The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is a ceremonial official in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The post dates from at least the 12th century, when the title was

Keeper of the Coast The Wardens of the Coast, originally called the Keepers of the Coast or Keepers of the Sea, were officials appointed in the Kingdom of England and placed under the jurisdiction of one of the regional admiralties of England, those of the North, Sout ...

, but may be older. The Lord Warden was originally in charge of the Cinque Ports, a group of five (''cinque'' in Norman French) port towns on the southeast coast of England that was formed to collectively supply ships for

The Crown The Crown is the state in all its aspects within the jurisprudence of the Commonwealth realms and their subdivisions (such as the Crown Dependencies, overseas territories, provinces, or states). Legally ill-defined, the term has different ...

in the absence at the time of a formal

navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

. Today the role is a sinecure and an

honorary title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

, and fourteen towns belong to the Cinque Ports confederation. The title is one of the higher honours bestowed by the Sovereign; it has often been held by members of the Royal Family or

prime ministers A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is no ...

, especially those who have been influential in defending Britain at times of war. The Lord Warden was solely responsible for the return of all writs to the Crown, along with the collection of taxes and the arrest of criminals. His court was held in St James's church, near

Dover Castle Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some sources say it is the ...

, and there he exercised jurisdiction broadly equivalent to that of Chancery. He also had a "lieutenant's powers of muster", and the Constableship of Dover Castle, later added (1267) to the warden's office, enabled him to keep a garrison and administrative staff, including the clerk and the lieutenant of the castle. The coat of arms of the Cinque Ports first appeared in 1305, second amongst the earliest English known

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

emblems, predating even the coat of arms of the City of London. The coat of arms of the Cinque Ports displays three ships' hulls and three lions passant guardant conjoined to these hulls, all in gold. These may originally have been '' Gules three lions passant gardant in pale Or'' (for England) dimidiating ''Gules three ships' hulks in pale Or''. The coat of arms of the Confederation of the Cinque Ports is set out on a red and blue background and traditionally represents the fourteen "corporate" members.

Creation and appointment of the Lord Warden

The creation and appointment of the Lord Warden, once among the most powerful appointments of the realm, by the Sovereign was instituted principally after the portsmen sided with the

Earl of Leicester Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837. Early creatio ...

against King Henry III, in the

Second Barons' War The Second Barons' War (1264–1267) was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort against the royalist forces of King Henry III, led initially by the king himself and later by his son, the fu ...

, and was intended to provide some central authority over the Cinque Ports, which were essentially otherwise independent of the King's sheriffs. It was combined from 1267 with the office of Constable of Dover Castle. However, from 1708

Walmer Castle Walmer Castle is an artillery fort originally constructed by Henry VIII in Walmer, Kent, between 1539 and 1540. It formed part of the King's Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the Holy Roman Empire, and defended the s ...

at Deal was to be preferred as the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The Lord Warden also holds the office of Admiral of the Cinque Ports with a maritime jurisdiction extending to the middle of the English Channel, from Redcliffe near Seaford, in Sussex to the shore underneath the Naze Tower, encompassing Brightlingsea in

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

, the only Cinque Port north of the Thames. In earlier centuries the northern limit was taken as the Shoe Beacon in Essex. The courts of Brodhull and Guestling were established to protect the privileges of the Cinque Ports by the portsmen themselves. From the 15th century these courts had been largely replaced by the Lord Warden's Court at Dover. From the 16th century the principal business of the courts was the installation of the Lord Warden and the court is now only occasionally summoned. The office continued to be a powerful one. In 1550 the Mayor and Jurats of Dover refused to accept a Royal Writ because it was not accompanied by a letter of attendance from the Lord Warden. The member ports' parliamentary representatives were appointed by the Lord Warden at first; despite an act passed in 1689 to curb this influence, it continued until the 19th century. At the installation of a new Lord Warden, the Speaker of the Confederation of the Cinque Ports instructs the Lord Warden: "to undertake the duties of the Ancient and Honourable Office and to uphold the Franchises, Liberties, Customs and Usages of the port." The office of Speaker has traditionally rotated between the affiliate townships every year dating from at least 1550. Inaugurations are begun on 21 May, and membership is ordained through a longstanding maritime tradition of a principle of the prevailing winds coming from west to east. A unique uniform is specified for the Lord Warden (though the most recent incumbent wears his naval uniform in preference). The uniform is very similar to a pre-1956-pattern Admiral's uniform (complete with

cocked hat The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is a historical form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by European and American army and naval officers. Most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic period wore bicornes, whic ...

