Principal Officeholders 1603-29

The following lists have been compiled largely from published sources and are more accurate than those to be found in the Handbook of British Chronology. Where it has proved necessary to consult manuscript material, references are provided. A list of the lord wardens of the Cinque Ports will be found in our article on the Cinque Ports.

Lord High Admiral

8 July 1585

Charles Howard†, Lord Howard of Effingham, later 1st earl of Nottingham

28 Jan. 1619

George Villiers, marquess (later 1st duke) of Buckingham; died in office 23 Aug. 1628

20 Sept. 1628

office placed in commission (Sir Richard Weston*, Lord Weston, later 1st earl of Portland; Robert Bertie, 1st earl of Lindsey; William Herbert, 3rd earl of Pembroke; Edward Sackville*, 4th earl of Dorset; Dudley Carleton*, 1st Viscount Dorchester; (Sir) John Coke*)

 

Earl Marshal

 

26 Dec. 1601

office placed in commission (Thomas Sackville†, 1st Lord Buckhurst; Charles Howard†, 1st of Nottingham; Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester)C231/1, p. 246. I am grateful to Sir John Sainty for this reference.

20 – 28 July 1603For the king’s Coronation.

Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester

4 Feb. 1604

office placed in commission (Lodovic Stuart, 2nd duke of Lennox [S]; Thomas Sackville†, 1st Lord Buckhurst; Charles Howard†, 1st earl of Nottingham; Thomas Howard, 1st earl of Suffolk; Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester; Lord Henry Howard)

15 Mar. 1604For the opening of Parliament.

Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester

5 Feb. 1605

office placed in commission (Lodovic Stuart, 2nd duke of Lennox [S]; Charles Howard†, 1st earl of Nottingham; Thomas Howard, 1st earl of Suffolk; Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester; Thomas Sackville†, 1st earl of Dorset; Charles Blount†, 1st earl of Devonshire; Henry Howard, 1st earl of Northampton)

3 – 6 May 1605For the christening of Princess Mary.

Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester

1 – 8 June 1610For the creation of Prince Henry as prince of Wales.

Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester

16 Jan. 1616

office placed in commission (Thomas Howard, 1st earl of Suffolk; Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester; Lodovic Stuart, 2nd duke of Lennox [S]; Charles Howard, 1st earl of Nottingham; William Herbert, 3rd earl of Pembroke; Gilbert Talbot†, 7th earl of Shrewsbury)

25 Sept. 1616

office placed in commission (Thomas Howard, 1st earl of Suffolk; Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester; Charles Howard†, 1st earl of Nottingham; William Herbert, 3rd earl of Pembroke; Thomas Howard, 21st earl of Arundel; Lodovic Stuart, 2nd duke of Lennox [S])

5 Apr. 1617

office placed in commission (Thomas Howard, 1st earl of Suffolk; Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester; Lodovic Stuart, 2nd duke of Lennox [S]; Charles Howard†, 1st earl of Nottingham; William Herbert, 3rd earl of Pembroke; Thomas Howard, 21st earl of Arundel; George Villiers, 1st earl of Buckingham)

7 Feb. 1618

office placed in commission (Thomas Howard, 1st earl of Suffolk; Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester; Lodovic Stuart, 2nd duke of Lennox [S];) George Villiers, 1st marquess of Buckingham; William Herbert, 3rd earl of Pembroke; Thomas Howard, 21st earl of Arundel)

15 July 1621The date on which he received his staff of office. His patent, dated 29 Aug. 1621, did not pass the great seal until 29 Sept. 1621.

