Lord High Steward

Great Steward redirects here. For the Scottish title, see mormaer.

The position of Lord High Steward of England is the first of the Great Officers of State. The office has generally remained vacant since 1421, except at coronations, when the Lord High Steward bears St. Edward's Crown, and during the trials of peers in the House of Lords, when the Lord High Steward presides. In general, but not invariably, the Lord Chancellor was appointed to act as Lord High Steward in the latter situation. The trial of peers by their peers in the House of Lords was abolished in 1948, although impeachment trials have not been abolished. There was a "Court of the Lord High Steward" which served this purpose when Parliament was not in session.

Although initially the position was largely an honorary one, over time it grew in importance until its holder became one of the most powerful men of the kingdom. From the late 12th century, the office was considered to be bound with the Earldom of Leicester. When the House of Lancaster ascended the throne in 1399, Henry IV made his second son, Thomas of Lancaster, Duke of Clarence, Lord High Steward. He held the post until his death in 1421.

The Lord High Steward of Ireland in contrast is a hereditary title, also known as the Hereditary Great Seneschal, vested in the Earl of Shrewsbury, Waterford and Talbot, who is the Premier Earl of Ireland, Chetwynd-Talbot.

Lord High Stewards of England, 1154–1421

• Robert, 2nd Earl of Leicester 1154–68
• Robert Blanchemains, 3rd Earl of Leicester 1168–90
• Robert FitzPernel, 4th Earl of Leicester 1190–1204
• Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester 1206–18
• uncertain, probably vacant 1218-1239
• Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester 1239–65
• Edmund, 1st Earl of Lancaster 1265–96
• Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster 1296–1322
• uncertain, probably vacant 1322–24
• Henry, 3rd Earl of Lancaster 1324–45
• Henry of Grosmont, Duke of Lancaster 1345–61
• John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster 1362–99
• Henry of Bolingbroke, 2nd Duke of Lancaster 1399
• Thomas of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Clarence 1399–1421

Lord High Stewards of England, 1422–present

Incomplete before 1660.

