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Master of the Rolls

The Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the President of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales and Head of Civil Justice. As a judge, the Master of the Rolls is second in seniority in England and Wales only to the Lord Chief Justice.[1] The position dates from at least 1286, although it is believed that the office probably existed earlier than that.[2]

Master of the Rolls of England and Wales
The Judiciary of England and Wales
Incumbent
Sir Geoffrey Vos
since 11 January 2021
StyleThe Right Honourable
NominatorJudicial Appointments Commission
AppointerThe Sovereign on recommendation of Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor, who are in turn given recommendations by a selection panel
Term lengthLife tenure; Retirement at age 70, or 75 if appointed to a judicial post before 31 March 1995
Inaugural holderJohn Langton
Formation2 September 1286
Salary£238,868
WebsiteThe Judiciary of England and Wales

The Master of the Rolls was initially a clerk responsible for keeping the "Rolls" or records of the Court of Chancery, and was known as the Keeper of the Rolls of Chancery.[3] The Keeper was the most senior of the dozen Chancery clerks, and as such occasionally acted as keeper of the Great Seal of the Realm.[4] The post evolved into a judicial one as the Court of Chancery did; the first reference to judicial duties dates from 1520.[5] With the Judicature Act 1873, which merged the Court of Chancery with the other major courts, the Master of the Rolls joined the Chancery Division of the High Court and the Court of Appeal,[6] but left the Chancery Division by the terms of the Judicature Act 1881. The Master of the Rolls had also been warden of the little-used Domus Conversorum for housing Jewish converts, which led to the house and chapel being used to store legal documents and later becoming the location of the Public Record Office. He retained his clerical functions as the nominal head of the Public Record Office until the Public Records Act 1958 transferred responsibility for it to the Lord Chancellor.[7] One residual reminder of this role is the fact that the Master of the Rolls of the day continues to serve, ex officio, as President of the British Records Association. The Master of the Rolls was also previously responsible for registering solicitors, the officers of the Senior Courts.[8]

One of the most prominent people to hold the position was Thomas Cromwell, a highly influential figure during the reign of Henry VIII; more recently, Lord Denning held the position for 20 years, from 1962 to 1982, and made sweeping changes in the common law. The current Master of the Rolls is Sir Geoffrey Vos, who took office in January 2021.[9]

The Rolls Estate

The substantial estate of the Domus Conversorum, between London and Westminster, became attached to the office of Master of the Rolls, and was known as the "Rolls Estate", regarded as virtually an Inn of Court.[10]