) trimmed in red and with Cinque Ports insignia.

Sir Robert Menzies ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...

's uniform
pictured
, which he wore as Lord Warden from 1966 to 1978, is preserved at the

National Library of Australia The National Library of Australia (NLA), formerly the Commonwealth National Library and Commonwealth Parliament Library, is the largest reference library in Australia, responsible under the terms of the ''National Library Act 1960'' for "mainta ...

Barons of the Cinque Ports

All freemen of the ports, termed "portsmen", were deemed in the age of

feudalism Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was the combination of the legal, economic, military, cultural and political customs that flourished in medieval Europe between the 9th and 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of structur ...

to be barons, and thus members of the

baronage {{English Feudalism In England, the ''baronage'' was the collectively inclusive term denoting all members of the feudal nobility, as observed by the constitutional authority Edward Coke. It was replaced eventually by the term '' peerage''. Or ...

entitled to attend the king's

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

. Termed "Barons of the Cinque Ports", they reflected an early concept that military service at sea constituted land tenure ''per baroniam'' making them ''quasi'' feudal barons. The early 14th-century treatise '' Modus Tenendi Parliamentum'' stated the Barons of the Cinque Ports to hold a place of precedence below the lay magnates but above the representatives of the shires and

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle A ...

Writ In common law, a writ (Anglo-Saxon ''gewrit'', Latin ''breve'') is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court. Warrants, prerogative writs, subpoenas, a ...

s of summons to Parliament were sent to the warden following which representative barons of the Cinque Ports were selected to attend parliament. Thus the warden's duty in this respect was similar to that of the sheriff who received the writs for distribution to the barons in the shires. The warden and barons often experienced clashes of jurisdiction. In the 21st century the title "Baron of the Cinque Ports" is now reserved for Freemen elected by the Mayor, Jurats, and Common Council of the Ports to attend a Coronation, and is solely honorary in nature.

List of Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports

The first authoritative list of Cinque Ports Confederation Members was produced in 1293 when Stephen of Pencester was Warden. The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is appointed for life, but in the earliest of records this was not the case. The office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports has been traced from the year 1226 from the appointment of William de Averanch, although he was not the first incumbent of this office. The longest term of office was that of William Brook, Lord Cobham, who presided at the court for 40 years.

Constable of Dover Castle

Source
The Cinque Ports
*

Godwine, Earl of Wessex Godwin of Wessex ( ang, Godwine; – 15 April 1053) was an English nobleman who became one of the most powerful earls in England under the Danish king Cnut the Great (King of England from 1016 to 1035) and his successors. Cnut made Godwin the ...

1045–1053 * Harold Godwine, Earl of Wessex (King Harold II) 1053–1066 * Bertram Ashburnham 1066 * William de Peverell 1066 * Odo, Bishop of Bayeux and Earl of Kent 1066–1084 *John de Fiennes 1084–1085 *James de Fiennes (son of John) 1085–1111 *John de Fiennes (son of James) 1111–1138 *Walkelin de Magminot 1138 * Prince Eustace of Boulogne (son of King Stephen) 1138–1153 *Wakelin de Magminot 1153–1154 *Robert Fitz-Bernard 1154–1169 *Hugo de Mara 1169–1187 *Alan de Valeines (or Valoines) 1187–1190 * Matthew de Clere 1190–1195 * William de Wrotham 1195–1201 * Thomas Basset, Lord Hedendon 1201–1202 *

Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent Hubert de Burgh, Earl of Kent (; ; ; c.1170 – before 5 May 1243) was an English nobleman who served as Chief Justiciar of England and Ireland during the reigns of King John and of his son and successor King Henry III and, as a consequenc ...

