Lord Privy Seal

Name 	Entered office 	Left office 	Party 	Notes 	
William Melton 	1307 	1312 	 	 	
Roger Northburgh 	1312 	1316 	 	 	
Thomas Charlton 	1316 	1320 	 	 	
Robert Baldock 	1320 	1323 	 	 	
Robert Wodehouse 	1323 	1323 	 	 	
Robert Ayleston 	1323 	1324 	 	 	
William Airmyn 	1324 	1325 	 	 	
Henry Cliff 	1325 	1325 	 	 	
William Herlaston 	1325 	1326 	 	 	
Robert Wyvell 	1326 	1327 	 	 	
Richard Airmyn 	1327 	1328 	 	 	
Adam Lymbergh 	1328 	1329 	 	 	
Richard Bury, Bishop of Durham 	1329 	1334 	 	 	
Robert Ayleston 	1334 	1334 	 	 	
Robert Tawton 	1334 	1335 	 	 	
William de la Zouche 	1335 	1337 	 	 	
Richard Bintworth 	1337 	1338 	 	 	
William Kilsby 	1338 	1342 	 	 	
John Offord 	1342 	1344 	 	 	
Thomas Hatfield 	1344 	1345 	 	 	
John Thoresby 	1345 	1347 	 	 	
Simon Islip, Archbishop of Canterbury 	1347 	1350 	 	 	
Michael Northburgh 	1350 	1354 	 	 	
Thomas Bramber 	1354 	1355 	 	 	
John Winwick 	1355 	1360 	 	 	
John Buckingham, Bishop of Lincoln 	1360 	1363 	 	 	
William of Wykeham 	1363 	1367 	 	 	
Peter Lacy 	1367 	1371 	 	 	
Nicholas Carew 	1371 	1377 	 	 	
John Fordham 	1377 	1381 	 	 	
William Dighton 	1381 	1382 	 	 	
Walter Skirlaw, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield 	1382 	1386 	 	 	
John Waltham, Bishop of Salisbury 	1386 	1389 	 	 	
Edmund Stafford, Bishop of Exeter 	1389 	1396 	 	 	
Guy Mone 	1396 	1397 	 	 	
Richard Clifford 	1397 	1401 	 	 	
Thomas Langley 	1401 	1405 	 	 	
Nicholas Bubwith 	1405 	1406 	 	 	
John Prophet 	1406 	1415 	 	 	
John Wakering, Bishop of Norwich 	1415 	1416 	 	 	
Henry Ware 	1416 	1418 	 	 	
John Kemp, Bishop of Rochester 	1418 	1421 	 	 	
John Stafford 	1421 	1422 	 	 	
William Alnwick, Bishop of Norwich 	1422 	1432 	 	 	
William Lyndwood, Bishop of St David's 	1432 	1443 	 	 	
Thomas Beckington, Bishop of Bath and Wells 	1443 	1444 	 	 	
Adam Moleyns, Bishop of Chichester 	1444 	1450 	 	 	
Andrew Holes 	1450 	1452 	 	 	
Thomas Lisieux 	1452 	1456 	 	 	
Laurence Booth, Bishop of Durham 	1456 	1460 	 	 	
Robert Stillington, Bishop of Bath and Wells 	1460 	1467 	 	 	
Thomas Rotheram, Bishop of Rochester 	1467 	1470 	 	 	
John Hales, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield 	1470 	1471 	 	 	
Thomas Rotheram, Bishop of Rochester 	1471 	1474 	 	 	
John Russell, Bishop of Rochesterlater Bishop of Lincoln 	1474 	1483 	 	 	
John Gunthorp 	1483 	1485 	 	 	
Peter Courtenay, Bishop of Exeter 	1485 	1487 	 	 	
Richard Fox, Bishop of Exeterlater Bishop of Bath and Wells; then Bishop of Durham; then Bishop of Winchester	1487 	1516 	 	 	
Thomas Ruthall, Bishop of Durham 	1516 	1523 	 	 	
The Lord Marney 	1523 	1523 	 	 	
Cuthbert Tunstall, Bishop of London 	1523 	1530 	 	 	
The Earl of Wiltshire 	1530 	1536 	 	 	
Thomas Cromwell later The Earl of Essex 	1536 	1540 	 	 	
The Earl of Southampton 	1540 	1542 	 	 	
The Lord Russell later The Earl of Bedford 	1542 	1555 	 	 	
The Lord Paget 	1556 	1558 	 	 	
in commission 	1558 	1571 	 	 	
