List of chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster

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

Oliver Dowden has been chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster since 25 October 2022.

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster (1361–1644)

Chancellors serving Parliament and the Commonwealth

William Grey, 1st Baron Grey of Werke & William Lenthall (commission)	(Lenthall)	10 February 1644	1648
Gilbert Gerard		1648	1 August 1649
John Bradshaw		1 August 1649	1653
John Bradshaw & Thomas Fell (commissioners)	(Bradshaw)	1653	1654
Thomas Fell		1654	1658
John Bradshaw		1658	1659
William Lenthall		1659	1659
Gilbert Gerard		14 May 1659	9 July 1659

Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster (1660–present)

17th century

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office
	Francis Seymour 1st Baron Seymour of Trowbridge (c. 1590–1664)	9 July 1660	21 July 1664
	Sir Thomas Ingram MP for Thirsk (1614–1672)	21 July 1664	22 February 1672
	Sir Robert Carr MP for Lincolnshire (c. 1637–1682)	22 February 1672	21 November 1682
	Sir Thomas Chicheley (1614–1699)	21 November 1682	1687
	Robert Phelips (1619–1707)	May 1687	March 1689
	Robert Bertie Baron Willoughby de Eresby (1660–1723)	21 March 1689	4 May 1697
	Thomas Grey 2nd Earl of Stamford (c. 1654–1720)	4 May 1697	12 May 1702

18th century

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Party
		John Leveson-Gower 1st Baron Gower (1675–1709) [Note 9]	12 May 1702	10 June 1706	Tory
		James Stanley 10th Earl of Derby (1664–1736)	10 June 1706	21 September 1710	—
		William Berkeley 4th Baron Berkeley of Stratton (c. 1692–1741)	21 September 1710	6 November 1714	—
		Heneage Finch 1st Earl of Aylesford (c. 1649–1719)	6 November 1714	12 March 1716	Tory
		Richard Lumley 1st Earl of Scarbrough (1650–1721)	12 March 1716	19 June 1717	—
		Nicholas Lechmere 1st Baron Lechmere (1675–1727) [Note 10]	19 June 1717	17 July 1727	—
		John Manners 3rd Duke of Rutland (1696–1779)	17 July 1727	21 May 1735	Whig
		George Cholmondeley 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley (1703–1770)	21 May 1735	22 December 1742	Whig
		Richard Edgcumbe 1st Baron Edgcumbe (1680–1758)	22 December 1742	5 December 1758	—
		Thomas Hay 9th Earl of Kinnoull (1710–1787)	27 February 1759	13 December 1762	Whig
		James Smith-Stanley MP for Lancashire (1716–1771) [Note 11]	13 December 1762	14 June 1771	—
		Thomas Villiers 1st Earl of Clarendon (1709–1786) [Note 12]	14 June 1771	17 April 1782	Whig
		John Dunning 1st Baron Ashburton (1731–1783)	17 April 1782	29 August 1783	Whig
		Edward Smith-Stanley 12th Earl of Derby (1752–1834)	29 August 1783	31 December 1783	Whig
		Thomas Villiers 1st Earl of Clarendon (1709–1786)	31 December 1783	6 September 1786	Whig
		Charles Jenkinson 1st Earl of Liverpool (1752–1834) [Note 13]	6 September 1786	11 November 1803	—

