List of chancellors of the University of Cambridge

The chancellor of the University of Cambridge is the ceremonial head of the university. The position dates from the 13th century.^[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
2011–2025	David Sainsbury, Baron Sainsbury of Turville
2025–	Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury

References

^ Chancellors of the University of Cambridge. British History Online. Retrieved on 30 July 2012.
^ ^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.
^ "Northburgh, Roger (NRTH321R)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
^ Henry Wharton. "Anglia sacra". Retrieved 19 April 2018 – via Internet Archive.
^ See the History of the Mendenhall Surname in England website http://www.mendenhall.org.uk/aqwn03.htm#35 for notes relating to him.
^ ^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.
^ 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."

[1] Chancellors of the University of Cambridge. British History Online. Retrieved on 30 July 2012.

[Lamb-2] 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.

[Tanner-6] 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."

[1]

[2]

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[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

List of chancellors of the University of Cambridge

See also

References