Thomas Howard, 21st earl of Arundel; appointed for life; died Oct.1646
Lord Chamberlain

 

17 Apr. 1597

 

George Carey†, 2nd Lord Hunsdon

6 Apr. 1603

Thomas Howard, Lord Howard de Walden (later 1st earl of Suffolk)

10 July 1614

Robert Carr, 1st earl of Somerset; dismissed c.17 Oct. 1615

23 Dec. 1615

William Herbert, 3rd earl of Pembroke

3 Aug. 1626LC3/31 (reversed), p. 1. I am grateful for this reference to Sir John Sainty.

Sir Philip Herbert*, 1st earl of Montgomery (later also 4th earl Pembroke); dismissed July 1641

Vice-Chamberlain

29 June 1601

Sir John Stanhope* (later 1st Lord Stanhope)

3 Apr. 1616

Sir John Digby* (later 1st Lord Digby and 1st earl of Bristol)

Apr. 1625

(Sir) Dudley Carleton* (later 1st Lord Carleton and 1st Viscount Dorchester)

By 20 April 1629

Sir Humphrey May*; died in office 9 June 1630

Lord StewardThis list does not include the lord stewards appointed solely for the purposes of Parliament. 

 

1588-1615

office vacant

1 Nov. 1615

Lodovic Stuart, 2nd duke of Lennox [S] (later 1st duke of Richmond); died in office 16 Feb. 1624

17 Feb. 1624

James Hamilton, 2nd marquess of Hamilton [S]; died in office 2 Mar. 1625

1625-6

office vacant

3 Aug. 1626

William Herbert, 3rd earl of Pembroke; died in office 10 Apr. 1630

Treasurer of the Household

22 Dec. 1602

Sir William Knollys† (later Lord Knollys and 1st Viscount Wallingford)

21 Dec. 1616

Edward Wotton†, 1st Lord Wotton

1 Feb. 1618

Sir Thomas Edmondes*; died in office bet. 20 and 28 Sept. 1639

Comptroller of the Household

22 Dec. 1602

Sir Edward Wotton† (later 1st Lord Wotton)

21 Dec. 1616

Sir Thomas Edmondes*

 1 Feb. 1618

Sir Henry Carey I* (later 1st Viscount Falkland [S])

15 Aug. 1622

Sir John Suckling*; died in office 27 Mar. 1627

4 Dec. 1627

Sir John Savile* (later 1st Lord Savile); resigned by 31 May 1630

Cofferer of the Household

c.19 Mar. 1597

Sir Henry Cocke†; died in office 24 Mar. 1610

 1 Apr. 1610

Sir Robert Vernon

25 Feb. 1615

(Sir) Arthur Ingram* (suspended from office March 1615)

17 July 1615

Sir Marmaduke Darrell

31 Mar. 1625

Sir Marmaduke Darrell (died in office 22 Mar. 1632) and Sir Henry Vane* (resigned 31 May 1632)

Lord Treasurer

 

15 May 1599

Thomas Sackville†, Lord Buckhurst (later 1st earl of Dorset); died in office 19 Apr. 1608

 4 May 1608

Robert Cecil†, 1st earl of Salisbury; died in office 24 May

16 June 1612E403/2694, no. 15. I am grateful to Sir John Sainty for this and the ensuing two references.

office placed in commission (Henry Howard, 1st earl of Northampton; Thomas Howard, 1st earl of Suffolk; Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester; Edward Zouche, 11th Lord Zouche; Edward Wotton†, 1st Lord Wotton; Sir Julius Caesar*); Thomas Egerton†, 1st Lord Ellesmere, added 24 Jan. 1614For the 1614 commission, see E403/2695, no. 76.

11 July 1614

Thomas Howard, 1st earl of Suffolk; dismissed 19 July 1618

21 July 1618E403/1725.

office placed in commission (George Abbot, archbishop of Canterbury; (Sir) Francis Bacon, Lord Verulam; Lancelot Andrewes, bishop of Ely; Sir Robert Naunton*; Sir Fulke Greville*; Sir Julius Caesar*; Sir Edward Coke*); Sir Lionel Cranfield* added Jan. 1620

14 Dec. 1620

Sir Henry Montagu* (later 1st Viscount Mandeville); resigned 28 Sept. 1621

29 Sept. 1621CSP Dom. 1619-23, p. 293. His patent was dated 13 Oct. 1621: C66/2251/11. I am grateful to Sir John Sainty for this and the following two references.