19th–21st centuries

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Concurrent office(s)	Party	Prime Minister
		Thomas Pelham Baron Pelham (1756–1826)	11 November 1803	6 June 1804	—	Whig		Henry Addington
		Henry Phipps 3rd Baron Mulgrave (1744–1792)	6 June 1804	14 January 1805	—	Tory		William Pitt the Younger
		Robert Hobart 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire (1760–1816)	14 January 1805	10 July 1805	—	Tory
		Dudley Ryder 2nd Baron Harrowby (1762–1847)	10 July 1805	12 February 1806	—	Tory
		Edward Smith-Stanley 12th Earl of Derby (1752–1834)	12 February 1806	30 March 1807	—	Whig		William Grenville (Ministry of All the Talents)
		Spencer Perceval MP for Northampton (1762–1812)	30 March 1807	11 May 1812	Chancellor of the Exchequer Leader of the House of Commons	Tory		William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland
					Prime Minister Chancellor of the Exchequer Leader of the House of Commons (from October 1809)			Himself
		Robert Hobart 4th Earl of Buckinghamshire (1760–1816)	23 May 1812	23 June 1812	President of the Board of Control	Tory		Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
		Charles Bathurst MP for Harwich (1754–1831) [Note 14]	23 June 1812	13 February 1823	President of the Board of Control (January 1821 – February 1822)	—
		Nicholas Vansittart 1st Baron Bexley (1766–1851)	13 February 1823	26 January 1828		Tory
								George Canning (April–August 1827)
								F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich
		George Hamilton-Gordon 4th Earl of Aberdeen (1784–1860)	26 January 1828	2 June 1828	—	Tory		Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
		Charles Arbuthnot MP for St Ives (1767–1850)	2 June 1828	25 November 1830	—	Tory
		Henry Vassall-Fox 3rd Baron Holland (1773–1840)	25 November 1830	14 November 1834		Whig		Charles Grey
								William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
	vacant		14 November 1834	26 December 1834				Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (Caretaker)
		Charles Williams-Wynn MP for Montgomeryshire (1775–1850)	26 December 1834	8 April 1835	—	Conservative		Robert Peel
		Henry Vassall-Fox 3rd Baron Holland (1773–1840)	23 April 1835	31 October 1840	—	Whig		William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne
		George Villiers 4th Earl of Clarendon (1800–1870)	31 October 1840	23 June 1841	Lord Privy Seal	Whig
		Sir George Grey MP for Devonport (1799–1882)	23 June 1841	30 August 1841	—	Whig
		Lord Granville Somerset MP for Monmouthshire (1792–1848)	3 September 1841	27 June 1846	—	Conservative		Robert Peel
		John Campbell 1st Baron Campbell (1779–1861)	6 July 1846	6 March 1850	—	Whig		John Russell
		George Howard 7th Earl of Carlisle (1802–1864)	6 March 1850	21 February 1852	First Commissioner of Woods and Forests (until July 1850)	Whig
		Robert Christopher MP for North Lincolnshire (1804–1887)	1 March 1852	17 December 1852	—	Conservative		Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
		Edward Strutt MP for Nottingham (1801–1880)	3 January 1853	21 June 1854	—	Whig / Radical		George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (Coalition)
		Granville Leveson-Gower 2nd Earl Granville (1815–1891)	21 June 1854	30 January 1855	—	Whig
	vacant		February 1855	March 1855
		Dudley Ryder 2nd Earl of Harrowby (1798–1882)	31 March 1855	7 December 1855	—	—		Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
		Matthew Talbot Baines MP for Leeds (1799–1860)	7 December 1855	21 February 1858	—	Whig
		James Graham 4th Duke of Montrose (1799–1874)	26 February 1858	11 June 1859	—	Conservative		Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