The Lord Burghley 	1571 	1572 	 	 	
The Lord Howard of Effingham 	1572 	1573 	 	 	
Sir Thomas Smith 	1573 	1576 	 	 	
Francis Walsingham 	1576 	6 April 1590 	 	 	
The Lord Burghley 	April 1590 	4 August 1598 	 	 	
Sir Robert Cecil later The Lord Cecil of Essendon later The Viscount Cranborne later The Earl of Salisbury 	August 1598 	4 May 1608 	 	 	
The Earl of Northampton 	4 May 1608 	15 June 1614 	 	 	
The Earl of Somerset 	June 1614 	1616 	 	 	
The Earl of Worcester 	1616 	1625 	 	 	
Sir John Coke 	1625 	1628 	 	 	
Sir Robert Naunton 	1628 	1628 	 	 	
The Earl of Manchester 	1628 	1642 	 	 	
The Viscount Falkland 	1643 	1643 	 	 	
Sir Edward Nicholas 	1643 	1644 	 	 	
The Earl of Bath 	1644 	1654 	 	 	
The Lord Robartes 	1661 	24 April 1673 	 	 	
The Earl of Anglesey 	24 April 1673 	24 February 1682 	 	 	
The Marquess of Halifax 	24 February 1682 	18 February 1685 	Tory 	 	
The Earl of Clarendon 	18 February 1685 	11 March 1687 	Tory 	 	
The Lord Arundell of Wardour 	11 March 1687 	11 December 1688 	Tory 	 	
The Marquess of Halifax 	19 February 1689 	8 February 1690 	Tory 	 	
in commissoin 	8 February 1690 	March 1692 	 	 	
The Earl of Pembroke 	March 1692 	March 1699 	Tory 	 	
The Viscount Lonsdale 	16 May 1699 	10 July 1700 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Tankerville 	November 1700 	11 June 1701 	Whig 	 	
in commission 	11 June 1701 	27 April 1702 	 	 	
The Marquess of Normanby later The Duke of Buckingham and Normanby 	27 April 1702 	23 March 1705 	Tory 	 	
The Duke of Newcastle 	31 March 1705 	23 April 1711 	Whig 	 	
John Robinson, Bishop of Bristol 	23 April 1711 	6 August 1713 	Tory 	 	
The Earl of Dartmouth 	6 August 1713 	23 September 1714	Tory 	 	
The Earl of Wharton later The Marquess of Wharton 	24 September 1714	12 April 1715 	Whig 	 	
in commission 	30 April 1715 	20 August 1715 	 	 	
The Earl of Sunderland 	20 August 1715 	19 December 1716 	Whig 	 	
The Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull 	19 December 1716 	February 1718 	Whig 	 	
The Duke of Kent 	February 1718 	11 June 1720 	Whig 	 	
The Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull 	11 June 1720 	5 March 1726 	Whig 	 	
The Lord Trevor 	11 March 1726 	8 May 1730 	Tory 	 	
The Earl of Wilmington 	14 May 1730 	December 1730 	Whig 	 	
in commission 	December 1730 	12 June 1731 	 	 	
The Duke of Devonshire 	12 June 1731 	5 May 1733 	Whig 	 	
The Viscount Lonsdale 	5 May 1733 	14 May 1735 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Godolphin 	14 May 1735 	7 April 1740 	Whig 	 	
The Lord Hervey 	7 April 1740 	12 July 1742 	Whig 	 	
The Lord Gower 	13 July 1742 	December 1743 	Tory 	 	
The Earl of Cholmondeley 	December 1743 	27 December 1744 	Whig 	 	
The Lord Gower later The Earl Gower 	27 December 1744 	25 December 1754 	Tory 	 	
The Duke of Marlborough 	8 January 1755 	22 December 1755 	Whig 	 	
The Earl Gower 	22 December 1755 	25 June 1757 	Whig 	 	
