Lord Chancellor of Ireland

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) • William, Prior of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Kilmainham (?1331–) • Robert de Hemmingburgh (1338–) • William de Bromley, Dean of St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin (1346-1350) • John de St Paul, Archbishop of Dublin (1350–1356) • Richard d'Askeaton (1356) • John Keppock, Lord Keeper in the absence of William Tany to Jerusalem • Robert Wikeford or de Wikeford, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland (1377–1379) • John Colton, Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral (1379–1382). Later Archbishop of Armagh. • William Tany, Prior of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem (1382–1385). The same as above. • Robert Preston, 1st Baron Gormanston 1388 • Richard Plunkett (1388–1393) • Richard Northalis, Bishop of Ossory (1393–1397). Also Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland from 1395 to his death. • Robert Braybrooke, Bishop of London (1397) 15th century • Thomas Cranley, Primate of Ireland (1401–1410) • John Tiptoft, 1st Earl of Worcester (1462–1463). By decree of Edward IV of England, he held the title of Lord Chancellor for life. He continued receiving the salary of the position and exercising some of its functions until his death in 1470. • Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Kildare (c. 1463 – 1468). By decree of Edward IV of England, he held the title of Lord Chancellor for life. He continued receiving the salary of the position and exercising some of its functions until his death in 1478. • Robert Allanstown (1468–1469) • William Dudley (1469–1472) • Joint Lord Chancellors of Ireland (1472–1477) • Robert FitzEustace • John Tapton • Gilbert Debenham (1474) • Rowland FitzEustace, 1st Baron Portlester (1474–1479) • William Sherwood, Bishop of Meath (1480–1482) • Walter Champfleur, Abbot of St Mary's Abbey, Dublin (Lord Keeper, or by some accounts Lord Chancellor 1479 and 1482-1483) • Sir Thomas FitzGerald of Laccagh (c.1483 – 1487) • Rowland FitzEustace, 1st Baron Portlester (1487–1492). The same as above. • Sir Richard Reade (6 December 1546 – 1548) • Sir John Alan (1548–1551) • Sir Thomas Cusack (1551–1554) • Sir William Gerard (1576–1581) • Adam Loftus (1581–1605) the same as the above. • 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) • Sir Maurice Eustace (1660–1665) • Michael Boyle (1665–1686) • Sir Charles Porter (1686–1687) • Sir Alexander Fitton (1687–1690) • Commissioners of the Great Seal of Ireland (1690) • Sir Richard Pyne (1690) • Sir Richard Ryves (1690) • Robert Rochfort (1690) • Charles Porter (second term) (29 December 1690 – 1696) • Commissioners of the Great Seal of Ireland (1696–1697) • Sir John Jeffreyson • Thomas Coote • Nehemiah Donnellan • John Methuen (11 March 1697 – 1703) 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) • 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) (Attorney-General, 1861-65) • Commissioners of the Great Seal of Ireland (1874–1875) • Sir Joseph Napier, Chief Commissioner (1874–1875) • James Anthony Lawson (1874–1875) • William Brooke (1874–1875) • John Ball (1875–1880) (sitting Attorney-General) • John Naish (1886) (see above) • Samuel Walker (1892–1895) (Attorney-General, February–August 1886) • Edward Gibson, 1st Baron Ashbourne (29 June 1895 – 1905) (see above) 20th century ==References==