List of Masters of the Rolls

Gallery

PortraitNameTerm of officeOther positionsNotes
John Langton2 September 12861 October 1295Lord Chancellor 1292–1302, 1307–1310[11][12]
Adam Osgodby1 October 129519 August 1316
—
[11]
William Airmyn19 August 131626 May 1324
—
[11]
Richard Airmyn26 May 13244 July 1325
—
[11]
Henry de Cliff4 July 132520 January 1334
—
[11]
Michael Wrath20 January 133428 April 1337
—
[11]
John de St Paul28 April 133710 January 1341Archbishop of Dublin 1349–1362, Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1350–1356[13]
Thomas Evesham10 January 134121 February 1341
—
[13]
John Thoresby21 February 13412 July 1346
—
[13]
David Wollore2 July 134628 March 1371
—
[13]
William Burstall28 March 13718 September 1381
—
[13]
John Waltham8 September 138124 October 1386Lord Privy Seal 1386–1389, Lord Chancellor 1349–1356[13][14]
John Burton24 October 138622 July 1394
—
[13]
John Scarle22 July 139411 September 1397Lord Chancellor 1399–1401[13][15]
Thomas Stanley11 September 139724 September 1402
—
[13]
Nicholas Bubwith24 September 14022 March 1405Lord Privy Seal 1405–1406, Lord High Treasurer 1407–1408[16][17]
John Wakering2 March 14053 June 1415Lord Privy Seal 1415–1416[16][18]
Simon Gauntsede3 June 141528 October 1423
—
[16]
John Frank28 October 142313 November 1438
—
[16]
John Stopyndon13 November 143829 March 1447
—
[16]
John Kirkeby29 March 144723 December 1461
—
[16]
Robert Kirkeham23 December 146112 February 1471
—
[16]
William Morland12 February 147129 April 1471
—
[16]
John Alcock29 April 147116 March 1472Lord Chancellor 1475, 1485–1487[16][19]
John Morton16 March 14729 January 1479Lord Chancellor 1487–1500, Archbishop of Canterbury 1486–1500[16][20]
Robert Morton9 January 147922 September 1483
—
[21]
Thomas Barowe22 September 148322 August 1485
—
[21]
Robert Morton jointly with William Eliot22 August 148526 February 1487Jointly from 13 November 1485[21][22]
David William26 February 14875 May 1492
—
[21]
John Blyth5 May 149213 February 1494
—
[21]
William Warham13 February 14941 February 1502Keeper of the Great Seal 1502–1504, Lord Chancellor 1504–1515, Archbishop of Canterbury 1503–1532[21][23]
William Barons1 February 150213 November 1504
—
[21]
Christopher Bainbridge13 November 150422 January 1508Archbishop of York 1508–1514[21][24]
John Yonge22 January 150812 May 1516
—
[25]
Cuthbert Tunstall12 May 151620 October 1522Lord Privy Seal 1523–1530[25][26]
John Clerk20 October 15229 October 1523
—
[25]
Thomas Hannibal9 October 152326 June 1527
—
[25]
John Taylor26 June 15278 October 1534Archdeacon of Derby 1516–1533, Archdeacon of Buckingham 1516–1534[25]
Thomas Cromwell8 October 153410 July 1536Secretary of State 1533–1536, Lord Privy Seal 1536–1540[25][27]
Christopher Hales10 July 15361 July 1541Solicitor General 1525–1529, Attorney General 1529–1536[25][28]
Sir Robert Southwell1 July 154113 December 1550
—
[25]
John Beaumont13 December 155018 June 1552
—
[25]
Sir Robert Bowes18 June 155218 September 1553
—
[25]
Sir Nicholas Hare18 September 15535 November 1557Speaker of the House of Commons 1539–1540[29][30]
Sir William Cordell5 November 155730 May 1581Solicitor General 1553–1557, Speaker of the House of Commons 1558[29][31]
Sir Gilbert Gerard30 May 158110 April 1594Attorney General 1559–1581[29][32]
Sir Thomas Egerton10 April 159418 May 1603Solicitor General 1581–1592, Attorney General 1592–1594, Lord Chancellor 1596–1617, First Lord of the Treasury 1613–1614[29][33]
Edward Bruce, 1st Lord Kinloss, 1st Lord Bruce18 May 160314 January 1611
—
[29]
Sir Edward Phelips14 January 16111 September 1614Speaker of the House of Commons 1603–1611[29][34]
Sir Julius Caesar1 September 161418 April 1636Chancellor of the Exchequer 1606–1614[29]
Sir Dudley Digges18 April 163630 March 1639
—
[29]
Sir Charles Caesar30 March 163928 January 1643
—
[29]
The Lord Colepeper (royalist)28 January 16433 November 1660Chancellor of the Exchequer 1642–1643[29][35]
William Lenthall (parliamentary)10 November 164314 May 1659Speaker of the House of Commons 1640–1647, 1647–1653, 1654–1655, 1659–1660[36][37]
Sir Harbottle Grimston, Bt3 November 166012 January 1685Speaker of the House of Commons 1660[36][38]
Sir John Churchill12 January 168520 October 1685Attorney-General 1673–85[39][36]
Sir John Trevor20 October 168513 March 1689
—
[36]
Sir Henry Powle13 March 168913 January 1693Speaker of the House of Commons 1689[36][40]
Sir John Trevor13 January 169320 May 1717Speaker of the House of Commons 1685–1689, 1693–1717[36][41]
Sir Joseph Jekyll13 July 171719 August 1738
—
[36]
Sir John Verney9 October 17385 August 1741
—
[36]
William Fortescue5 November 174116 December 1749
—
[36]
Sir John Strange11 January 175018 May 1754Solicitor General 1737–1742[36][42]
Sir Thomas Clarke29 May 175413 November 1764
—
[43]
Sir Thomas Sewell4 December 17646 March 1784
—
[43]
Sir Lloyd Kenyon30 March 17847 June 1788Attorney General 1782–1783, 1783–1784, Lord Chief Justice 1788–1802[43][44]
Sir Richard Arden14 June 178823 May 1801Solicitor General 1782–1783, 1783–1784, Attorney General 1784–1788, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1801–1804[43][45]
Sir William Grant27 May 180131 December 1817Solicitor General 1799–1801[43][46]
Sir Thomas Plumer6 January 181824 March 1824Solicitor General 1807–1812, Attorney General 1812–1813[43][47]
The Lord Gifford5 April 18244 September 1826Solicitor General 1817–1819, Attorney General 1819–1824, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1824[43][48]
Sir John Singleton Copley14 September 18261 May 1827Solicitor General 1819–1824, Attorney General 1824–1826, Lord Chancellor 1827–1830, 1834–1835, 1841–1846[43][49]
Sir John Leach3 May 182714 September 1834Vice Chancellor of England 1818–1827[43][50]
Sir Charles Pepys, Bt29 September 183419 January 1836Solicitor General 1834, Lord Chancellor 1836–1841, 1846–1850[43][51]
The Lord Langdale19 January 183628 March 1851
—
[52]
The Lord Romilly28 March 185129 August 1873Solicitor General 1848, Attorney General 1850[52]
Sir George Jessel30 August 187321 March 1883Solicitor General 1871–1873[52][53]
The Lord Esher3 April 188318 October 1897Solicitor General 1868[52][54]
Sir Nathaniel Lindley25 October 189710 May 1900
—
[52][55]
The Lord Alverstone10 May 190022 October 1900Lord Chief Justice 1900–1913[52][56]
Sir Archibald Levin Smith23 October 190019 October 1901
—
[52]
Sir Richard Collins19 October 19016 March 1907
—
[52][57]
Sir Herbert Cozens-Hardy
(The Lord Cozens-Hardy from 1914)		6 March 190730 April 1918
—
[52]
Sir Charles Swinfen Eady2 May 191820 October 1919
—
[52]
The Lord Sterndale31 October 191917 August 1923President of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division 1918–1919[58][59]
Sir Ernest Pollock
(The Lord Hanworth from 1926)		12 October 19237 October 1935Solicitor General 1919–1922, Attorney General 1922.[58][60]
The Lord Wright7 October 193527 April 1937
—
[58]
The Lord Greene27 April 19371 June 1949
—
[58]
Sir Raymond Evershed (The Lord Evershed from 1956)1 June 194919 April 1962
—
[58]
The Lord Denning19 April 196229 September 1982
—
[58]
Sir John Donaldson (The Lord Donaldson of Lymington from 1988)30 September 19821 October 1992
—
[58]
Sir Thomas Bingham1 October 19924 June 1996Lord Chief Justice 1996–2000; Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary 2000–2008[61]
The Lord Woolf4 June 19966 June 2000Lord Chief Justice 2000–2005[62]
The Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers6 June 20003 October 2005Lord Chief Justice 2005–2008, President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom 2009–2012[63]
Sir Anthony Clarke
(The Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony from May 2009)		3 October 200530 September 2009Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, 2009–2017[64]
The Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury1 October 200930 September 2012President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, 2012–2017[65]
Lord Dyson1 October 20122 October 2016Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, 2010–2012[66]
Sir Terence Etherton (The Lord Etherton from December 2020)3 October 201611 January 2021Chancellor of the High Court, 2013–2016[67]
Sir Geoffrey Vos11 January 2021IncumbentChancellor of the High Court, 2016–2021[67]