The Earl Temple 	2 July 1757 	October 1761 	Whig 	 	
The Duke of Bedford 	25 November 1761 	22 April 1763 	Whig 	 	
The Duke of Marlborough 	22 April 1763 	25 August 1765 	Whig 	 	
The Duke of Newcastle 	25 August 1765 	30 July 1766 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Chatham 	30 July 1766 	2 November 1768 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Bristol 	2 November 1768 	26 February 1770 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Halifax 	26 February 1770 	19 January 1771 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Suffolk 	22 January 1771 	12 June 1771 	Tory 	 	
The Duke of Grafton 	12 June 1771 	4 November 1775 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Dartmouth 	4 November 1775 	27 March 1782 	Tory 	 	
The Duke of Grafton 	27 March 1782 	2 April 1783 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Carlisle 	2 April 1783 	23 December 1783 	Tory 	 	
The Duke of Rutland 	23 December 1783 	8 March 1784 	Tory 	 	
in commission 	8 March 1784 	27 November 1784 	 	 	
The Earl Gower later The Marquess of Stafford 	27 November 1784 	16 July 1794 	Tory 	 	
The Earl Spencer 	16 July 1794 	17 December 1794 	Portland Whig 	 	
The Earl of Chatham 	17 December 1794 	14 February 1798 	Tory 	 	
The Earl of Westmorland 	14 February 1798 	5 February 1806 	Tory 	 	
The Viscount Sidmouth 	5 February 1806 	15 October 1806 	Tory 	 	
The Lord Holland 	15 October 1806 	25 March 1807 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Westmorland 	25 March 1807 	30 April 1827 	Tory 	 	
The Duke of Portland 	30 April 1827 	16 July 1827 	Tory 	 	
The Earl of Carlisle 	16 July 1827 	26 January 1828 	Whig 	 	
The Lord Ellenborough 	26 January 1828 	10 June 1829 	Tory 	 	
The Earl of Rosslyn 	10 June 1829 	22 November 1830 	Tory 	 	
The Lord Durham 	22 November 1830 	3 April 1833 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Ripon 	3 April 1833 	5 June 1834 	Canningite/Whig	 	
The Earl of Carlisle 	5 June 1834 	30 July 1834 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Mulgrave 	30 July 1834 	14 November 1834 	Whig 	 	
The Lord Wharncliffe 	15 December 1834 	8 April 1835 	Conservative 	 	
Viscount Duncannon 	23 April 1835 	15 January 1840 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Clarendon 	15 January 1840 	30 August 1841 	Whig 	 	
The Duke of Buckingham 	3 September 1841 	2 February 1842 	Conservative 	 	
The Duke of Buccleuch 	2 February 1842 	21 January 1846 	Conservative 	 	
The Earl of Haddington 	21 January 1846 	27 June 1846 	Conservative 	 	
The Earl of Minto 	6 July 1846 	21 February 1852 	Whig 	 	
The Marquess of Salisbury 	27 February 1852 	17 December 1852 	Conservative 	 	
The Duke of Argyll 	4 January 1853 	7 December 1855 	Peelite 	 	
The Earl of Harrowby 	7 December 1855 	3 February 1858 	Whig 	 	
The Marquess of Clanricarde 	3 February 1858 	21 February 1858 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Hardwicke 	26 February 1858 	11 June 1859 	Conservative 	 	