1202–1203 *

William of Huntingfield William of Huntingfield (d. 1225) was a medieval English baron, Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk and one of the ''Magna Carta'' sureties. He held Dover Castle for King John from September 1203 (as a Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports) and in exchang ...

1203–1204 * William de Longespee 1204–1207 * Geoffrey Fitzpier, Earl of Essex 1207–1213 * William Briwere, Lord Torbay 1213–1215 *

1215–1220 * Henry de Braibroc 1220 *Robert de Neresford (Hereford) 1221–1223 *Hugh de Windsor 1223 *

Stephen Langton Stephen Langton (c. 1150 – 9 July 1228) was an English Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Canterbury between 1207 and his death in 1228. The dispute between King John of England and Pope Innocent III over his ...

, Archbishop of Canterbury 1223–1224 *Geoffery de Lucy, Lord Newington 1224–1225 *Hubert de Hoese (Hose or Hussey) 1225 *Geoffrey de Surland 1225–1226 *

William d'Avranches William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

, Lord Folkestone 1226–1227 (also Keeper of the Coast) * Bertram de Criol, 1227 (also Keeper of the Coast) *Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent 1227–1232, and Robert de Auberville 1228–1235 *Henry de Hoese, Lord Hastings 1232 * Stephen, Lord de Segrave 1232–1235 *

Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford Humphrey (VI) de Bohun (c. 1249 – 31 December 1298), 3rd Earl of Hereford and 2nd Earl of Essex, was an English nobleman known primarily for his opposition to King Edward I over the ''Confirmatio Cartarum.''Fritze and Robison, (2002). ...

1235 * Bertram de Criol 1236 *Henry de Hoese (Henry Hussey), Lord Hastings 1236–1241 * Peter de Savoy, Earl of Richmond 1241–1242 (also Keeper of the Coast) * Bertram de Criol 1242–1255 (also Keeper of the Coast) *

Reginald de Cobham, 1st Baron Cobham Reynold Cobham, 1st Baron Cobham of Sterborough, KG (c.1295–1361) was a medieval English knight and diplomat. Life He was the son of Sir Reynold Cobham by Joan, the daughter and heir of William de Evere. This Reynold was the second son of J ...

1256–1258 (also Keeper of the Coast) *Sir Roger Northwode 1258 (also Keeper of the Coast) *

Nicholas de Moels Nicholas de Moels or Nicholas Molis (born c. 1195 - died 1268 or 1269) of North Cadbury in Somerset, was an AngloNorman royal administrator and household knight of King Henry III. In this capacity he was assigned many and varied offices and du ...

, Lord Caddebury 1258 (also Keeper of the Coast) *

Richard de Grey Richard de Grey (died c.1271) of Codnor, Derbyshire, was a landowner who held many important positions during the reign of Henry III of England, including Warden of the Isles (Channel Islands) 1226–1227, 1229–1230 and 1252–1254, and later ...

, Lord Condor 1258–1259 (also Keeper of the Coast) * Hugh de Bigod 1259–1261 (also Keeper of the Coast) *

Robert de Walerand The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, Lord Kilpek 1261–1262 * Walter de Burgsted (also Keeper of the Coast) 1262 *

1263 *

, Lord Codnor 1263 * Prince Edmund (son of Henry III), jointly with Robert de Gascoyne 1263 *

Henry of Sandwich Henry of Sandwich (died 1273) was a medieval Bishop of London. Life Henry was the son of Henry of Sandwich, a knight from Sandwich, Kent. He held the prebend of Weldland in the diocese of London.Greenway Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae 1066-1300: ...

, Bishop of London 1263 * John de Haia 1263 *

, Lord Codnor 1263 *Sir

Roger de Leybourne Sir Roger de Leybourne (1215–1271) was an English soldier, landowner and royal servant during the Second Barons' War. Origins Roger was the younger son of another Sir Roger de Leybourne, by his first wife, Eleanor, the daughter and heiress ...