		Sir George Grey MP for Morpeth (1799–1882)	22 June 1859	25 July 1861	—	Whig / Liberal		Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
		Edward Cardwell MP for Oxford (1813–1886)	25 July 1861	7 April 1864	—	Liberal
		George Villiers 4th Earl of Clarendon (1800–1870)	7 April 1864	3 November 1865	—	Liberal
	vacant		3 November 1865	26 January 1866				John Russell
		George Goschen MP for City of London (1831–1907)	26 January 1866	26 June 1866	Vice-President of the Board of Trade (until March 1866)	Liberal
		William Courtenay 11th Earl of Devon (1807–1888)	10 July 1866	26 June 1867	President of the Poor Law Board (from May 1867)	Conservative		Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
		John Wilson-Patten MP for North Lancashire (1802–1892)	26 June 1867	7 November 1868	—	Conservative
					Chief Secretary for Ireland (from September 1868)			Benjamin Disraeli (from February 1868)
		Thomas Edward Taylor MP for County Dublin (1811–1883)	7 November 1868	1 December 1868	—	Conservative
		Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood 1st Earl of Dufferin (1826–1902) [Note 15]	12 December 1868	9 August 1872	Paymaster General	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
		Hugh Childers MP for Pontefract (1827–1896)	9 August 1872	30 September 1873		Liberal
		John Bright MP for Birmingham (1811–1889)	30 September 1873	17 February 1874	—	Liberal
		Thomas Edward Taylor MP for County Dublin (1811–1883)	2 March 1874	21 April 1880	—	Conservative		Benjamin Disraeli (Earl of Beaconsfield from 1876)
		John Bright MP for Birmingham (1811–1889)	28 April 1880	25 July 1882	—	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
		John Wodehouse 1st Earl of Kimberley (1826–1902)	25 July 1882	28 December 1882	Colonial Secretary	Liberal
		John George Dodson MP for Scarborough (1825–1897)	28 December 1882	29 October 1884	—	Liberal
		George Trevelyan MP for Hawick Burghs (1838–1928)	29 October 1884	9 June 1885	—	Liberal
		Henry Chaplin MP for Sleaford (1840–1923)	24 June 1885	28 January 1886	—	Conservative		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
		Edward Heneage MP for Great Grimsby (1840–1922)	6 February 1886	16 April 1886	—	Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone
		Sir Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth MP for Clitheroe (1844–1939)	16 April 1886	20 July 1886	—	Liberal
		Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy 1st Viscount Cranbrook (1814–1906)	3 August 1886	16 August 1886	Lord President of the Council	Conservative		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
		John Manners 7th Duke of Rutland (1818–1906) [Note 16]	16 August 1886	11 August 1892	—	Conservative
		James Bryce MP for Aberdeen South (1838–1922)	18 August 1892	28 May 1894		Liberal		William Ewart Gladstone (until March 1894)
								Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery
		Edward Marjoribanks 2nd Baron Tweedmouth (1849–1909)	28 May 1894	21 June 1895	Lord Privy Seal	Liberal
		R. A. Cross 1st Viscount Cross (1823–1914)	29 June 1895	4 July 1895		Conservative		Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
		Henry James 1st Baron James of Hereford (1828–1911)	4 July 1895	11 August 1902		Liberal Unionist
								Arthur Balfour (from 12 July 1902)
		Sir William Hood Walrond Bt PC MP for Tiverton (1849–1925)	11 August 1902	4 December 1905	—	Conservative		Arthur Balfour Coalition
		Sir Henry Fowler GCSI MP for Wolverhampton East (1830–1911)	10 December 1905	13 October 1908		Liberal		Henry Campbell-Bannerman