The Duke of Argyll 	18 June 1859 	26 June 1866 	Liberal 	 	
The Earl of Malmesbury 	6 July 1866 	1 December 1868 	Conservative 	 	
The Earl of Kimberley 	9 December 1868 	6 July 1870 	Liberal 	 	
The Viscount Halifax 	6 July 1870 	17 February 1874 	Whig 	 	
The Earl of Malmesbury 	21 February 1874 	12 August 1876 	Conservative 	 	
The Earl of Beaconsfield 	12 August 1876 	4 February 1878 	Conservative 	also First Lord of the Treasury 	
The Duke of Northumberland 	4 February 1878 	21 April1 1880 	Conservative 	 	
The Duke of Argyll 	28 April 1880 	2 May 1881 	Liberal 	 	
The Lord Carlingford 	2 May 1881 	5 March 1885 	Liberal 	 	
The Earl of Rosebery 	5 March 1885 	9 June 1885 	Liberal 	 	
The Earl of Harrowby 	24 June 1885 	28 January 1886 	Conservative 	 	
William Gladstone 	17 February 1886 	20 July 1886 	Liberal 	also First Lord of the Treasury 	
The Earl Cadogan 	3 August 1886 	11 August 1892 	Conservative 	 	
William Gladstone 	20 August 1892 	10 March 1894 	Liberal 	also First Lord of the Treasury 	
The Lord Tweedmouth 	10 March 1894 	21 June 1895 	Liberal 	 	
The Viscount Cross 	29 June 1895 	12 November 1900 	Conservative 	 	
The Marquess of Salisbury 	12 November 1900 	14 July 1902 	Conservative 	also Prime Minister 	
Arthur Balfour 	14 July 1902 	17 October 1903 	Conservative 	also Prime Minister 	
The Marquess of Salisbury 	17 October 1903 	4 December 1905 	Conservative 	 	
The Marquess of Ripon 	10 December 1905 	9 October 1908 	Liberal 	 	
The Earl of Crewe later The Marquess of Crewe 	9 October 1908 	23 October 1911 	Liberal 	 	
The Earl Carrington 	23 October 1911 	13 February 1912 	Liberal 	 	
The Marquess of Crewe 	13 February 1912 	25 May 1915 	Liberal 	 	
The Earl Curzon of Kedleston 	25 May 1915 	5 December 1916 	Unionist 	 	
The Earl of Crawford 	15 December 1916 	10 January 1919 	Unionist 	 	
Andrew Bonar Law 	10 January 1919 	23 March 1921 	Unionist 	 	
Austen Chamberlain 	23 March 1921 	19 October 1922 	Unionist 	 	
none 	19 October 1922 	25 May 1923 	 	 	
Lord Robert Cecil 	25 May 1923 	22 January 1924 	Conservative 	 	
John Clynes 	22 January 1924 	3 November 1924 	Labour 	 	
The Marquess of Salisbury 	6 November 1924 	4 June 1929 	Conservative 	 	
James Thomas 	7 June 1929 	5 June 1930 	Labour 	 	
Vernon Hartshorn 	5 June 1930 	24 March 1931 	Labour 	 	
Thomas Johnston 	24 March 1931 	24 August 1931 	Labour 	 	
The Earl Peel 	3 September 1931 	5 November 1931 	Conservative 	 	
Philip Snowdenfrom 1931, the Viscount Snowden 	5 November 1931 	29 September 1932	National Labour	 	
Stanley Baldwin 	29 September 1932	31 December 1933 	Conservative 	also Lord President of the Council	
Anthony Eden 	31 December 1933 	7 June 1935 	Conservative 	 	
The Marquess of Londondery 	7 June 1935 	22 November 1935 	Conservative 	 	
The Viscount Halifax 	22 November 1935 	28 May 1937 	Conservative 	 	
The Earl De La Warr 	28 May 1937 	31 October 1938 	National Labour	 	