1263–1264 *

Henry de Montfort Sir Henry de Montfort (November 1238 – 4 August 1265) was the son of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and with his father played an important role in the struggle of the barons against King Henry III. Henry's mother was Princess ...

1264–1265 * Matthew de Hastings 1265 *Sir

1265 * Prince Edward, (King Edward I) 1265–1266 *Sir

Matthew de Bezille Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chi ...

1266–1267

Keeper of the Coast

* Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, 1066–1084 *

Henry of Essex Henry of Essex or Henry de Essex (died c. 1170) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman who was feudal baron of Rayleigh in Essex (by inheritance) and of Haughley in Suffolk (by right of his second wife). He served as one of the royal constables during the ...

c.1150–1154 * Henry de Sandwich 1154–1189 * Simon de Sandwich 1154–1189 * Alan de Fienes 1154–1189 *

James de Fienes James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

1189–1199 * Matthew de Clere 1189–1199 *William Devereux 1189–1199 *

William Longchamp William de Longchamp (died 1197) was a medieval Lord Chancellor, Chief Justiciar, and Bishop of Ely in England. Born to a humble family in Normandy, he owed his advancement to royal favour. Although contemporary writers accused Longchamp's fa ...

1189–1199 * William de Wrotham 1189–1199 *

Thomas Bassett Thomas Basset (died ) was a 12th-century English judge. Life Basset was the son of Gilbert Basset (presumably a son of Ralph Basset, the justiciar). He received a grant of the lordship of Hedendon, Oxfordshire, for services in war, and served a ...

1199–1216 *

William de Huntingfield William of Huntingfield (d. 1225) was a medieval English baron, Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk and one of the ''Magna Carta'' sureties. He held Dover Castle for John, King of England, King John from September 1203 (as a Lord Warden of the Cinque ...

1199–1216 *

William de Sarum William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

1199–1216 *

Geoffrey FitzPiers Geoffrey Fitz Peter, Earl of Essex (c. 1162–1213) was a prominent member of the government of England during the reigns of Richard I and John of England, John. The patronymic is sometimes rendered Fitz Piers, for he was the son of Piers de Lu ...

1199–1216Batcheller, William. *

William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey William de Warenne, 5th Earl of Surrey (born 1160s-1170s, died 27 May 1240) was the son of Hamelin de Warenne and Isabel, daughter of William de Warenne, 3rd Earl of Surrey. His father Hamelin granted him the manor of Appleby, North Lincolns ...

1204–1206 and 1214 *

1215–1220 * Geoffery de Lucy 1224 (and 1230) *

1226–1227 * Robert de Auberville 1228 *

Peter de Rivaux Peter de Rivaux or Peter de Rivallis (died 1262) was an influential Poitevin courtier at the court of Henry III of England. He was related to Peter des Roches, being a nephew (or possibly a son). From early in his life he was connected to the c ...

1232–1234 * Lord de Segrove * Walerand Teutonicus 1235 *

Hamo de Crevecoeur Hamo de Crevequer (died 1263) was an Anglo-Norman nobleman who held the office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Gerinun de Holeburn was in 1263 one of a jury of twelve assembled lawfully to conclude upon an ‘inquisition into how much land ...

1235 * Bertram de Criol 1236 (and intermittently until 1255) *

1241 * Peter de Savoy 1241 *

1255 * Sir Roger Northwode 1258 *

1258 *

1258 * Hugh de Bigod 1259–1260 *

Nicholas de Crioll Nicholas de Crioll (Cryoyll, Kerrial or Kyriel) (died c. February 1272), of a family seated in Kent, was Constable of Dover Castle and Keeper of the Coast during the early 1260s. His kinsman Bertram de Criol (died 1256) had distinguished himself ...

1260–1263 *

1261 * Walter de Burgsted 1263 *

c.1264 *

Edmund Crouchback, 1st Earl of Lancaster Edmund, Earl of Lancaster and Earl of Leicester (16 January 12455 June 1296) nicknamed Edmund Crouchback was a member of the House of Plantagenet. He was the second surviving son of King Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence. In his chi ...

