Lord Keeper
|
Term of office
|
Other ministerial portfolios held during tenure
|
Party
|
Ministry
|
Monarch
(Reign)
|
|
|
Thomas Wharton
1st
Marquess of Wharton
[nb 15]
|
23 September
1714
|
31 August
1715
|
|
Whig
|
Townshend
|
George I
r.
1714–1727
|
|
|
Charles Spencer
3rd
Earl of Sunderland
|
31 August
1715
|
19 December
1716
|
|
—
|
|
|
Evelyn Pierrepont
1st
Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull
|
19 December
1716
|
6 February
1719
|
|
—
|
Stanhope–Sunderland I
|
Stanhope–Sunderland II
|
|
|
Henry Grey
1st
Duke of Kent
|
6 February
1719
|
11 June
1720
|
|
—
|
|
|
Evelyn Pierrepont
1st
Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull
|
11 June
1720
|
11 March
1726
|
|
—
|
Walpole–Townshend
|
|
|
Thomas Trevor
1st
Baron Trevor
|
11 March
1726
|
8 May
1730
|
|
—
|
George II
r.
1727–1760
|
|
|
Spencer Compton
1st
Earl of Wilmington
|
8 May
1730
|
January
1731
|
|
Whig
|
Walpole
|
|
|
William Cavendish
3rd
Duke of Devonshire
|
12 January
1731
|
5 May
1733
|
|
Whig
|
|
|
Henry Lowther
3rd
Viscount Lonsdale
|
5 May
1733
|
16 May
1735
|
|
—
|
|
|
Francis Godolphin
2nd
Earl of Godolphin
|
16 May
1735
|
7 April
1740
|
|
—
|
|
|
John Hervey
2nd
Baron Hervey
|
7 April
1740
|
13 July
1742
|
|
—
|
|
|
John Leveson-Gower
2nd
Baron Gower
|
13 July
1742
|
10 December
1743
|
|
Tory
|
Carteret
|
|
|
George Cholmondeley
3rd
Earl of Cholmondeley
|
10 December
1743
|
27 December
1744
|
|
—
|
|
|
John Leveson-Gower
1st
Earl Gower
[nb 16]
|
27 December
1744
|
8 June
1755
|
|
Tory
|
Broad Bottom
(I & II)
|
Newcastle I
|
|
|
Charles Spencer
3rd
Duke of Marlborough
|
8 June
1755
|
22 December
1755
|
|
—
|
|
|
Granville Leveson-Gower
2nd
Earl Gower
|
22 December
1755
|
30 June
1757
|
|
Tory
|
Pitt–Devonshire
|
1757 Caretaker
|
|
|
Richard Grenville-Temple
2nd
Earl Temple
|
30 June
1757
|
5 October
1761
|
|
—
|
Pitt–Newcastle
|
George III
(1760–
1820
)
[nb 17]
|
|
|
John Russell
4th
Duke of Bedford
|
25 November
1761
|
22 April
1763
|
|
Whig
|
Bute
|
|
|
George Spencer
4th
Duke of Marlborough
|
22 April
1763
|
30 July
1765
|
|
—
|
Grenville
(
Whig
–
Tory
)
|
|
|
Thomas Pelham-Holles
1st
Duke of Newcastle
|
30 July
1765
|
30 July
1766
|
|
Whig
|
Rockingham I
|
|
|
William Pitt
1st
Earl of Chatham
|
30 July
1766
|
2 November
1768
|
|
Whig
|
Chatham
(
Whig
–
Tory
)
|
|
|
George Hervey
2nd
Earl of Bristol
|
2 November
1768
|
26 February
1770
|
|
—
|
Grafton
(
Whig
–
Tory
)
|
|
|
George Montagu-Dunk
2nd
Earl of Halifax
|
26 February
1770
|
22 January
1771
|
|
Tory
|
North
|
|
|
Henry Howard
12th
Earl of Suffolk
|
22 January
1771
|
12 June
1771
|
|
—
|
|
|
Augustus FitzRoy
3rd
Duke of Grafton
|
12 June
1771
|
4 November
1775
|
|
Whig
|
|
|
William Legge
2nd
Earl of Dartmouth
|
4 November
1775
|
27 March
1782
|
|
—
|
|
|
Augustus FitzRoy
3rd
Duke of Grafton
|
27 March
1782
|
4 April
1783
|
|
Whig
|
Rockingham II