								H. H. Asquith
		Edmond Fitzmaurice 1st Baron Fitzmaurice (1846–1935)	13 October 1908	25 June 1909	—
		Herbert Samuel MP for Cleveland (1870–1963)	25 June 1909	14 February 1910	—
		Jack Pease MP for Rotherham (1860–1943)	14 February 1910	23 October 1911	—
		Charles Hobhouse TD MP for Bristol East (1862–1941)	23 October 1911	11 February 1914	—
		Charles Masterman (1873–1927) [Note 17]	11 February 1914	3 February 1915	—
		Edwin Samuel Montagu MP for Chesterton (1879–1924)	3 February 1915	25 May 1915	—
		Winston Churchill MP for Dundee (1874–1965)	25 May 1915	25 November 1915	—			H. H. Asquith (War coalition)
		Herbert Samuel MP for Cleveland (1870–1963)	25 November 1915	11 January 1916	Postmaster-General
		Edwin Samuel Montagu MP for Chesterton (1879–1924)	11 January 1916	9 July 1916	—
		Thomas McKinnon Wood MP for Glasgow St Rollox (1855–1927)	9 July 1916	10 December 1916	Financial Secretary to the Treasury
		Frederick Cawley MP for Prestwich (1850–1937)	10 December 1916	10 February 1918	—			David Lloyd George (Coalition)
		Max Aitken 1st Baron Beaverbrook (1879–1964)	10 February 1918	4 November 1918	Minister of Information	Conservative
		William Hayes Fisher 1st Baron Downham (1853–1920)	4 November 1918	10 January 1919		Conservative
		David Lindsay 27th Earl of Crawford KT PC (1871–1940)	10 January 1919	1 April 1921	—
		William Peel 2nd Viscount Peel GCSI TD PC (1867–1937)	1 April 1921	7 April 1922	Minister of Transport
		Sir William Sutherland KCB MP for Argyllshire (1880–1949)	7 April 1922	9 October 1922	—	Liberal
		James Gascoyne-Cecil 4th Marquess of Salisbury KG GCVO CB PC DL (1861–1947)	24 October 1922	25 May 1923	Lord President of the Council	Conservative		Bonar Law
		J. C. C. Davidson CH CB MP for Hemel Hempstead (1889–1970)	25 May 1923	22 January 1924	—			Stanley Baldwin
		Josiah Wedgwood DSO PC DL MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme (1872–1943)	22 January 1924	3 November 1924	—	Labour		Ramsay MacDonald
		Robert Cecil 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood KC PC (1864–1958)	10 November 1924	19 October 1927	—	Conservative		Stanley Baldwin
		Ronald McNeill 1st Baron Cushendun PC (1861–1934)	19 October 1927	4 June 1929	—
		Sir Oswald Mosley Bt MP for Smethwick (1896–1980)	7 June 1929	19 May 1930	responsibility for unemployment	Labour		Ramsay MacDonald
		Clement Attlee MP for Limehouse (1883–1967)	23 May 1930	13 March 1931	—
		Arthur Ponsonby 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede (1871–1946)	13 March 1931	24 August 1931	—
		Philip Kerr 11th Marquess of Lothian CH (1882–1940)	25 August 1931	10 November 1931	—	Liberal		Ramsay MacDonald (1st Nat. coalition)
		Sir John Davidson GCVO CH CB PC MP for Hemel Hempstead (1889–1970)	10 November 1931	28 May 1937	sometime chairman of the Indian States inquiry	Conservative		Ramsay MacDonald (2nd Nat. coalition)
								Stanley Baldwin (3rd Nat. coalition)
		Edward Turnour 6th Earl Winterton PC (1883–1962)	28 May 1937	29 January 1939	Air Ministry spokesperson in the Commons (March – May 1938)			Neville Chamberlain (4th Nat. coalition)
		William Morrison MC PC KC MP for Cirencester and Tewkesbury (1893–1961)	29 January 1939	3 April 1940	—
					Minister of Food (from 4 September 1939)			Neville Chamberlain (War coalition)
		George Tryon 1st Baron Tryon PC (1871–1940)	3 April 1940	14 May 1940	—
		Maurice Hankey 1st Baron Hankey GCB GCMG GCVO PC (1877–1963)	14 May 1940	20 July 1941	—	National		Winston Churchill (War coalition)
		Duff Cooper DSO MP for Westminster St George's (1890–1954)	20 July 1941	11 November 1943	—	Conservative
