 March 1757 – 22 July 1767) (Attorney-General, 1739–41)

James Hewitt, 1st Viscount Lifford (24 November 1767 – 28 April 1789)

Commissioners of the Great Seal of Ireland (1789)

Robert Fowler

Hugh Carleton Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas

Sir Samuel Bradstreet

John FitzGibbon, 1st Earl of Clare (20 June 1789 – 28 January 1802) (sitting Attorney-General)

19th century

John Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale (15 February 1802 – 1806)

George Ponsonby (25 March 1806 – 1807)

Thomas Manners-Sutton, 1st Baron Manners (23 April 1807 – 1827)

Sir Anthony Hart (5 November 1827– November 1830)

William Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket (23 December 1830 – November 1834) (Attorney-General, 1805–07 and 1822–27)

Sir Edward Sugden (13 January 1835 – April 1835)

William Plunket, 1st Baron Plunket (30 April 1835 – 1841) (see above)

John Campbell, 1st Baron Campbell (22 June 1841)

Sir Edward Sugden (3 October 1841 – 1846) (see above)

Maziere Brady (16 July 1846 – 1852) (Attorney-General, 1839–40)

Francis Blackburne (1852) (Attorney-General 1831-34 and 1841–42)

Maziere Brady (1852–1858) (see above)

Sir Joseph Napier (1858–1859) (Attorney-General, 1852)

Maziere Brady (1859–1866) (see above)

Francis Blackburne (1866–1867) (see above)

Abraham Brewster (Attorney-General, 1853–55) (1867–1868)

Thomas O'Hagan, 1st Baron O'Hagan (1868–1874) (Attorney-General, 1861-65)