(Sir) Lionel Cranfield*, Lord Cranfield (later 1st earl of Middlesex); removed from office 13 May 1624 

13 May 1624

office vacant, the duties being performed by the chancellor of the Exchequer by authority of letters patent dated 25 May 1624C66/2340/6.

11 Dec. 1624The patent is dated 20 Dec. 1624: C66/2327/21.

Sir James Ley* (later 1st earl of Marlborough); resigned July 1628

15 July 1628

(Sir) Richard Weston*, 1st Lord Weston (later 1st earl of Portland); died in office 13 Mar. 1635

Chancellor of the Exchequer

21 Jan. 1592

Sir John Fortescue*

24 May 1603

Sir George Home (later Lord Hume [S] and earl of Dunbar [S])

11 Apr. 1606

Sir Julius Caesar*

15 Oct. 1614

Sir Fulke Greville*

13 Nov. 1621

Sir Richard Weston*; left office on appointment as lord treasurer 15 July 1628

14 Aug. 1628

(Sir) Edward Barrett*, Lord Barrett of Newburgh [S]

18 Apr. 1629

Sir Francis Cottington (later 1st Lord Cottington); replaced 6 Jan. 1642

Lord Chancellor/Keeper

6 May 1596

Sir Thomas Egerton† (lord keeper; later Lord Ellesmere and 1st Viscount Brackley); appointed lord chancellor 24 July 1603; surrendered office 3 Mar. 1617

7 Mar. 1617

Sir Francis Bacon* (lord keeper), later Lord Verulam and Viscount St. Alban; appointed lord chancellor 7 Jan. 1618; dismissed 1 May 1621

1 May 1621

office placed in commission (Sir Henry Montagu*, 1st Viscount Mandeville; William Herbert, 3rd earl of Pembroke; Lodovic Stuart, 2nd duke of Lennox [S]; Thomas Howard, 21st earl of Arundel; Sir James Ley*)

16 July 1621

John Williams, bishop of Lincoln (lord keeper)

1 Nov. 1625

Sir Thomas Coventry* (lord keeper); died in office 14 Jan. 1640

Master of the Rolls

10 Apr. 1594

Sir Thomas Egerton† (later Lord Ellesmere)

18 May 1603

Edward Bruce (later 1st Lord Bruce of Kinloss [S])

14 Jan. 1611

Sir Edward Phelips*; died in office 14 Sept. 1614

1 Oct. 1614Caesar had a reversion dated 26 Jan. 1611 so in effect he must have succeeded to office immediately on Phelips’s death.

Sir Julius Caesar*; died in office 10 Apr. 1636

Master of the Horse

4 Apr. 1601The date he took the oath of office: LS13/168, f. 24. For his patent, dated 21 Apr. 1601, see C66/1559. I am grateful to Sir John Sainty for both of these references.

Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester; grant renewed 15 Jan. 1604; surrendered Jan. 1616

4 Jan. 1616

Sir George Villiers, later 1st duke of Buckingham; died in office 23 Aug. 1628

7 Nov. 1628

James Hamilton, 3rd marquess of Hamilton [S]; dismissed Dec. 1643

Lord President of the Council

c.1553-1621

office vacant

28 Sept. 1621

Sir Henry Montagu*, 1st Viscount Mandeville (later 1st earl of Manchester); resigned c.30 June 1628

15 July 1628

Sir James Ley*, 1st earl of Marlborough; resigned 14 Dec. 1628

14 Dec. 1628

Sir Edward Conway I*, 1st Viscount Conway; died in office 3 Jan. 1631

Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal

1573-1608

office vacant

28 Apr. 1608

Henry Howard, 1st earl of Northampton; died in office 16 June 1614

1614-16

office vacant

2 Jan. 1616

Edward Somerset, 4th earl of Worcester; died in office 3 Mar. 1628

30 June 1628

Sir Henry Montagu*, 1st earl of Manchester; died in office 7 Nov. 1642

Attorney-General

10 Apr. 1594

Sir Edward Coke*; resigned on appointment as lord chief justice of Common Pleas 30 June 1606

