Surf Wiki
Save to docs
law

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Master of the Rolls

Second most senior judge in England and Wales

Second most senior judge in England and Wales

FieldValue
postMaster of the Rolls
bodyEngland and Wales
insigniaCoat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, lesser arms).svg
insigniasize115px
insigniacaptionThe Judiciary of England and Wales
imageSir_Geoffrey_Vos_2022.png
incumbentSir Geoffrey Vos
incumbentsince11 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
termlengthLife tenure; Retirement at age 75
inauguralJohn Langton
formation2 September 1286
salary£238,868
website
Note

the English office

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. The position dates from at least 1286, although it is believed that the office probably existed earlier than that.

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. 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. The post evolved into a judicial one as the Court of Chancery did; the first reference to judicial duties dates from 1520. 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, 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. 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.

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.

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.

List of Masters of the Rolls

File:Cromwell,Thomas(1EEssex)01.jpg|alt=A Tudor man in a large coat and hat, possibly of fur, sitting at a desk|Thomas Cromwell, a highly influential figure during the reign of Henry VIII File:Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley from NPG.jpg|alt=An elderly gentleman dressed in a black coat and hat, with a white ruff around his neck. He has a pointed, grey beard, and is holding a red bag with a coat of arms on it.|Sir Thomas Egerton, who served as Lord Keeper and Lord Chancellor for 21 years File:Sir John Trevor - detail.jpg|alt=A middle-aged, slightly overweight man. He has long, curled hair, possibly a wig, and a heavy, decorated robe.|Sir John Trevor, the last Speaker of the House of Commons to resign in over 300 years until the resignation of Michael Martin in 2009 File:LordLindley cropp.jpg|alt=A man sitting relaxed and facing the right. He is in full judicial dress, with a wig, suit and heavy robe.|Sir Nathaniel Lindley, who made key judgments in a variety of important cases and was the last Serjeant-at-Law appointed, the last to sit as a judge and the last surviving. File:Lord Bingham.jpg|alt=An elderly gentleman walking along. He is wearing a suit with grey trousers, over which is draped a heavy robe and a gold change. A black hat with a large white plume sits on his head. In the background stands a police woman separated from a group of people by a white cordon.|Tom Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill, who helped establish the UK Supreme Court

