The title of the office derives from the fact that originally, the office-holder was a clerk responsible for keeping the "Rolls," or records, of the Chancery court. The post eventually evolved into a judicial one, but the Master still retained his clerical functions by serving as the nominal head of the Public Record Office up until 1958. However the Public Records Act of that year transferred responsibility for the PRO from the Master of the Rolls to the Lord Chancellor.
The Master of the Rolls is also responsible for registering Solicitor s, who are officers of the Supreme Court.
The present Master of the Rolls is Sir Anthony Clarke , who succeeded Lord Phillips Of Worth Matravers , now Lord Chief Justice, on 1 October 2005 .
- John de Langton ( September 2 , 1286 - October 1 , 1295 )
- Adam de Osgodeby ( October 1 , 1295 - August 19 , 1316 )
- William de Ayremynne ( August 19 , 1316 - May 26 , 1324 )
- Richard de Ayremynne ( May 26 , 1324 - July 4 , 1325 )
- Henry de Clyff ( July 4 , 1325 - January 20 , 1334 )
- Michael de Wath ( January 20 , 1334 - April 28 , 1337 )
- John de St Paul ( April 28 , 1337 - January 10 , 1341 )
- Thomas de Evesham ( January 10 , 1341 - February 21 , 1341 )
- John de Thoresby ( February 21 , 1341 - July 2 , 1346 )
- David de Wollore ( July 2 , 1346 - March 28 , 1371 )
- William Burstall ( March 28 , 1371 - September 8 , 1381 )
- John de Waltham ( September 8 , 1381 - October 24 , 1386 )
- John de Burton ( October 24 , 1386 - July 22 , 1394 )
- John de Scarle ( July 22 , 1394 - September 11 , 1397 )
- Thomas Stanley ( September 11 , 1397 - September 24 , 1402 )
- Nicholas de Bubbewyth ( September 24 , 1402 - March 2 , 1405 )
- John de Wakering ( March 2 , 1405 - June 3 , 1415 )
- Simon de Gauntsede ( June 3 , 1415 - October 28 , 1423 )
- John Fraunke ( October 28 , 1423 - November 13 , 1438 )
- John Stopynden ( November 13 , 1438 - March 29 , 1447 )
- Thomas de Kirkeby ( March 29 , 1447 - December 23 , 1461 )
- Robert Kirkeham ( December 23 , 1461 - February 12 , 1471 )
- William Morland ( February 12 , 1471 - April 29 , 1471 )
- John Alcock ( April 29 , 1471 - March 16 , 1472 )
- John Morton ( March 16 , 1472 - January 9 , 1479 )
- Robert Morton ( January 9 , 1479 - September 22 , 1483 )
- Thomas Barrow ( September 22 , 1483 - August 22 , 1485 )
- Robert Morton ( August 22 , 1485 - February 26 , 1487 )
- David William ( February 26 , 1487 - May 5 , 1492 )
- John Blyth ( May 5 , 1492 - February 13 , 1494 )
- William Warham ( February 13 , 1494 - February 1 , 1502 )
- William Barnes ( February 1 , 1502 - November 13 , 1504 )
- Christopher Bainbridge ( November 13 , 1504 - January 22 , 1508 )
- John Yonge ( January 22 , 1508 - May 12 , 1516 )
- Cuthbert Tunstall ( May 12 , 1516 - October 20 , 1522 )
- John Clarke ( October 20 , 1522 - October 9 , 1523 )
- Thomas Hannibal ( October 9 , 1523 - June 26 , 1527 )
- John Taylor ( June 26 , 1527 - October 8 , 1534 )
- Thomas Cromwell ( October 8 , 1534 - July 10 , 1536 )
- Christopher Hales ( July 10 , 1536 - July 1 , 1541 )
- Sir Robert Southwell ( July 1 , 1541 - December 13 , 1550 )
- John De Beaumont ( December 13 , 1550 - June 18 , 1552 )
- Sir Robert Bowes ( June 18 , 1552 - September 18 , 1553 )
- Sir Nicholas Hare ( September 18 , 1553 - November 5 , 1557 )
- Sir William Cordell ( November 5 , 1557 - May 30 , 1581 )
- Sir Gilbert Gerrard ( May 30 , 1581 - April 10 , 1594 )
- Sir Thomas Egerton, 1st Baron Ellesmere ( April 10 , 1594 - May 18 , 1603 )
- Edward Bruce, 1st Earl Of Elgin ( May 18 , 1603 - January 14 , 1611 )
- Sir Edward Phelips ( January 14 , 1611 - September 1 , 1614 )
- Sir Julius Caesar ( September 1 , 1614 - April 18 , 1636 )