|
Shelburne
(
Whig
–
Tory
)
|
|
|
Frederick Howard
5th
Earl of Carlisle
|
4 April
1783
|
23 December
1783
|
|
—
|
Fox–North
(
Whig
–
Tory
)
|
|
|
Charles Manners
4th
Duke of Rutland
|
23 December
1783
|
27 November
1784
|
|
—
|
Pitt I
|
|
|
Granville Leveson-Gower
1st
Marquess of Stafford
[nb 18]
|
27 November
1784
|
1794
|
|
Tory
|
|
|
George Spencer
2nd
Earl Spencer
|
1794
|
16 July
1794
|
|
Whig
|
|
|
John Pitt
2nd
Earl of Chatham
|
16 July
1794
|
14 February
1798
|
|
—
|
|
|
John Fane
10th
Earl of Westmorland
|
14 February
1798
|
5 February
1806
|
|
Tory
|
Addington
|
Pitt II
|
|
|
Henry Addington
1st
Viscount Sidmouth
|
5 February
1806
|
15 October
1806
|
|
Tory
|
All the Talents
(
Whig
–
Tory
)
|
|
|
Henry Vassall-Fox
3rd
Baron Holland
|
15 October
1806
|
25 March
1807
|
|
Whig
|
|
|
John Fane
10th
Earl of Westmorland
|
25 March
1807
|
30 April
1827
|
|
Tory
|
Portland II
|
Perceval
|
Liverpool
|
George IV
r.
1820–1830
|
|
|
William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck
4th
Duke of Portland
|
30 April
1827
|
16 July
1827
|
|
Tory
|
Canning
(
Canningite
–
Whig
)
|
|
|
George Howard
6th
Earl of Carlisle
|
16 July
1827
|
26 January
1828
|
|
Whig
|
Goderich
(
Canningite
–
Whig
)
|
|
|
Edward Law
2nd
Baron Ellenborough
|
26 January
1828
|
10 June
1829
|
|
Tory
|
Wellington
–
Peel
|
|
|
James St Clair-Erskine
2nd
Earl of Rosslyn
|
10 June
1829
|
22 November
1830
|
|
Tory
|
William IV
r.
1830–1837
|
|
|
John Lambton
1st
Baron Durham
|
22 November
1830
|
3 April
1833
|
|
Whig
|
Grey
|
|
|
Frederick John Robinson
1st
Earl of Ripon
|
3 April
1833
|
5 June
1834
|
|
Whig
|
|
|
George Howard
6th
Earl of Carlisle
|
5 June
1834
|
30 July
1834
|
|
Whigs
|
|
|
Constantine Phipps
2nd
Earl of Mulgrave
|
30 July
1834
|
14 November
1834
|
|
Whig
|
Melbourne I
|
|
|
James Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie
1st
Baron Wharncliffe
|
15 December
1834
|
8 April
1835
|
|
Conservative
|
Peel I
|
|
|
John Ponsonby
1st
Baron Duncannon
styled
Viscount Duncannon
|
23 April
1835
|
15 January
1840
|
|
Whig
|
Melbourne II
|
Victoria
r.
1837–1901
|
|
|
George Villiers
4th
Earl of Clarendon
|
15 January
1840
|
30 August
1841
|
|
Whig
|
|
|
Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville
2nd
Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
|
3 September
1841
|
2 February
1842
|
|
Conservative
|
Peel II
|
|
|
Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott
5th
Duke of Buccleuch
|
2 February
1842
|
21 January
1846
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Thomas Hamilton
9th
Earl of Haddington
|
21 January
1846
|
27 June
1846
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound
2nd
Earl of Minto
|
6 July
1846
|
21 February
1852
|
|
Whig
|
Russell I
|
|
|
James Gascoyne-Cecil
2nd
Marquess of Salisbury
|
27 February
1852
|
17 December
1852
|
|
Conservative
|
Who? Who?