(uncertain) * Henry de Sandwich, Bishop of London, 1263 * Sir Roger de Leybourne 1263 *

1264 * Matthew de Hastings 1265 * Edward "Longshanks", Earl of Chester 1265 *Sir

1266

Lord Warden and Constable of Dover Castle (since 1267)

*Sir Stephen de Pencester 1267–1271 (then at intervals until 1298, for a total of 32 years) *

Sir Simon de Creye ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only a ...

1275 * Robert de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh 1299–1306

14th century

* Henry de Cobham, 1st Baron Cobham 1307 * Robert de Kendall 1307 * Henry de Cobham, 1st Baron Cobham 1315 * Bartholomew de Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere 1320 *

Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester Hugh le Despenser (1 March 126127 October 1326), sometimes referred to as "the Elder Despenser", was for a time the chief adviser to King Edward II of England. He was created a baron in 1295 and Earl of Winchester in 1322. One day after being ...

1320 *

Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent Edmund of Woodstock, 1st Earl of Kent (5 August 130119 March 1330), whose seat was Arundel Castle in Sussex, was the sixth son of King Edward I of England, and the second by his second wife Margaret of France, and was a younger half-brother o ...

1321 * Sir John Peche 1323 *

Ralph Basset, 2nd Baron Basset of Drayton Ralph Basset, 2nd Baron Basset of Drayton (died 25 February 1343) was a 13th-14th century English nobleman who fought in both the Anglo-French War and in the First War of Scottish Independence. Background Basset was the son of Ralph Basset an ...

1325 *

Bartholomew de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh Bartholomew Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh (died 3 August 1355, Dover), called "the elder", was an English nobleman and soldier, a younger son of Robert Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh and Maud Badlesmere, sister of Bartholomew Badlesmere, 1st Ba ...

1327 *

William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon William de Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon (c.1304 – 31 October 1354) and Lord High Admiral, was the younger son of John de Clinton, 1st Baron Clinton (d.1312/13) of Maxstoke Castle, Warwickshire, and Ida de Odingsells, the granddaughter of ...

1330 *

1348 *

Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March Sir Roger de Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March, 4th Baron Mortimer of Wigmore, KG (11 November 132826 February 1360) was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was the son of Sir Edmund Mortimer (d. 1331) an ...

1355 *

John Beauchamp, 3rd Baron Beauchamp John de Beauchamp, 3rd Baron Beauchamp de Somerset (20 January 1329 – 8 October 1361) was an English Peerage, peer. Origins He was born at Stoke-sub-Hamdon in Somerset, the eldest son and heir of John de Beauchamp, 2nd Baron Beauchamp (fir ...

1359 * Sir Robert de Herle 1361 *Baron Spigurnell 1364 *Sir Richard de Pembrugge 1370 * Andrew de Guldeford *

William Latimer, 4th Baron Latimer William Latimer, 4th Baron Latimer, KG (24 March 1330 – 28 May 1381) was an English noble, soldier and diplomat. After serving in France and for the household of Edward III, he was impeached during the Good Parliament of 1376, the earliest r ...

1374 * Sir Thomas Reines * Edmund of Langley, Earl of Cambridge 1376 * Sir Robert Assheton 1381 * Sir Simon de Burley 1384 * John Devereux, 1st Baron Devereux 1387 *

John Beaumont, 4th Baron Beaumont John Beaumont, 4th Baron Beaumont KG (1361–1396) was an English military commander and Admiral who served in the Hundred Years' War against the partisans of Antipope Clement VII. Origins Beaumont was born in 1361 at Folkingham Castle, Li ...

1392 * Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York 1396 *

John Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Dorset John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, 3rd Earl of Somerset, KG (25 March 1404 – 30 May 1444) was an English nobleman and military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was the maternal grandfather of Henry VII. Origins Born on 25 ...

1398 *Sir

Thomas Erpingham Sir Thomas Erpingham (27 June 1428) was an English soldier and administrator who loyally served three generations of the House of Lancaster, including Henry IV and Henry V, and whose military career spanned four decades. After the Lancastrian ...