PortraitNameTerm of officeOther positionsNotes
2 September 12861 October 1295Lord Chancellor 1292–1302, 1307–1310
1 October 129519 August 1316
19 August 131626 May 1324
26 May 13244 July 1325
4 July 132520 January 1334
20 January 133428 April 1337
28 April 133710 January 1341Archbishop of Dublin 1349–1362, Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1350–1356
10 January 134121 February 1341
21 February 13412 July 1346
2 July 134628 March 1371
28 March 13718 September 1381
8 September 138124 October 1386Lord Privy Seal 1386–1389, Lord Chancellor 1349–1356
24 October 138622 July 1394
22 July 139411 September 1397Lord Chancellor 1399–1401
11 September 139724 September 1402
24 September 14022 March 1405Lord Privy Seal 1405–1406, Lord High Treasurer 1407–1408
2 March 14053 June 1415Lord Privy Seal 1415–1416
3 June 141528 October 1423
28 October 142313 November 1438
13 November 143829 March 1447
29 March 144723 December 1461
23 December 146112 February 1471
12 February 147129 April 1471
29 April 147116 March 1472Lord Chancellor 1475, 1485–1487
[[File:Cardinal John Morton.jpg100x100px]]16 March 14729 January 1479Lord Chancellor 1487–1500, Archbishop of Canterbury 1486–1500
9 January 147922 September 1483
22 September 148322 August 1485
jointly with William Eliot22 August 148526 February 1487Jointly from 13 November 1485
26 February 14875 May 1492
5 May 149213 February 1494
[[File:Hans Holbein d. J. 066.jpg94x94px]]13 February 14941 February 1502Keeper of the Great Seal 1502–1504, Lord Chancellor 1504–1515, Archbishop of Canterbury 1503–1532
1 February 150213 November 1504
[[File:Christopher Bainbridge.jpg91x91px]]13 November 150422 January 1508Archbishop of York 1508–1514
22 January 150812 May 1516
[[File:CuthbertTunstall.jpg85x85px]]12 May 151620 October 1522Lord Privy Seal 1523–1530
20 October 15229 October 1523
9 October 152326 June 1527
26 June 15278 October 1534Archdeacon of Derby 1516–1533, Archdeacon of Buckingham 1516–1534
[[File:Cromwell,Thomas(1EEssex)01.jpg90x90px]]8 October 153410 July 1536Secretary of State 1533–1536, Lord Privy Seal 1536–1540
10 July 15361 July 1541Solicitor General 1525–1529, Attorney General 1529–1536
1 July 154113 December 1550
13 December 155018 June 1552
[[File:Sir Robert Bowes.jpg90x90px]]18 June 155218 September 1553
18 September 15535 November 1557Speaker of the House of Commons 1539–1540
[[File:Cornelis de Zeeuw - Portrait of a Gentleman (1565).jpg109x109px]]5 November 155730 May 1581Solicitor General 1553–1557, Speaker of the House of Commons 1558
30 May 158110 April 1594Attorney General 1559–1581
[[File:Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley from NPG.jpg96x96px]]10 April 159418 May 1603Solicitor General 1581–1592, Attorney General 1592–1594, Lord Chancellor 1596–1617, First Lord of the Treasury 1613–1614
[[File:LordKinloss.jpg104x104px]]18 May 160314 January 1611
[[File:Edward Phelips.jpg90x90px]]14 January 16111 September 1614Speaker of the House of Commons 1603–1611
[[File:SirJuliusCaesarCrop.jpg97x97px]]1 September 161418 April 1636Chancellor of the Exchequer 1606–1614
[[File:Sir Dudley Digges (c. 1583 – 1639).jpeg96x96px]]18 April 163630 March 1639
[[File:SirCharlesCaesar.jpg92x92px]]30 March 163928 January 1643
[[File:1stLordColepeper.jpg89x89px]](royalist)28 January 16433 November 1660Chancellor of the Exchequer 1642–1643
[[File:WilliamLenthall.jpg95x95px]](parliamentary)10 November 164314 May 1659Speaker of the House of Commons 1640–1647, 1647–1653, 1654–1655, 1659–1660
[[File:Sir Harbottle Grimston.jpg91x91px]]3 November 166012 January 1685Speaker of the House of Commons 1660
{{sortnameSir JohnChurchillJohn Churchill (judge)}}12 January 168520 October 1685
[[File:Sir John Trevor - detail.jpg91x91px]]20 October 168513 March 1689
13 March 168913 January 1693Speaker of the House of Commons 1689
[[File:Sir John Trevor - detail.jpg91x91px]]13 January 169320 May 1717Speaker of the House of Commons 1685–1689, 1693–1717
[[File:Joseph Jekyll - Richardson.jpeg93x93px]]13 July 171719 August 1738
[[File:John Verney - detail.jpg94x94px]]9 October 17385 August 1741
[[File:Willfortescue.jpg94x94px]]5 November 174116 December 1749
11 January 175018 May 1754Solicitor General 1737–1742
[[File:Sir Thomas Clarke.jpg95x95px]]29 May 175413 November 1764
4 December 17646 March 1784
[[File:Lloyd Kenyon, 1st Baron Kenyon by William Davison.jpg90x90px]]30 March 17847 June 1788Attorney General 1782–1783, 1783–1784, Lord Chief Justice 1788–1802
[[File:1stLordAlvanley.jpg85x85px]]14 June 178823 May 1801Solicitor General 1782–1783, 1783–1784, Attorney General 1784–1788, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1801–1804
[[File:Sir William Grant by Sir Thomas Lawrence.jpg122x122px]]27 May 180131 December 1817Solicitor General 1799–1801
[[File:ThomasPlumer.jpg115x115px]]6 January 181824 March 1824Solicitor General 1807–1812, Attorney General 1812–1813
[[File:RobertGifford.jpg116x116px]]5 April 18244 September 1826Solicitor General 1817–1819, Attorney General 1819–1824, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas 1824
[[File:1stLordLyndhurst.jpg104x104px]]14 September 18261 May 1827Solicitor General 1819–1824, Attorney General 1824–1826, Lord Chancellor 1827–1830, 1834–1835, 1841–1846
[[File:SirJohnLeach.jpg99x99px]]3 May 182714 September 1834Vice Chancellor of England 1818–1827
[[File:Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham by Charles Robert Leslie cropped.jpg115x115px]]29 September 183419 January 1836Solicitor General 1834, Lord Chancellor 1836–1841, 1846–1850
[[File:Henry Bickersteth, Baron Langdale (19th century) by George Richmond and John Henry Robinson.jpg96x96px]]19 January 183628 March 1851
[[File:1stLordRomilly.jpg90x90px]]28 March 185129 August 1873Solicitor General 1848, Attorney General 1850
[[File:SirGeorgeJessel.jpg115x115px]]30 August 187321 March 1883Solicitor General 1871–1873
[[File:William Baliol Brett.jpg99x99px]]3 April 188318 October 1897Solicitor General 1868
[[File:LordLindley cropp.jpg105x105px]]25 October 189710 May 1900
[[File:Portrait of Richard Webster, 1st Viscount Alverstone.jpg112x112px]]10 May 190022 October 1900Lord Chief Justice 1900–1913
[[File:SirArchibaldLevinSmith.jpg103x103px]]23 October 190019 October 1901
[[File:LordCollins.jpg114x114px]]19 October 19016 March 1907
[[File:1stLordCozensHardy.jpg108x108px]]
(The Lord Cozens-Hardy from 1914)6 March 190730 April 1918
[[File:1stLordSwinfen.jpg86x86px]]2 May 191820 October 1919
[[File:William Pickford.jpg101x101px]]31 October 191917 August 1923President of the Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division 1918–1919
[[File:1stViscountHanworth - cropped.jpg101x101px]]
(The Lord Hanworth from 1926)12 October 19237 October 1935Solicitor General 1919–1922, Attorney General 1922.
7 October 193527 April 1937
27 April 19371 June 1949
(The Lord Evershed from 1956)1 June 194919 April 1962
19 April 196229 September 1982
(The Lord Donaldson of Lymington from 1988)30 September 19821 October 1992
[[File:Thomas Bingham, Baron Bingham of Cornhill.jpg100x100px]]1 October 19924 June 1996Lord Chief Justice 1996–2000; Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary 2000–2008
[[File:Preisverleihung der Toleranzringe der Europäischen Akademie der Wissenschaften und Künste im Rathaus Köln-0061.jpg75x75px]]4 June 19966 June 2000Lord Chief Justice 2000–2005
[[File:Official portrait of Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers crop 2.jpg100x100px]]6 June 20003 October 2005Lord Chief Justice 2005–2008, President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom 2009–2012
[[File:Lord Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony 2009.jpg75x75px]]
(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
[[File:Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury 2013.jpg85x85px]]1 October 200930 September 2012President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, 2012–2017
[[File:Lord Dyson 2013.jpg85x85px]]1 October 20122 October 2016Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, 2010–2012
[[File:Sir Terence Etherton.jpg85x85px]]Sir Terence Etherton (The Lord Etherton from December 2020)3 October 201611 January 2021Chancellor of the High Court, 2013–2016
[[File:Sir Geoffrey Vos 2018.jpg85x85px]]Sir Geoffrey Vos11 January 2021IncumbentChancellor of the High Court, 2016–2021