		Ernest Brown CH MC MP for Leith (1881–1962)	11 November 1943	25 May 1945	—	National Liberal
		Arthur Salter GBE KCB PC MP for Oxford University (1881–1975)	25 May 1945	26 July 1945	—	Conservative		Winston Churchill (Caretaker coalition)
		John Hynd MP for Sheffield Attercliffe (1902–1971)	4 August 1945	17 April 1947	Minister for Germany and Austria	Labour		Clement Attlee
		Frank Pakenham 1st Baron Pakenham PC (1905–2001)	17 April 1947	31 May 1948	deputy Foreign Secretary (responsibility for the British zone, Germany)
		Hugh Dalton MP for Bishop Auckland (1887–1962)	31 May 1948	28 February 1950	—
		A. V. Alexander 1st Viscount Alexander of Hillsborough CH PC (1885–1965)	28 February 1950	26 October 1951	—	Labour Co-operative
		Philip Cunliffe-Lister 1st Viscount Swinton GBE CH MC PC (1884–1972)	31 October 1951	24 November 1952	Minister of Materials	Conservative		Winston Churchill
		Frederick Marquis 1st Viscount Woolton CH PC (1883–1965) [Note 18]	24 November 1952	20 December 1955	Minister of Materials (1 September 1953 – August 1954)
								Anthony Eden
		George Douglas-Hamilton 10th Earl of Selkirk AFC AE PC (1906–1994)	20 December 1955	13 January 1957	—
		Charles Hill MP for Luton (1904–1989)	13 January 1957	9 October 1961	—			Harold Macmillan
		Iain Macleod MP for Enfield West (1913–1970)	9 October 1961	20 October 1963	Leader of the House of Commons
		John Hare 1st Viscount Blakenham OBE PC DL (1911–1982)	20 October 1963	16 October 1964	Deputy Leader of the House of Lords Chairman of the Conservative Party			Alec Douglas-Home
		Douglas Houghton CH MP for Sowerby (1898–1996)	18 October 1964	6 April 1966	special responsibility for Social Services	Labour		Harold Wilson
		George Thomson MP for Dundee East (1921–2008)	6 April 1966	7 January 1967	—
		Frederick Lee PC MP for Newton (1898–1996)	7 January 1967	6 October 1969	—
		George Thomson MP for Dundee East (1921–2008)	6 October 1969	20 June 1970	—
		Anthony Barber TD MP for Altrincham and Sale (1920–2005)	20 June 1970	25 July 1970	responsibility for UK–EEC relations (chiefly, until 1973, negotiating entry)	Conservative		Edward Heath
		Geoffrey Rippon QC MP for Hexham (1924–1997)	28 July 1970	5 November 1972
		John Davies MBE MP for Knutsford (1916–1979)	5 November 1972	4 March 1974
		Harold Lever MP for Manchester Central (1914–1995)	5 March 1974	4 May 1979		Labour		Harold Wilson
								James Callaghan
		Norman St John-Stevas MP for Cambridgeshire (1929–2012)	5 May 1979	5 January 1981	Leader of the House of Commons Minister for the Arts	Conservative		Margaret Thatcher
		Francis Pym MC MP for Cambridgeshire (1922–2008)	5 January 1981	14 September 1981	Leader of the House of Commons Paymaster General
		Janet Young Baroness Young PC DL (1926–2002)	14 September 1981	6 April 1982	Leader of the House of Lords
		Cecil Parkinson MP for South Hertfordshire (1931–2016)	6 April 1982	11 June 1983	Paymaster-General
		Arthur Cockfield Baron Cockfield PC (1916–2007)	11 June 1983	11 September 1984	—
		Grey Ruthven 2nd Earl of Gowrie PC (1939–2021)	11 September 1984	3 September 1985	Minister for the Arts
		Norman Tebbit CH MP for Chingford (1931–)	3 September 1985	13 June 1987	Chairman of the Conservative Party
		Kenneth Clarke CH QC MP for Rushcliffe (1940–)	13 June 1987	25 July 1988	Minister for Inner Cities (DTI)
		Tony Newton OBE MP for Braintree (1937–2012)	25 July 1988	24 July 1989	Minister of State at DTI
		Kenneth Baker CH MP for Mole Valley (1934–)	24 July 1989	28 November 1990	Chairman of the Conservative Party
		Chris Patten CH MP for Bath (1944–)	28 November 1990	10 April 1992