4 July 1606

Sir Henry Hobart*; resigned on appointment as lord chief justice of Common Pleas 26 Oct. 1613

27 Oct. 1613

Sir Francis Bacon*; resigned on appointment as lord keeper 7 Mar. 1617

12 Mar. 1617

(Sir) Henry Yelverton*; suspended 27 June 1620, dismissed 10 Nov. 1620

11 Jan. 1621

Sir Thomas Coventry*; resigned on appointment as lord keeper 1 Nov. 1625

31 Oct. 1625

(Sir) Robert Heath*; resigned on appointment as lord chief justice of Common Pleas 26 Oct. 1631

Solicitor General

5 Nov. 1595

Sir Thomas Fleming I*

28 Oct. 1604

Sir John Doddridge*

25 June 1607

Sir Francis Bacon*

29 Oct. 1613

Henry Yelverton*

14 Mar. 1617

(Sir) Thomas Coventry*

22 Jan. 1621

Robert Heath*

1 Nov. 1625

Sir Richard Shilton*; resigned 6 Oct. 1634

Principal Secretaries of State

5 July 1596

Sir Robert Cecil† (later Lord Cecil, 1st Viscount Cranborne and 1st earl of Salisbury); died in office 24 May 1612

10 May 1600

Sir John Herbert* (appointed second secretary only); ceased to serve May 1612

1612-14

office vacant (duties executed by Robert Carr, Viscount Rochester and later 1st earl of Somerset)

29 Mar. 1614

Sir Ralph Winwood*; died in office 28 Oct. 1617

3 Jan. 1616

Sir Thomas Lake I*; dismissed 13 Feb. 1619

9 Jan. 1618

Sir Robert Naunton*; suspended 17 Jan. 1621, resigned.14 Jan. 1623

16 Feb 1619

(Sir) George Calvert* (sold office February 1625)

19 Jan. 1623

Sir Edward Conway I* (later 1st Viscount Conway); resigned on appointment as lord president of the Council 14 Dec. 1628

9 Feb. 1625

Sir Albertus Morton*; died in office 6 Sept. 1625

By 8 Sept. 1625

(Sir) John Coke*; resigned 30 Jan. 1640

14 Dec. 1628

Dudley Carleton*, 1st Viscount Dorchester; died in office 15 Feb. 1632

Lord Chief Justice of King’s Bench

June 1592

Sir John Popham†; died in office 10 June 1607

25 June 1607

Sir Thomas Fleming I*; died in office 7 Aug. 1613

25 Oct. 1613

Sir Edward Coke*; dismissed 15 Nov. 1616

16 Nov. 1616

Sir Henry Montagu*; discharged 28 Jan. 1621 following appointment as lord treasurer 14 Dec. 1620

29 Jan. 1621

Sir James Ley*; discharged 25 Jan. 1625 following appointment as lord treasurer, 11 Dec. 1624

26 Jan. 1625

Sir Ranulphe Crewe*; dismissed 9 Nov. 1626

5 Feb. 1627

(Sir) Nicholas Hyde*; died in office 25 Aug. 1631

Lord Chief Justice of Common Pleas

2 May 1582

Sir Edmund Anderson; died in office 1 Aug. 1605

26 Aug. 1605

Sir Francis Gawdy†; died in office 15 Dec. 1605

30 June 1606

Sir Edward Coke; removed to King’s Bench 25 Oct. 1613

26 Oct. 1613

Sir Henry Hobart*; died in office 26 Dec. 1625

28 Nov. 1626

(Sir) Thomas Richardson*; removed to King’s Bench 24 Oct. 1631

Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer

7 Feb. 1593

Sir William Peryam†; died in office 9 Oct. 1604

27 Oct. 1604

Sir Thomas Fleming I*; removed to King’s Bench 25 June 1607

25 June 1607

Sir Lawrence Tanfield*; died in office 30 Apr. 1625

10 May 1625

Sir John Walter*; died in office 18 Nov. 1630

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

4 Nov. 1601

Sir John Fortescue*; died in office 23 Dec. 1607

23 Dec. 1607

Sir Thomas Parry*; died in office 31 May 1616

5 June 1616

Sir John Dackombe*; died in office 27 Jan. 1618

23 Mar. 1618

Sir Humphrey May*; surrendered office 11 Apr. 1629

16 Apr. 1629

Edward Barrett*, Lord Newburgh; died in office Dec. 1644

Master of the Wards

21 May 1599

Sir Robert Cecil† (later Lord Cecil, 1st Viscount Cranborne and 1st earl of Salisbury); died in office 24 May 1612