|
|
|
George Campbell
8th
Duke of Argyll
|
4 January
1853
|
7 December
1855
|
|
Peelite
|
Aberdeen
(
Peelite
–
Whig
)
|
Palmerston I
|
|
|
Dudley Ryder
2nd
Earl of Harrowby
|
7 December
1855
|
3 February
1858
|
|
Whig
|
|
|
Ulick de Burgh
1st
Marquess of Clanricarde
|
3 February
1858
|
21 February
1858
|
|
Whig
|
|
|
Charles Yorke
4th
Earl of Hardwicke
|
26 February
1858
|
11 June
1859
|
|
Conservative
|
Derby
–
Disraeli II
|
|
|
George Campbell
8th
Duke of Argyll
|
18 June
1859
|
26 June
1866
|
|
Liberal
|
Palmerston II
|
Russell II
|
|
|
James Harris
3rd
Earl of Malmesbury
|
6 July
1866
|
1 December
1868
|
|
Conservative
|
Derby
–
Disraeli III
|
|
|
John Wodehouse
1st
Earl of Kimberley
|
9 December
1868
|
6 July
1870
|
|
Liberal
|
Gladstone I
|
|
|
Charles Wood
1st
Viscount Halifax
|
6 July
1870
|
17 February
1874
|
|
Liberal
|
|
|
James Harris
3rd
Earl of Malmesbury
|
21 February
1874
|
12 August
1876
|
|
Conservative
|
Disraeli II
|
|
|
Benjamin Disraeli
1st
Earl of Beaconsfield
|
12 August
1876
|
4 February
1878
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Algernon Percy
6th
Duke of Northumberland
|
4 February
1878
|
21 April
1880
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
George Campbell
8th
Duke of Argyll
|
28 April
1880
|
2 May
1881
|
|
Liberal
|
Gladstone II
|
|
|
Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue
1st
Baron Carlingford
|
2 May
1881
|
5 March
1885
|
|
Liberal
|
|
|
Archibald Primrose
5th
Earl of Rosebery
|
5 March
1885
|
9 June
1885
|
|
Liberal
|
|
|
Dudley Ryder
3rd
Earl of Harrowby
|
24 June
1885
|
28 January
1886
|
|
Conservative
|
Salisbury I
|
|
|
William Ewart Gladstone
MP for
Midlothian
|
17 February
1886
|
20 July
1886
|
|
Liberal
|
Gladstone III
|
|
|
George Cadogan
5th
Earl Cadogan
|
3 August
1886
|
11 August
1892
|
|
Conservative
|
Salisbury II
|
|
|
William Ewart Gladstone
MP for
Midlothian
|
20 August
1892
|
10 March
1894
|
|
Liberal
|
Gladstone IV
|
|
|
Edward Marjoribanks
2nd
Baron Tweedmouth
|
10 March
1894
|
21 June
1895
|
|
Liberal
|
Rosebery
|
|
|
Richard Assheton Cross
1st
Viscount Cross
|
29 June
1895
|
12 November
1900
|
|
Conservative
|
Salisbury
(III & IV)
(
Con.
–
Lib.U.
)
|
|
|
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
3rd
Marquess of Salisbury
|
12 November
1900
|
July
1902
|
|
Conservative
|
Edward VII
r.
1901–1910
|
|
|
Arthur Balfour
MP for
Manchester East
|
14 July
1902
|
October
1903
|
|
Conservative
|
Balfour
(
Con.
–
Lib.U.
)
|
|
|
James Gascoyne-Cecil
4th
Marquess of Salisbury
|
17 October
1903
|
December
1905
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
George Robinson
1st
Marquess of Ripon
|
10 December
1905
|
October
1908
|
|
Liberal
|
Campbell-Bannerman
|
Asquith
(I
–
III)
|
|
|
Robert Crewe-Milnes
1st
Marquess of Crewe
[nb 24]
|
9 October
1908
|
October
1911
|
|
Liberal
|
George V
r.
1910–1936
|
|
|
Charles Wynn-Carington
1st
Earl Carrington
|
23 October
1911
|
February
1912
|
|
Liberal
|
|
|
Robert Crewe-Milnes
1st
Marquess of Crewe
|
13 February
1912
|
May
1915
|
|
Liberal
|
|
|
George Curzon
1st
Earl Curzon of Kedleston
|
25 May
1915
|
December
1916
|
|
Conservative
|
Asquith Coalition
(
Lib.
–
Con.
–
Lab.
)
|
|
|
David Lindsay
27th
Earl of Crawford
|
15 December
1916
|
January
1919
|
|
Conservative
|
Lloyd George
(I & II)
(
Lib.
–
Con.
–
Lab.
