title: Chief Baron of the Exchequer
text: The Chief Baron of the Exchequer was the first "baron" (meaning judge) of the English Exchequer of Pleas. "In the absence of both the Treasurer of the Exchequer or First Lord of the Treasury, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, it was he who presided in the equity court and answered the bar i.e. spoke for the court." Practically speaking, he held the most important office of the Exchequer of Pleas.
  
  The chief baron, along with the three puisne barons, sat as a court of common law, heard suits in the court of equity and settled revenue disputes. A puisne baron was styled "Mr Baron X" and the chief baron as "Lord Chief Baron X".
  
  From 1550 to 1579, there was a major distinction between the chief baron and the second, third and fourth puisne barons. The difference was in social status and education. All of the chief barons had been trained as lawyers in the inns of court. With the exception of Henry Bradshaw and Sir Clement Higham, both barristers-at-law, all of the chief barons who served Queen Elizabeth I, had attained the highest and most prestigious rank of a lawyer, serjeant-at-law.
  
  In 1875, the Court of Exchequer became the Exchequer Division of the High Court. Following the death of the last chief baron in 1880, the division and that of Common Pleas were merged into the King's Bench Division.
  
  Chief Barons of the Exchequer
   1303 William de Carleton
   1317 Sir Walter Norwich
   1327 Hervey de Stanton
   1328–1329 Sir Walter Norwich
   1329 Sir John Stonor
   1331 Sir Henry le Scrope
   1337 Sir Robert Sadington
   1344 Sir William de Shareshull
   1345 Sir John Stowford
   1345 Sir Robert Sadington
   1350 Gervase de Wilford
   1362 William de Skipwith
   1366 Thomas de Lodelow
   1375 Sir William Tauk 
   1376 Henry Asty
   1381 Robert de Plessyngton
   1384 William de Carleol
   1386 Sir John Cary (d.1395) of Cockington, Devon.
   1387 Sir Robert de Plesyngton
   1388 Thomas Pinchbeck
   1389 John Cassey
   1401 Sir John Cokayne, known as the Elder.
   1414 William Lasingby
   1420 William Babington
   1423 Sir John Ivyn
   1438 John Fray
   1448 Peter Ardern
   1463 Richard Illingworth
   1472 Sir Thomas Urswick
   1480 Sir William Nottingham
   1483 Humphrey Starkey
   1486 Sir William Hody
   1513 John Scot
   1522 John FitzJames
   1526 Sir Richard Broke
   1529 Sir Richard Lyster
   1545 Sir Roger Cholmley
   1552 Henry Bradshaw
   1553 David Brooke
   1558 Sir Clement Higham
   1559 Sir Edward Saunders
   1577 Sir Robert Bell
   1577 Sir John Jefferay, of Chiddingly, Sussex
   1578 Sir Roger Manwood
   1593 Sir William Peryam
   1604 Sir Thomas Fleming
   1607 Sir Lawrence Tanfield
   1625 Sir John Walter
   1631 Sir Humphrey Davenport
   1645 Sir Richard Lane
   1648 John Wilde
   1655 William Steele, appointed Lord Chancellor of Ireland in 1656
   1658 Sir Thomas Widdrington
   1660 John Wilde
   1660 Sir Orlando Bridgeman
   1660 Sir Matthew Hale
   1671 Sir Edward Turnor
   1676 Sir William Montagu
   1686 Sir Edward Atkyns
   1689 Sir Robert Atkyns
   1695 Sir Edward Ward
   1714 Sir Samuel Dodd
   1716 Sir Thomas Bury
   1722 Sir James Montagu
   1723 Sir Robert Eyre
   1725 Sir Jeffrey Gilbert
   1726 Sir Thomas Pengelly
   1730 Sir James Reynolds, junior
   1738 Sir John Comyns
   1740 Sir Edmund Probyn
   1742 Sir Thomas Parker
   1772 Sir Sydney Smythe
   1777 Sir John Skynner
   1787 Sir James Eyre
   1793 Sir Archibald Macdonald
   1813 Sir Vicary Gibbs
   1814 Sir Alexander Thomson
   1817 Sir Richard Richards
   1824 Sir William Alexander
   1831 The Lord Lyndhurst
   1834 Sir James Scarlett
   1844 Sir Frederick Pollock
   1866 Sir Fitzroy Kelly
  
  Peerages created for the Chief Baron of the Exchequer
  
  See also
  Chief Baron of the Court of Exchequer in Scotland
  
  References
  
  Further reading
  
  Walker, David M., The Oxford Companion to Law, Appendix I, list of Chief Barons 1660-1880
  Sainty (comp.), Sir John, The Judges of England, 1272-1990: a list of the judges of the Superior courts (Selden Society: Supplementary Series 1993, 10).
  
   
  
  Chief
  Exchequer offices