		William Waldegrave MP for Bristol West (1946–)	10 April 1992	20 July 1994	responsibility for public services and science			John Major
		David Hunt MBE MP for Wirral West (1942–)	20 July 1994	5 July 1995	Minister for Public Services
		Roger Freeman MP for Kettering (1942–)	5 July 1995	2 May 1997
		David Clark MP for South Shields (1939–)	2 May 1997	27 July 1998	Minister for the Cabinet Office	Labour		Tony Blair
		Jack Cunningham MP for Copeland (1939–)	27 July 1998	11 October 1999		Labour
		Mo Mowlam MP for Redcar (1949–2005)	11 October 1999	11 June 2001		Labour
		Gus Macdonald Baron Macdonald of Tradeston CBE PC (1940–)	11 June 2001	13 June 2003	Minister for the Cabinet Office	Labour		Tony Blair
		Douglas Alexander MP for Paisley South (1967–)	13 June 2003	8 September 2004		Labour
		Alan Milburn MP for Darlington (1958–)	8 September 2004	6 May 2005		Labour
		John Hutton MP for Barrow and Furness (1955–)	6 May 2005	2 November 2005		Labour
	Vacant		2 November 2005	5 May 2006
		Hilary Armstrong MP for North West Durham (1945–)	5 May 2006	28 June 2007	Minister for the Cabinet Office Minister for Social Exclusion	Labour
		Ed Miliband MP for Doncaster North (1969–)	28 June 2007	3 October 2008	Minister for the Cabinet Office	Labour		Gordon Brown
		Liam Byrne MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill (1970–)	3 October 2008	5 June 2009		Labour
		Janet Royall Baroness Royall of Blaisdon PC (1955–)	5 June 2009	11 May 2010	Leader of the House of Lords	Labour
		Thomas Galbraith 2nd Baron Strathclyde CH PC (1960–)	12 May 2010	7 January 2013		Conservative		David Cameron (Coalition)
		Jonathan Hill Baron Hill of Oareford CBE PC (1960–)	7 January 2013	14 July 2014		Conservative
		Oliver Letwin MP for West Dorset (1956–)	14 July 2014	14 July 2016	Minister of State for Government Policy	Conservative
					in charge of the Cabinet Office			David Cameron (II)
		Sir Patrick McLoughlin MP for Derbyshire Dales (1957–)	14 July 2016	8 January 2018	Chairman of the Conservative Party	Conservative		Theresa May (I)
								Theresa May (II)
		David Lidington CBE MP for Aylesbury (1956–)	8 January 2018	24 July 2019	Minister for the Cabinet Office	Conservative
		Michael Gove MP for Surrey Heath (1967–)	24 July 2019	15 September 2021		Conservative		Boris Johnson (I)
								Boris Johnson (II)
					Minister for the Cabinet Office (13 February 2020 – 16 September 2021)
		Steve Barclay MP for North East Cambridgeshire (1972–)	16 September 2021	5 July 2022	Minister for the Cabinet Office (16 September 2021 – 8 February 2022) Downing Street Chief of Staff (8 February 2022 – 5 July 2022)	Conservative
		Kit Malthouse MP for North West Hampshire (1966–)	7 July 2022	6 September 2022		Conservative
		Nadhim Zahawi MP for Stratford on Avon (1967–)	6 September 2022	25 October 2022	Minister for Equalities Minister for Intergovernmental Relations	Conservative		Liz Truss
		Oliver Dowden MP for Hertsmere (1978–)	25 October 2022	Incumbent	Secretary of State in the Cabinet Office (from 9 February 2023) Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (from 21 April 2023)	Conservative		Rishi Sunak

Notes

References

Bibliography

• Baines, Edward (1836). The History of the County Palatine and Duchy of Lancaster. Vol. I. London, Paris, and New York: Fisher, Son, & Co.
• "Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Retrieved 6 November 2017.
• Venning, Timothy (2005). Compendium of British Office Holders. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

This page was last edited on 21 March 2024, at 21:09