• ??? 1429 at the coronation of Henry VI
• The Duke of Suffolk 1461 at the coronation of Edward IV^[1]
• The Earl of Devon 1445 at the coronation of Margaret of Anjou^[2]
• ??? 1465 at the coronation of Elizabeth Woodville
• The Duke of Buckingham, at the trial of The Duke of Clarence, 1478
• The Duke of Norfolk 1483 at the coronation of Richard III^[3]
• ??? 1485 at the coronation of Henry VII
• The Duke of Bedford 1487 at the coronation of Elizabeth of York
• The Earl of Oxford, at the trial of The Earl of Warwick, 1499
• The Duke of Norfolk, at the trial of The Lord Dudley, 1503^[3]
• The Duke of Buckingham 1509 at the coronation of Henry VIII
• The Duke of Norfolk, at the trial of The Duke of Buckingham, 1521^[3]
• The Duke of Suffolk 1533 at the coronation of Anne Boleyn^[4]
• The Duke of Norfolk, at the trial of The Lord Dacre, 1534^[3]
• The Duke of Norfolk, at the trial of Anne Boleyn, 1536^[3]
• The Marquess of Exeter, at the trial of The Lord Darcy, 1537
• The Lord Audley of Walden, at the trial of Lord Montagu and the Marquess of Exeter, 1538
• The Lord Audley of Walden, at the trial of The Lord Dacre, 1541
• The Lord Russell 1547 at the coronation of Edward VI
• The Marquess of Winchester, at the trial of the Duke of Somerset, 1551^[5]
• The Duke of Norfolk, at the trial of the Duke of Northumberland, 1553^[3]
• The Earl of Derby 1553 at the coronation of Mary I
• The Earl of Arundel, at the trial of Lord Stourton, 1557
• The Earl of Arundel 1559 at the coronation of Elizabeth I^[6]
• The Marquess of Northampton, at the trial of Lord Wentworth, 1559
• The Earl of Shrewsbury, at the trial of The Duke of Norfolk, 1571
• The Marquess of Winchester 1587 at the funeral of Mary, Queen of Scots^[5]
• The Earl of Derby, at the trial of The Earl of Arundel and Surrey, 1589
• The Lord Buckhurst, at the trial of The Earl of Essex, 1601
• The Earl of Nottingham 1603 at the coronation of James I
• The Duke of Buckingham 1626 at the coronation of Charles I
• The Lord Coventry, at the trial of the Lord Audley (Earl of Castlehaven in Ireland), 1631^[7]
• The Earl of Arundel and Surrey, at the trial of The Earl of Strafford, 1641
• The Duke of Ormonde 1661 at the coronation of Charles II
• The Earl of Clarendon, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Lord Morley, 1666
• The Lord Finch, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Lord Cornwallis, 1676
• The Lord Finch, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Earl of Pembroke
• The Lord Finch, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Earl of Danby, 1679
• The Lord Finch, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Earl of Powis; The Viscount Stafford; The Lord Arundell of Wardour; The Lord Petre; and The Lord Belasyse, 1679
• The Lord Finch, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Viscount Stafford, 1680
• The Duke of Ormonde 1685 at the coronation of James II
• The Lord Jeffreys, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Lord Delamere, 1686
• The Earl of Devonshire 1689 at the coronation of William III and Mary II
• The Marquess of Carmarthen, Lord President of the Council, at the trial of The Lord Mohun, 1693
• The Lord Somers, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Earl of Warwick; and of The Lord Mohun, 1699
• The Duke of Devonshire 1702 at the coronation of Anne
• The Duke of Grafton 1714 at the coronation of George I
• The Lord Cowper, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Earl of Derwentwater; The Lord Widdrington; The Earl of Nithsdale; The Earl of Carnwath; The Viscount Kenmure; and The Lord Nairne, 1716
• The Lord Cowper, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Earl of Winton, 1716
• The Lord Cowper, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, 1717
• The Lord King, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Earl of Macclesfield, 1725
• The Duke of Dorset 1727 at the coronation of George II
• The Earl of Hardwicke, Lord Chancellor, for the trial of The Earl of Kilmarnock; The Earl of Cromartie, and The Lord Balmerino, 1746
• The Earl of Hardwicke, Lord Chancellor, for the trial of The Lord Lovat, 1747
• The Lord Henley, Lord Keeper, for the trial of The Earl Ferrers, 1760
• The Earl Talbot 1761 at the coronation of George III
• The Earl of Northington, Lord Chancellor, for the trial of The Duchess of Kingston, 1765
• The Lord Thurlow, Lord Chancellor, for the trial of Warren Hastings, 1788–93
• The Lord Loughborough, Lord Chancellor, for the trial of Warren Hastings 1793–95
• The Lord Erskine, Lord Chancellor, for the trial of The Viscount Melville 1806
• The Marquess of Anglesey 1821 at the coronation of George IV
• The Duke of Hamilton 1831 at the coronation of William IV
• The Duke of Hamilton 1838 at the coronation of Victoria
• The Lord Denman, Lord Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench, for the trial of The Earl of Cardigan, 1841
• The Earl of Halsbury, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Earl Russell, 1901
• The Duke of Marlborough 1902 at the coronation of Edward VII
• The Duke of Northumberland 1911 at the coronation of George V
• The Viscount Hailsham, Lord Chancellor, at the trial of The Lord de Clifford, 1935: the last trial of a peer in the Lords.
• The Marquess of Salisbury 1937 at the coronation of George VI
• The Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope 1953 at the coronation of Elizabeth II

References

Great Officers of State of England and Scotland England Lord High Steward Lord High Chancellor (of Great Britain) Lord High Treasurer Lord President of the Council Lord Privy Seal Lord Great Chamberlain Lord High Constable Earl Marshal Lord High Admiral Scotland Lord Chancellor Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland Chamberlain of Scotland Lord High Treasurer of Scotland Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland Lord Clerk Register Lord Advocate Lord Justice Clerk Lord Justice General Lord Lyon King of Arms Italics indicate officers that are in commission, purely ceremonial or defunct