1399

15th century

* Henry "of Monmouth", Prince of Wales 1409 * Thomas FitzAlan, 12th Earl of Arundel and 10th Earl of Surrey 1412 *

Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester Humphrey of Lancaster, Duke of Gloucester (3 October 139023 February 1447) was an English prince, soldier, and literary patron. He was (as he styled himself) "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of Henry IV of E ...

1415 *

James Fiennes, 1st Baron Saye and Sele James Fiennes, 1st Baron Saye and Sele (22 September 1395 – 4 July 1450) was an English soldier and politician. He was born at Herstmonceux, Sussex, the second son of Sir William Fiennes (1 August 1357 – 18 January 1402) and his wife Elizabe ...

1447 *

Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham, 6th Earl of Stafford, 7th Baron Stafford, (December 1402 – 10 July 1460) of Stafford Castle in Staffordshire, was an English nobleman and a military commander in the Hundred Years' War and t ...

1450 * Richard, Lord Rivers 1459 *

Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stron ...

1460 *Sir John Scott 1471 *

William FitzAlan, 16th Earl of Arundel William Fitzalan, 9th Earl of Arundel, 6th Baron Maltravers (23 November 1417 – 1487) was an English nobleman. Born on 23 November 1417, William was the second son of John Fitzalan, 6th Earl of Arundel (1385–1421), and Eleanor Berkeley ( ...

1483–1488 * Philip Fitz Lewes 1488 *Sir William Scott 1492 *Prince Henry, later King

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

1493

16th century

*Sir Edward Poynings 1509 *

George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny George Nevill, 5th Baron Bergavenny KG, PC (c.1469 – 1535), the family name often written Neville, was an English nobleman and courtier who held the office of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. Origins He was the son of George Nevill, 4th B ...

(appointed, but resigned) *Sir Edward Guilford 1474/1479–1534 *

George Boleyn, 2nd Viscount Rochford George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford (c. 1504 – 17 May 1536) was an English courtier and nobleman who played a prominent role in the politics of the early 1530s. He was the brother of Anne Boleyn, from 1533 the second wife of King Hen ...

1534–1536 * Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset *Sir

Thomas Cheney Sir Thomas Cheney (or Cheyne) KG (c. 1485 – 16 December 1558) of the Blackfriars, City of London and Shurland, Isle of Sheppey, Kent, was an English administrator and diplomat, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in south-east England from 1 ...

1536/1558 *

Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle, KG (died 3 March 1542) was an illegitimate son of the English king Edward IV, half-brother-in-law of Henry VII, and an uncle of Henry VIII, at whose court he was a prominent figure and by whom he was appoi ...

1539–1542 *Sir Thomas Seymour (temporary joint Lord Wardenship with Sir Thomas Cheney in 1545) * William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham *

Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham KG (22 November 1564 – 24 January 1618 ( Old Style)/3 February 1618 ( New Style), lord of the Manor of Cobham, Kent, was an English peer who was implicated in the Main Plot against the rule of James I of Engla ...

(son of above) 1597

17th century

Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton Henry Howard, Earl of Northampton, KG (25 February 154015 June 1614), was an important English aristocrat and courtier. He was suspect as a crypto-Catholic throughout his life, and went through periods of royal disfavour, in which his reputati ...

1604–1614 *

Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset (c. 158717 July 1645), was a politician, and favourite of King James VI and I. Background Robert Kerr was born in Wrington, Somerset, England, the younger son of Sir Thomas Kerr (Carr) of Ferniehurst, Sco ...

1614–1615 * Edward, Lord Zouche of Haryngworth 1615–1625 * George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham 1625–1628 *

Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk, (13 August 15843 June 1640) was an English nobleman and politician. Born at the family estate of Saffron Walden, he was the son of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, by his second wife, Catherine Kny ...

1628–1640 * James Stewart, Duke of Richmond and Lennox 1641–1642 * Sir Edward Boys 1642–1646 *Major John Boys 1646–1648 * Sir Algernon Sydney 1648–1651 *Colonel

Thomas Kelsey Thomas Kelsey (died c. 1680) rose from obscurity as a "London tradesman" to become an important figure in the government of Oliver Cromwell. Kelsey enlisted in the New Model Army and fought on the side of Parliament during the English Civil W ...