)
|
|
|
Bonar Law
MP for
Glasgow Central
|
10 January
1919
|
March
1921
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Austen Chamberlain
MP for
Birmingham West
|
23 March
1921
|
October
1922
|
|
Conservative
|
Vacant
|
October
1922
|
May
1923
|
|
|
Law
|
|
|
Robert Cecil
1st
Viscount Cecil of Chelwood
[nb 28]
|
28 May
1923
|
January
1924
|
|
Conservative
|
Baldwin I
|
|
|
J. R. Clynes
MP for
Manchester Platting
|
22 January
1924
|
November
1924
|
-
Deputy Leader of the House of Commons
|
Labour
|
MacDonald I
|
|
|
James Gascoyne-Cecil
4th
Marquess of Salisbury
|
6 November
1924
|
June
1929
|
|
Conservative
|
Baldwin II
|
|
|
Jimmy Thomas
MP for
Derby
|
7 June
1929
|
June
1930
|
|
Labour
|
MacDonald II
|
|
|
Vernon Hartshorn
MP for
Ogmore
|
5 June
1930
|
March
1931
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Tom Johnston
MP for
West Stirlingshire
|
24 March
1931
|
August
1931
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
William Peel
1st
Earl Peel
|
August
1931
|
November
1931
|
|
Conservative
|
National I
(
N.Lab.
–
Con.
–
Lib.N.
–
Lib.
)
|
|
|
Philip Snowden
1st
Viscount Snowden
|
5 November
1931
|
September
1932
|
|
National Labour
|
National II
(
N.Lab.
–
Con.
–
Lib.N.
–
Lib.
)
|
|
|
Stanley Baldwin
MP for
Bewdley
|
29 September
1932
|
December
1933
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Anthony Eden
MP for
Warwick and Leamington
|
31 December
1933
|
June
1935
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart
7th
Marquess of Londonderry
|
7 June
1935
|
November
1935
|
|
Conservative
|
National III
(
Con.
–
N.Lab.
–
Lib.N.
)
|
|
|
Edward Wood
3rd
Viscount Halifax
|
22 November
1935
|
May
1937
|
|
Conservative
|
Edward VIII
r.
1936
|
George VI
r.
1936–1952
|
|
|
Herbrand Sackville
9th
Earl De La Warr
|
28 May
1937
|
October
1938
|
|
National Labour
|
National IV
(
Con.
–
N.Lab.
–
Lib.N.
)
|
|
|
John Anderson
1st Viscount Waverley
MP for
Combined Scottish Universities
|
31 October
1938
|
September
1939
|
|
Independent
(National)
|
|
|
Samuel Hoare
1st Viscount Templewood
MP for
Chelsea
|
3 September
1939
|
April
1940
|
|
Conservative
|
Chamberlain War
(
Con.
–
N.Lab.
–
Lib.N.
)
|
|
|
Kingsley Wood
MP for
Woolwich West
|
3 April
1940
|
May
1940
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Clement Attlee
MP for
Limehouse
|
11 May
1940
|
February
1942
|
-
Deputy Leader of the House of Commons
|
Labour
|
Churchill War
(
All parties
)
|
|
|
Stafford Cripps
MP for
Bristol East
|
19 February
1942
|
November
1942
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
Viscount Cranborne
|
22 November
1942
|
September
1943
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Max Aitken
1st
Baron Beaverbrook
|
24 September
1943
|
July
1945
|
|
Conservative
|
Churchill Caretaker
(
Con.
–
N.Lib.
)
|
|
|
Arthur Greenwood
MP for
Wakefield
|
27 July
1945
|
17 April
1947
|
|
Labour
|
Attlee
(I & II)
|
|
|
Philip Inman
1st
Baron Inman
|
17 April
1947
|
7 October
1947
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Christopher Addison
1st
Viscount Addison
|
7 October
1947
|
9 March
1951
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Ernest Bevin
MP for
Woolwich East
|
9 March
1951
|
14 April
1951
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Richard Stokes
MP for
Ipswich
|
26 April
1951
|
October
1951
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
5th
Marquess of Salisbury
|
28 October
1951
|
7 May
1952
|
|
Conservative
|
Churchill III
|
Elizabeth II
r.