Peerages created for the Master of the Rolls

Since the Act of Union 1707
Master of the RollsTitleCreatedCurrent statusOther Judicial Roles
Sir Lloyd KenyonBaron KenyonExtantLord Chief Justice of the King's Bench
Sir Richard ArdenBaron Alvanley22 May 1801Extinct 24 June 1857Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Sir Robert GiffordBaron Gifford30 January 1824ExtantLord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas
Sir John CopleyBaron Lyndhurst25 April 1827Extinct 12 October 1863Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
Sir Charles PepysEarl of Cottenham11 June 1850ExtantLord High Chancellor of Great Britain
Baron Cottenham20 January 1836
Sir Henry BickerstethBaron Langdale23 January 1836Extinct 18 April 1851None
Sir John RomillyBaron Romilly3 January 1866Extinct 29 June 1983None
Sir William BrettViscount Esher11 November 1897ExtantNone
Baron Esher24 July 1895
Sir Nathaniel LindleyBaron Lindley as Law Lord10 May 1900Extinct 9 December 1921None
Sir Richard WebsterViscount Alverstone24 November 1913Extinct 15 December 1915Lord Chief Justice of England
Baron Alverstone18 June 1900
Sir Richard CollinsBaron Collins as Law Lord6 March 1907Extinct 3 January 1911None
Sir Herbert Cozens-HardyBaron Cozens-Hardy1 July 1914Extinct 11 September 1975None
Sir Charles Swinfen EadyBaron Swinfen1 November 1919ExtantNone
Sir William PickfordBaron Sterndale14 November 1918Extinct 17 August 1923None
Sir Ernest PollockViscount Hanworth17 January 1936ExtantNone
Baron Hanworth28 January 1926
Sir Robert WrightBaron Wright as Law Lord11 April 1932Extinct 27 June 1964None
Sir Wilfrid GreeneBaron Greene16 July 1941Extinct 16 April 1952None
Sir Raymond EvershedBaron Evershed20 January 1956Extinct 3 October 1966None
Sir Tom DenningBaron Denning as Law Lord24 April 1957Extinct 5 March 1999None
Sir John DonaldsonBaron Donaldson of Lymington as Life Peer15 February 1988Extinct 31 August 2005None
Sir Tom BinghamBaron Bingham of Cornhill as Law Lord4 June 1996Extinct 11 September 2010Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Sir Harry WoolfBaron Woolf as Law Lord1 October 1992ExtantLord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Sir Nick PhillipsBaron Phillips of Worth Matravers as Law Lord12 January 1999ExtantPresident of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Sir Tony ClarkeBaron Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony as Life Peer29 May 2009ExtantNone
Sir David NeubergerBaron Neuberger of Abbotsbury as Law Lord11 January 2007ExtantPresident of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Sir Terence EthertonBaron Etherton as Life Peer23 December 2020ExtantChancellor of the High Court

See also

References

Bibliography

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Master of the Rolls ".
Retrieved from "https:https://www.search.com.vn/wiki/index.php?lang=en&q=Master_of_the_Rolls&oldid=1206150382"
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