Sir John Anderson 	31 October 1938 	3 September 1939 	Non-party 	 	
Sir Samuel Hoare 	3 September 1939 	3 April 1940 	Conservative 	 	
Sir Kingsley Wood 	3 April 1940 	10 May 1940 	Conservative 	 	
Clement Attlee 	11 May 1940 	19 February 1942 	Labour 	 	
Sir Stafford Cripps 	19 February 1942 	22 November 1942 	Labour 	 	
Viscount Cranborne 	22 November 1942 	24 September 1943	Conservative 	 	
The Lord Beaverbrook 	24 September 1943	26 July 1945 	Conservative 	 	
Arthur Greenwood 	27 July 1945 	17 April 1947 	Labour 	 	
The Lord Inman 	17 April 1947 	7 October 1947 	Labour 	 	
The Viscount Addison 	7 October 1947 	9 March 1951 	Labour 	 	
Ernest Bevin 	9 March 1951 	26 April 1951 	Labour 	 	
Richard Stokes 	26 April 1951 	26 October 1951 	Labour 	 	
The Marquess of Salisbury 	28 October 1951 	7 May 1952 	Conservative 	 	
Harry Crookshank 	7 May 1952 	20 December 1955 	Conservative 	 	
Rab Butler 	20 December 1955 	14 October 1959 	Conservative 	 	
The Viscount Hailsham 	14 October 1959 	27 July 1960 	Conservative 	 	
Edward Heath 	27 July 1960 	20 October 1963 	Conservative 	 	
Selwyn Lloyd 	20 October 1963 	16 October 1964 	Conservative 	 	
The Earl of Longford 	18 October 1964 	23 December 1965 	Labour 	 	
Sir Frank Soskice 	23 December 1965 	6 April 1966 	Labour 	 	
The Earl of Longford 	6 April 1966 	16 January 1968 	Labour 	 	
The Lord Shackleton 	16 January 1968 	6 April 1968 	Labour 	 	
Fred Peart 	6 April 1968 	18 October 1968 	Labour 	 	
The Lord Shackleton 	18 October 1968 	19 June 1970 	Labour 	 	
The Earl Jellicoe 	19 June 1970 	23 May 1973 	Conservative 	 	
The Lord Windlesham 	5 June 1973 	4 March 1974 	Conservative 	 	
The Lord Shepherd 	7 March 1974 	10 September 1976	Labour 	 	
The Lord Peart 	10 September 1976	4 May 1979 	Labour 	 	
Sir Ian Gilmour, Bt. 	5 May 1979 	14 September 1981	Conservative 	 	
Humphrey Atkins 	14 September 1981	6 April 1982 	Conservative 	 	
Baroness Young 	6 April 1982 	11 June 1983 	Conservative 	 	
John Biffen 	11 June 1983 	13 June 1987 	Conservative 	 	
John Wakeham 	13 June 1987 	10 January 1988 	Conservative 	 	
The Lord Belstead 	10 January 1988 	28 November 1990 	Conservative 	 	
The Lord Waddington 	28 November 1990 	11 April 1992 	Conservative 	 	
The Lord Wakeham 	11 April 1992 	20 July 1994 	Conservative 	 	
Viscount Cranborne 	20 July 1994 	2 May 1997 	Conservative 	 	
The Lord Richard 	2 May 1997 	27 July 1998 	Labour 	 	
The Baroness Jay of Paddington 	27 July 1998 	8 June 2001 	Labour 	 	
The Lord Williams of Mostyn 	8 June 2001 	13 June 2003 	Labour 	 	
Peter Hain 	11 June 2003 	6 May 2005 	Labour 	 	
Geoff Hoon 	6 May 2005 	5 May 2006 	Labour 	 	
Jack Straw 	5 Mau 2006 	27 June 2007 	Labour 	 	
Harriet Harman 	27 June 2007 	11 May 2010 	Labour 	 	
Sir George Young, Bt. 	12 May 2010 	4 September 2012 	Conservative 	 	
Andrew Lansley 	4 September 2012 	14 July 2014 	Conservative 	 	
The Baroness Stowell of Beeston 	14 July 2014 	 	Conservative