14 June 1612

Sir George Carew II*; died in office 13 Nov. 1612

21 Nov. 1612

Sir Walter Cope*; died in office 31 July 1614

10 Oct. 1614

William Knollys†, 1st Lord Knollys (later 1st Viscount Wallingford)

15 Jan. 1619

(Sir) Lionel Cranfield* (later Lord Cranfield and 1st earl of Middlesex)

2 Oct. 1624

Sir Robert Naunton*; resigned 8 Mar. 1635

Heads of the Irish administration

21 Jan. 1600

Charles Blount†, Lord Mountjoy and later 1st earl of Devonshire (lord deputy); reappointed 12 Apr. 1603; appointed lord lieutenant 21 Apr. 1603; died in office 3 Apr. 1606

30 May 1603

Sir George Carey (lord deputy)

15 Oct. 1604

Sir Arthur Chichester (lord deputy);Though this is the formal date of his appointment, Chichester did not actually succeed Carey until c.8 Jan. 1605. granted discharge 28 Nov. 1615; surrendered office 10 Feb. 1616

10 Feb. 1616

Thomas Jones, archbishop of Dublin and lord chancellor [I], and Sir John Denham, chief justice of King’s Bench [I] (lords justices)

2 July 1616

Sir Oliver St. John* (lord deputy; later 1st Viscount Grandison [I] and 1st Lord Tregoz); discharged 18 Apr. 1622

2 May 1622

Sir Adam Loftus, lord chancellor [I] and Richard Wingfield, 1st Viscount Powerscourt [I], marshal of the army (lords justices)

8 Sept. 1622

Sir Henry Carey I*, 1st Viscount Falkland [S] (lord deputy); discharged 10 Aug. 1629

Lord President of the Council in the North

10 Aug. 1599

Thomas Cecil†, 2nd Lord Burghley

22 July 1603

Edmund Sheffield, 1st Lord Sheffield

11 July 1619

Emmanuel Scrope, 10th Lord Scrope (later earl of Sunderland)

15 Dec. 1628

Sir Thomas Wentworth*, 1st Viscount Wentworth (later 1st earl of Strafford); removed 10 May 1641

Lord President of the Council in the Marches

7 July 1602

Edward Zouche, 11th Lord Zouche

By 30 Jan. 1606

Ralph Eure†, 3rd Lord Eure

By 7 Mar.1617

Thomas Gerard, 1st Lord Gerard;died in office 15 Jan. 1618

By 13 May 1618

William Compton, 1st earl of Northampton; died in office 24 June 1630

Lieutenant of the Tower of London

1597

Sir John Peyton†

30 July 1603

Sir George Hervey*; died in office 10 Aug. 1605

15 Aug. 1605

Sir William Waad*

 6 May 1613

Sir Gervase Elwes; dismissed 26 Oct. 1615

Late Oct. 1615

Sir George More*

3 Mar. 1617

Sir Allan Apsley; died in office 24 May 1630

Recorder of London

1595

John Croke†

26 May 1603

(Sir) Henry Montagu*

16 Nov. 1616

(Sir) Thomas Coventry*

17 Mar. 1617

Anthony Benn; died in office 29 Sept. 1618

 1 Oct. 1618

Richard Martin*; died in office 31 Oct. 1618

10 Nov. 1618

Robert Heath*

20 Jan. 1621

Robert Shute*; died in office c. 6 Feb. 1621

15 Feb. 1621

Heneage Finch*; died in office 5 Dec. 1631