List of chancellors of the University of Cambridge

The following is a list of chancellors of the University of Cambridge from c.1215 to the present day.[1] Chancellors were elected annually until 1514, and thereafter were elected for life.[2]

Tenure Chancellor Notes
c.1215–c.1232 Richard of Wetheringsett
c.1246 Hugh de Hotton
1256 Reginald Gerninghall
1257 Stephen Hepworth
1259 William de Ludham
1260 Richard de Gedney
1261 Richard Dryfield
1267 John de Asgarby
1270–1275 John Hooke
1276 Roger de Fulbourn
1283 Andrew de Gisleham
1286 Thomas Sheringham
1287 Stephen Hepworth
1289–1290 Ralph de Leicester
1290–1292 Geoffery de Pakenham
1293–1295 Henry de Boyton
1295–1296 John de Bradenham
1296–1299 Thomas de Sheringham
1299 Stephen Hepworth
1300–1303 Stephen Haslingfield
1303–1307 Stephen de Segrace
1307 Stephen Haslingfield
1315 Richard de Ashton
1321–1326 Roger Northburgh has been incorrectly described as Chancellor[3] since 1691.[4]
1326–1329 Richard de Badew
1329–1331 Thomas de Foxton
c. 1330 Robert de Winwick
1331–1334 John de Langley
1334–1335 Robert de Mildenhall[5]
1335–1337 Henry de Herwarden
1337–1339 Richard Harling (or Ling)
1340 Robert de Claydon
1341 Thomas de Northwood
1344 Thomas de Northwood
1346–1348 John de Crakhall Re-elected in 1348 on 9 June[6]
1348 Thomas de Grantchester
1348 William de Lymbergh Elected 15 December[6]
1349–1351 Richard Leicester (or Richard de Wetherset, Hetherset, Wetheringsett)[7] Elected 21 Jan.[6]
1351 Richard Harling
1352 Anthony of Grantchester
1352–1359 William Tynkell
1359–1360 Thomas Sutton
1360–1361 Richard de Wetherset
1361–1362 Michael de Haynton
1361–1366 Michael de Causton
1366–1369 William de Gotham
1369 Thomas de Stewkley
1371 John de Donwich
1373–1374 Adam de Lakenheath
1374 John de Donwich
1376 William de Gotham
1378–1379 Richard Scrope
1380 Eudo (or Guy) Zouche
1380–1381 John Cavendish
1382 Guy Zouche
1382–1383 John de Bromyard
1383 John of Neketon
1384 John de Burgh (or Borough)
1385 Thomas Hetherset (or de Hethersett)
1386 John de Burgh (or Borough)
1388 William Colvile
1390–1391 Richard Dereham
1391 William Colvile
1392 John de Neketon
1394 William Colvile
1396 Guy Zouche
1400–1402 Richard de Billingford
1404–1408 Richard Dereham
1409–1413 Richard de Billingford
1414 Stephen le Scrope
1415–1422 John de Rickingale
1422–1423 Thomas de Cobham
1424–1426 Robert Fitzhugh
1426 William Wymbell
1427 Marmaduke Lumley
1429–1430 John Holeroke
1431–1432 William Lascells
1432 Richard de Billingford
1433–1435 Richard Cawdray
1436–1445 John Langton
1445–1446 Nicholas Kenton
1447 John Langton
1448 Robert Ascogh
1450–1451 Nicholas Close
1451–1456 William Percy
1456–1458 Lawrence Booth
1458 William Wilflete (or Wolflet)
1459–1460 Robert Woodlark
1461 Richard Scroope
1462–1463 Robert Woodlark
1463–1464 John Booth
1464 William Wilflete
1465–1468 John Harrison (or Herrison)
1466 William Wilflete
1468–1469 Edward Story
1469–1471 Thomas Rotherham (or Scot)
1471–1472 Edward Story
1473–1479 Thomas Rotherham
1479–1483 John Boynton
1483–1485 Thomas Rotherham
1490 Thomas Cosyn
1494–1496 John Blythe
1496–1499 George Fitzhugh
1499–1500 Thomas Rotherham
1500 Richard Fox
1502 George Fitzhugh
1503 Thomas Ruthall (or Rowthall)
1504–1535 John Fisher Appointed for life in 1514[2]
1535–1540 Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex
1540–1547 Stephen Gardiner
1547–1552 Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
1552–1553 John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
1553–1555 Stephen Gardiner
1556–1558 Reginald Pole
1559–1598 William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley
1598–1601 Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
1601–1612 Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury
1612–1614 Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton
1614–1626 Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk
1626–1628 George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
1628–1649 Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland A Royalist officer in the English Civil War from 1643, executed for treason in 1649
1649–1651 Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester
1651–1660 Oliver St John
1660–1671 Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester Reinstated as Chancellor after the Restoration
1671–1674 George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
1674–1682 James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth
1682–1688 Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle
1689–1748 Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset
1748–1768 Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
1768–1811 Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
1811–1834 Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh
1834–1840 John Pratt, 1st Marquess Camden
1840–1847 Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland
1847–1861 Albert, Prince Consort
1861–1891 William Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire
1892–1908 Spencer Cavendish, 8th Duke of Devonshire
1908–1919 John Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh
1919–1930 Arthur Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour
1930–1947 Stanley Baldwin, 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley
1948–1950 Jan Smuts
1950–1967 Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder
1967–1976 Edgar Adrian, 1st Baron Adrian
1976–2011 Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
2011[8]– David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville
  1. ^ Chancellors of the University of Cambridge. British History Online. Retrieved on 30 July 2012.
  2. ^ a b John Lamb (1831). "IV: John de Neketon D.D.". Masters' History of the College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary in the University Cambridge. John Smith, Printer to the University. p. 62.
  3. ^ "Northburgh, Roger (NRTH321R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  4. ^ Henry Wharton. "Anglia sacra". Retrieved 19 April 2018 – via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ See the History of the Mendenhall Surname in England website http://www.mendenhall.org.uk/aqwn03.htm#35 for notes relating to him.
  6. ^ a b c J.R. Tanner, ed. (1917). The historical register of the University of Cambridge, being a supplement to the Calendar with a record of University offices, honours and distinctions to the year 1910. Cambridge University Press.
  7. ^ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography says: "Wetheringsett [Wethersett], Richard of [Richard of Leicester] (fl. c.1200–c.1230), churchman and theologian, ... is not to be confused with the later chancellor Richard Leicester, who served in 1349–50."
  8. ^ "BREAKING: Sainsbury Scores Top Post". cambridgetab.co.uk. 16 October 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2018.