Peerages created for the Master of the Rolls

Master of the RollsTitleCreatedCurrent statusOther Judicial Roles
Sir Lloyd KenyonBaron Kenyon3 June 1788Extant
Sir Richard ArdenBaron Alvanley22 May 1801Extinct 24 June 1857
Sir Robert GiffordBaron Gifford30 January 1824Extant
Sir John CopleyBaron Lyndhurst25 April 1827Extinct 12 October 1863
Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer
Sir Charles PepysEarl of Cottenham11 June 1850Extant
Baron Cottenham20 January 1836
Sir Henry BickerstethBaron Langdale23 January 1836Extinct 18 April 1851
Sir John RomillyBaron Romilly3 January 1866Extinct 29 June 1983
Sir William BrettViscount Esher11 November 1897Extant
Baron Esher24 July 1895
Sir Nathaniel LindleyBaron Lindley as Law Lord10 May 1900Extinct 9 December 1921
Sir Richard WebsterViscount Alverstone24 November 1913Extinct 15 December 1915
Baron Alverstone18 June 1900
Sir Richard CollinsBaron Collins as Law Lord6 March 1907Extinct 3 January 1911
Sir Herbert Cozens-HardyBaron Cozens-Hardy1 July 1914Extinct 11 September 1975
Sir Charles Swinfen EadyBaron Swinfen1 November 1919Extant
Sir William PickfordBaron Sterndale14 November 1918Extinct 17 August 1923
Sir Ernest PollockViscount Hanworth17 January 1936Extant
Baron Hanworth28 January 1926
Sir Robert WrightBaron Wright as Law Lord11 April 1932Extinct 27 June 1964
Sir Wilfrid GreeneBaron Greene16 July 1941Extinct 16 April 1952
Sir Raymond EvershedBaron Evershed20 January 1956Extinct 3 October 1966
Sir Tom DenningBaron Denning as Law Lord24 April 1957Extinct 5 March 1999
Sir John DonaldsonBaron Donaldson of Lymington as Life Peer15 February 1988Extinct 31 August 2005
Sir Tom BinghamBaron Bingham of Cornhill as Law Lord4 June 1996Extinct 11 September 2010
Sir Harry WoolfBaron Woolf as Law Lord1 October 1992Extant
Sir Nick PhillipsBaron Phillips of Worth Matravers as Law Lord12 January 1999Extant
Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
Sir Tony ClarkeBaron Clarke of Stone-cum-Ebony as Life Peer29 May 2009Extant
Sir David NeubergerBaron Neuberger of Abbotsbury as Law Lord11 January 2007Extant
Sir Terence EthertonBaron Etherton as Life Peer23 December 2020Extinct 6 May 2025