1651–1656 * Admiral Robert Blake 1656–1657 *

Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Winchilsea Sir Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Winchilsea (1628 – 28 September 1689) of Eastwell, Kent, was the 3rd Earl of Winchilsea. Early life Finch was the only surviving son of Thomas Finch, 2nd Earl of Winchilsea and the former Cecille Wentworth of ...

1660 (unconfirmed term; may have been father/son) * James Stuart, Duke of York and Albany 1660–1673 *Colonel John Beaumont 1673–1691 *

Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney Henry Sidney, 1st Earl of Romney (also spelt Sydney; March 1641 – 8 April 1704) was an English Whig politician, soldier and administrator. He is now best remembered as one of the Immortal Seven who drafted the Invitation to William of Oran ...

1691–1702

18th century

* Prince George of Denmark 1702–1708 * Lionel Sackville, 7th Earl of Dorset 1708–1712 (served two terms) *

James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde James FitzJames Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde, (1665–1745) was an Irish statesman and soldier. He was the third of the Kilcash branch of the family to inherit the earldom of Ormond. Like his grandfather, the 1st Duke, he was raised as a Protes ...

1712–1715 *

John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester KB (14 February 168027 September 1737) was an English soldier, peer, landowner, and courtier, and from 1705 to 1737 was Earl of Leicester, with a seat in the House of Lords. Life Leicester was born at his fami ...

1717–1727 * Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset 1727–1765 *

Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness, (17 May 1718 – 16 May 1778), known before 1721 as Lord Darcy and Conyers, was a British diplomat and politician. Career In 1741 he collaborated with G.F. Handel in the production of Deidamia. From ...

1765–1778 *

Frederick North, Lord North Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford (13 April 17325 August 1792), better known by his courtesy title Lord North, which he used from 1752 to 1790, was 12th Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most o ...

(2nd Earl of Guilford from 1790) 1778–1792 *

William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger (28 May 175923 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain (before the Acts of Union 1800) and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ire ...

1792–1806

19th century

* Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool 1806–1827 *

Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish people, Anglo-Irish soldier and Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who was one of the leading military and political figures of Uni ...

1829–1852 * James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie 1853–1860 * Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston 1860–1865 * Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville 1865–1891 (not installed?) * William Henry Smith 1891 (not installed?) *

Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava (21 June 182612 February 1902) was a British public servant and prominent member of Victorian society. In his youth he was a popular figure in the court of Queen Vict ...

1892–1895 *

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times for a ...

1895–1903

20th century

* George Curzon, 1st Baron Curzon of Kedleston 1905 * The Prince George, Prince of Wales 1905–1907 *

Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey Thomas Brassey, 1st Earl Brassey (11 February 1836 – 23 February 1918), was a British Liberal Party politician, Governor of Victoria and founder of '' The Naval Annual''. Background and education Brassey was the eldest son of the railway m ...

1908–1913 *

William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp, (20 February 1872 – 14 November 1938), styled Viscount Elmley until 1891, was a British Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician. He was Governor of New South Wales between 1899 and 1901, a member of the Libera ...

1913–1934 * Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading 1934–1935 *

Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon (12 September 1866 – 12 August 1941), was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada, the 13th since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy an ...

1936–1941 *

Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...

1941–1965 (installed August 1946) *

1965–1978 (installed July 1966) * Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother 1978–2002 (installed August 1979)

21st century

* Admiral of the Fleet Michael Boyce, Baron Boyce 2004–2022 (installed April 2005) *''(vacant)'' 2022-present

References

External links

Official Confederation of the Cinque PortsPortrait of Sir Winston Churchill in uniform as Lord Warden, 1956.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lord Warden Of The Cinque Ports Honorary titles * Ceremonial officers in the United Kingdom Cinque Ports

Creation and appointment of the Lord Warden

Barons of the Cinque Ports

List of Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports

Constable of Dover Castle

Keeper of the Coast

Lord Warden and Constable of Dover Castle (since 1267)

14th century

15th century

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

References

Further reading

External links