1952–2022
|
|
|
Harry Crookshank
MP for
Gainsborough
|
7 May
1952
|
20 December
1955
|
|
Conservative
|
Eden
|
|
|
R. A. Butler
MP for
Saffron Walden
|
20 December
1955
|
October
1959
|
|
Conservative
|
Macmillan
(I & II)
|
|
|
Quintin Hogg
2nd
Viscount Hailsham
|
14 October
1959
|
July
1960
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Edward Heath
MP for
Bexley
|
27 July
1960
|
October
1963
|
-
Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Selwyn Lloyd
MP for
Wirral
|
20 October
1963
|
October
1964
|
|
Conservative
|
Douglas-Home
|
|
|
Frank Pakenham
7th
Earl of Longford
|
18 October
1964
|
December
1965
|
|
Labour
|
Wilson
(I & II)
|
|
|
Frank Soskice
MP for
Newport
|
23 December
1965
|
April
1966
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Frank Pakenham
7th
Earl of Longford
|
6 April
1966
|
January
1968
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Edward Shackleton
Baron Shackleton
|
16 January
1968
|
April
1968
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Fred Peart
MP for
Workington
|
6 April
|
October
1968
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Edward Shackleton
Baron Shackleton
|
18 October
1968
|
June
1970
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
George Jellicoe
2nd
Earl Jellicoe
|
20 June
1970
|
June
1973
|
|
Conservative
|
Heath
|
|
|
David Hennessy
3rd
Baron Windlesham
|
5 June
1973
|
March
1974
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Malcolm Shepherd
2nd
Baron Shepherd
|
7 March
1974
|
September
1976
|
|
Labour
|
Wilson
(III & IV)
|
Callaghan
|
|
|
Fred Peart
Baron Peart
|
10 September
1976
|
May
1979
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Ian Gilmour
Baron Gilmour of Craigmillar
MP for
Chesham and Amersham
|
5 May
1979
|
September
1981
|
-
Government spokesman in the House of Commons for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
|
Conservative
|
Thatcher I
|
|
|
Humphrey Atkins
MP for
Spelthorne
|
14 September
1981
|
April
1982
|
-
Government spokesman in the House of Commons for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Janet Young
Baroness Young
|
6 April
1982
|
June
1983
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
John Biffen
MP for
North Shropshire
|
11 June
1983
|
June
1987
|
|
Conservative
|
Thatcher II
|
|
|
John Wakeham
MP for
South Colchester and Maldon
|
13 June
1987
|
10 January
1988
|
|
Conservative
|
Thatcher III
|
|
|
John Ganzoni
2nd
Baron Belstead
|
10 January
1988
|
28 November
1990
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
David Waddington
Baron Waddington
|
28 November
1990
|
11 April
1992
|
|
Conservative
|
Major I
|
|
|
John Wakeham
Baron Wakeham
|
11 April
1992
|
20 July
1994
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Robert Gascoyne-Cecil
Viscount Cranborne
|
20 July
1994
|
2 May
1997
|
|
Conservative
|
Major II
|
|
|
Ivor Richard
Baron Richard
|
2 May
1997
|
27 July
1998
|
|
Labour
|
Blair I
|
|
|
Margaret Jay
Baroness Jay of Paddington
|
27 July
1998
|
8 June
2001
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Gareth Williams
Baron Williams of Mostyn
|
8 June
2001
|
13 June
2003
|
|
Labour
|
Blair II
|
|
|
Peter Hain
MP for
Neath
|
13 June
2003
|
6 May
2005
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Geoff Hoon
MP for
Ashfield
|
6 May
2005
|
5 May
2006
|
|
Labour
|
Blair III
|
|
|
Jack Straw
MP for
Blackburn
|
5 May
2006
|
27 June
2007
|
|
Labour
|
|
|
Harriet Harman
MP for
Camberwell and Peckham
|
28 June
2007
|
11 May
2010
|
|
Labour
|
Brown
|
|
|
George Young
MP for
North West Hampshire
|
12 May
2010
|
4 September
2012
|
|
Conservative
|
Cameron–Clegg
(
Con.
–
L.D.
)
|
|
|
Andrew Lansley
MP for
South Cambridgeshire
|
4 September
2012
|
14 July
2014
|
|
Conservative
|
|
|
Tina Stowell
Baroness Stowell of Beeston
|
15 July
2014
|
14 July
2016
|
|
Conservative
|
Cameron II
|
|
|
Natalie Evans
Baroness Evans of Bowes Park
|
14 July
2016
|
6 September
2022
|
|
Conservative
|
May I
|
May II
|
Johnson I
|
Johnson II
|
|
|
Nicholas True
Baron True
|
6 September
2022
|
Incumbent
|
|
Conservative
|
Truss
|
Charles III
(2022–present)
|
Sunak
|