List of English chief ministers

Chief minister is a term used retroactively by historians to describe servants of the English monarch who presided over the government of England, and after 1707, Great Britain, before 1721. Chief ministers were usually one of the great officers of state, but it was not unusual for there to be no chief minister.

Under the Norman and Angevin kings, the justiciar was often chief minister. When kings left England to oversee other parts of the Angevin Empire, the justiciar functioned as his viceroy or regent. In the 13th century, after the loss of the Angevin territories in France, the justiciar's power declined as monarchs resided permanently in England.

For the next three centuries, the Lord Chancellor was most often chief minister. The chancellor served as Keeper of the Great Seal, presided over the Privy Council and Parliament, and led the High Court of Chancery. After the English Reformation, the chancellor's power shifted to the Lord High Treasurer. After 1721, the office of prime minister became the head of British governments.

List of Chief Ministers Minister Birth Death Formal office(s) Monarch Dunstan,Archbishop of Canterbury946–955 ,near GlastonburySon of Thegn Heorstan and Cynethryth 19 May 988 Treasurer, Chancellor Eadred(946–955) No informal holder; personal rule of King Eadwig (955–959) Dunstan,Archbishop of Canterbury959–978 ,near GlastonburySon of Thegn Heorstan and Cynethryth 19 May 988 Chancellor Edgar(959–975) No informal holder (978–1021) Godwin,Earl of Wessex1022–1053 EnglandSon of Wulfnoth Cild 15 April 1053 Justiciar, Treasurer Cnut (1016–1035)Harold I (1035–1040)Harthacnut (1040–1042)Edward the Confessor (1042–1066) Harold,Earl of Wessex1053–1066 EnglandSon of Godwin, Earl of Wessex and Gytha Thorkelsdóttir 14 October 1066 No informal holder; personal rule of King William I (1066–1087) Ranulf Flambard,Bishop of Durham1089–1100 ,near BayeuxSon of Thurstin 5 September 1128,Durham Treasurer, Justiciar, Keeper of the Great Seal William II(1087–1100) Roger,Bishop of Salisbury1100–1135 Normandy 11 December 1139,Salisbury Lord Chancellor, Justiciar Henry I(1100–1135) No informal holder; personal rule of King Stephen (1135–1154) Thomas Becket,Archbishop of Canterbury1155–1162 21 December 1118,LondonSon of Gilbertand Matilda Beket 29 December 1170,Canterbury Lord Chancellor Henry II(1154–1189) No informal holder; personal rule of king Henry II (1162–1189) William de Longchamp,Bishop of Ely1190–1191 NormandySon of Hugh de Longchampand Eve de Lacy January 1197Poitiers Justiciar, Lord Chancellor Richard I(1189–1199) Walter de Coutances,Archbishop of Rouen1191–1194 CornwallSon of Reinfridand Gonilla 16 November 1207 Justiciar No informal holder; personal rule of King Richard I (1194–1199) William Marshal,1st Earl of Pembroke1213–1216 WiltshireSon of John Marshall and Sybilla of Salisbury 14 May 1219,Caversham Lord Marshal John(1199–1216) William Marshal,1st Earl of Pembroke1216–1219 WiltshireSon of John Marshall and Sybilla of Salisbury 14 May 1219,Caversham Regent, Lord Marshal Henry III(1216–1272) Hubert de Burgh,Earl of Kent1219–1232 NorfolkSon of Reyner de Burgh Banstead Regent (1219–1227), Justiciar Peter des Roches,Bishop of Winchester1232–1234 9 June 1238 Personal rule (1234–1258); Council of Fifteen (1258–1261); Personal rule (1262–1264) Simon de Montfort,6th Earl of Leicester1264–1265 Montfort-l'AmaurySon of Simon de Montfort,5th Earl of Leicester and Alix de Montmorency 4 August 1265,Evesham Lord High Steward, Protector of the Realm No informal holder; personal rule of King Henry III (1265–1272) Regents: Walter Giffard, Roger Mortimer, and Robert Burnell (1272–1274) Edward I(1272–1307) Robert Burnell,Bishop of Bath and Wells1274–1292 Acton BurnellSon of Robert Burnell 25 October 1292,Berwick-upon-Tweed Lord Chancellor No informal holder; personal rule of King Edward II (1307–1327) No informal holder; personal rule of King Edward III (1327–1330) Edward III (1327–1377) John de Stratford,Archbishop of Canterbury1330–1340 1275,Stratford-on-AvonSon of Robert de Stratford 23 August 1348,Mayfield, SussexAged 73 Lord Chancellor No informal holder; personal rule of King Edward III (1340–1367) William of Wykeham,Bishop of Winchester1367–1371 1320 or 1324Son of John Longe 27 September 1404,Bishop's WalthamAged 82 Lord Chancellor No informal holder; personal rule of King Edward III (1371–1377) No informal holder; personal rule of King Richard II (1377–1389) Richard II