- Sir Humphrey May was granted the Mastership of the Rolls on April 10 , 1629 but died before he could be sworn in; Sir Julius Caesar continued in office
- Sir Dudley Digges ( April 18 , 1636 - March 30 , 1639 )
- Sir Charles Caesar ( March 30 , 1639 - January 28 , 1643 )
- Sir John Colepeper, 1st Baron Colepeper (royalist) ( January 28 , 1643 - November 3 , 1660 )
- William Lenthall (parliamentary) ( November 10 , 1643 - May 14 , 1659 )
- Sir Harbottle Grimston ( November 3 , 1660 - January 12 , 1685 )
- Sir John Churchill ( January 12 , 1685 - October 20 , 1685 )
- Sir John Trevor ( October 20 , 1685 - March 13 , 1689 )
- Sir Henry Powle ( March 13 , 1689 - January 13 , 1693 )
- Sir John Trevor ( January 13 , 1693 - July 13 , 1717 )
- Sir Joseph Jekyll ( July 13 , 1717 - October 9 , 1738 )
- John Verney ( October 9 , 1738 - November 5 , 1741 )
- William Fortescue ( November 5 , 1741 - January 11 , 1750 )
- Sir John Strange ( January 11 , 1750 - May 29 , 1754 )
- Sir Thomas Clarke ( May 29 , 1754 - December 4 , 1764 )
- Sir Thomas Sewell ( December 4 , 1764 - March 30 , 1784 )
- Sir Lloyd Kenyon ( March 30 , 1784 - June 4 , 1788 )
- Sir Richard Pepper Arden ( June 4 , 1788 - May 27 , 1801 )
- Sir William Grant ( May 27 , 1801 - January 6 , 1818 )
- Sir Thomas Plumer ( January 6 , 1818 - April 5 , 1824 )
- Robert Gifford, 1st Baron Gifford ( April 5 , 1824 - September 14 , 1826 )
- Sir John Singleton Copley ( September 14 , 1826 - May 3 , 1827 )
- Sir John Leach ( May 3 , 1827 - September 29 , 1834 )
- Sir Charles Christopher Pepys ( September 29 , 1834 - January 16 , 1836 )
- Henry Bickersteth, 1st Baron Langdale ( January 16 , 1836 – March 28 , 1851 )
- John Romilly, 1st Baron Romilly ( March 28 , 1851 – August 30 , 1873 )
- Sir George Jessel ( August 30 , 1873 – March 21 , 1883 ) (died in office)
- William Baliol Brett, 1st Baron Esher ( April 3 , 1883 - October 19 , 1897 )
- Sir Nathaniel Lindley ( October 19 , 1897 – May 9 , 1900 )
- Richard Everard Webster, 1st Baron Alverstone ( May 9 , 1900 – October 24 , 1900 )
- Sir Archibald Levin Smith ( October 24 , 1900 – October 24 , 1901 )
- Sir Richard Henn Collins ( 24 October 1901 – 6 March 1907 ) (became a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)
- Sir Herbert Cozens-Hardy (1st Baron Cozens-Hardy from 1 July 1914 ) ( 6 March 1907 – 3 May 1918 )
- Sir Charles Swinfen Eady ( 3 May 1918 – 3 November 1919 ) (retired, created Baron Swinfen)
- William Pickford, 1st Baron Sterndale ( 3 November 1919 – 16 August 1923 ) (died in office)
- Sir Ernest Pollock (1st Baron Hanworth from 28 January 1926 ) ( 11 October 1923 – 7 October 1935 ) (retired, created Viscount Hanworth)
- Robert Wright, Baron Wright ( 7 October 1935 – 26 April 1937 ) (became a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)
- Sir Wilfred Greene (1st Baron Greene from 16 July 1941 ( 26 April 1937 – 1 June 1949 ) (became a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)
- Sir Francis Evershed (1st Baron Evershed from 20 January 1956 ) ( 1 June 1949 – 19 April 1962 ) (became a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary)
- Alfred Denning, Baron Denning ( 19 April 1962 – 30 July 1982 ) (retired)
- Sir John Donaldson (Baron Donaldson of Lymington from 15 February 1988 ) ( 30 July 1982 – 1 October 1992 ) (retired)
- Sir Tom Bingham ( 1 October 1992 – 4 June 1996 ) (became Lord Chief Justice, created Baron Bingham of Cornhill)
- Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf ( 4 June 1996 – 6 June 2000 ) (became Lord Chief Justice)
- Nicholas Phillips, Baron Phillips Of Worth Matravers ( 6 June 2000 – 3 October 2005 ) (became Lord Chief Justice)
- Sir Anthony Clarke ( 3 October 2005 –present)
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