References

Bibliography

References

  1. "Master of the Rolls: Sir Terence Etherton".
  2. Sainty (1993) p. 144
  3. Hanworth (1935) p. 310
  4. Hanworth (1935) p. 316
  5. Hanworth (1935) p. 327
  6. "Oxford DNB theme:Masters of the Rolls".
  7. [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C596 Records of the Master of the Rolls and the Rolls (Chapel) Office] {{Webarchive. link. (21 October 2020 , National Archives)
  8. "Judicial Profiles – Master of the Rolls". Judiciary of England and Wales.
  9. (31 July 2020). "Master of the Rolls: 31 July 2020". [[10 Downing Street]].
  10. "Records of the Master of the Rolls and the Rolls (Chapel) Office".
  11. Sainty (1993) p. 145
  12. Buck, Mark Cobden. (2004). "Langton, John".
  13. Sainty (1993) p. 146
  14. Davies, Richard Garfield. (2008). "Waltham, John".
  15. McHardy, Alison Kemp. (2008). "Scarle, John".
  16. Sainty (1993) p. 147
  17. Davies, Richard Garfield. (2009). "Bubwith, Nicholas".
  18. Davies, Richard Garfield. (2004). "Wakering, John".
  19. Schoeck, Richard J.. (2010). "Alcock, John".
  20. Harper-Bill, Christopher. (2004). "Morton, John".
  21. Sainty (1993) p. 148
  22. Foss, Edward. "Biographia Juridica: A Biographical Dictionary of the Judges of England".
  23. Scarisbrick, Jack. (2008). "Warham, William".
  24. Chambers, David. (2008). "Bainbridge, Christopher".
  25. Sainty (1993) p. 149
  26. Newcombe, David. (2013). "Tunstal, Cuthbert".
  27. Leithead, Howard. (2009). "Cromwell, Thomas".
  28. Baker, John. (2004). "Hales, Christopher".
  29. Sainty (1993) p. 150
  30. Baker, John. (2008). "Hare, Nicholas".
  31. Baker, John. (2008). "Cordell, William".
  32. Brooks, Christopher W.. (2008). "Gerard, Gilbert".
  33. Baker, John. (2007). "Egerton, Thomas".
  34. More, Rebecca S.. (2008). "Phelips, Edward".
  35. Smith, David L.. (2005). "Colepeper, John".
  36. Sainty (1993) p. 151
  37. Roberts, Stephen K.. (2005). "Lenthall, William".
  38. Brooks, Christopher W.. (2008). "Grimston, Harbottle".
  39. "historyofparliamentonline.org".
  40. Handley, Stuart. (2008). "Powle, Henry".
  41. Ellis, Kathryn. (2008). "Trevor, John".
  42. Hanham, Andrew. (2008). "Strange, John".
  43. Sainty (1993) p. 152
  44. Hay, Douglas. (2009). "Kenyon, Lloyd".
  45. Lemmings, David Frederick. (2008). "Arden, Richard Pepper".
  46. Fisher, David. (2008). "Grant, William".
  47. Polden, Patrick. (2008). "Plumer, Thomas".
  48. Rigg, James McMullen. (2004). "Gifford, Robert".
  49. Jones, Gareth H.. (2008). "Copley, John Singleton".
  50. Lobban, Michael. (2008). "Leach, John".
  51. Jones, Gareth H.. (2008). "Pepys, Charles Christopher".
  52. Sainty (1993) p. 153
  53. Jones, Gareth H.. (2004). "Jessel, George".
  54. Hedley, Steve W.. (2004). "Brett, William Baliol".
  55. Jones, Gareth H.. (2006). "Lindley, Nathaniel".
  56. Mackinnon, Frank Douglas. (2004). "Webster, Richard Everard".
  57. {{London Gazette. (22 October 1901)
  58. Sainty (1993) p. 154
  59. Mackinnon, Frank Douglas. (2006). "Pickford, William".
  60. Wrottesley, Frederic. (2008). "Pollock, Ernest Murray".
  61. (21 April 2008). "Lord Bingham of Cornhill". The Times.
  62. (20 June 2000). "The liberal arm of the law". The Independent.
  63. (18 June 2002). "Lord Phillips: 'We don't need fancy dress'". The Independent.
  64. (21 April 2008). "Sir Anthony Clarke". The Times.
  65. Gibb, Frances. (23 July 2009). "Lord Neuberger". The Times.
  66. (29 August 2012). "Appointment of Master of the Rolls". 10 Downing Street Press Notice.
  67. "Master of the Rolls: Sir Terence Etherton – Press releases – GOV.UK".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

judges-of-the-court-of-appeal-(england-and-wales) courts-of-england-and-wales english-civil-law masters-of-the-rolls lists-of-judges-in-the-united-kingdom
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Master of the Rolls — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report