Grand Chancellor of France


In France, under the Ancien Régime, the officer of state responsible for the judiciary was the Grand Chancellor of France. The Chancellor was responsible for seeing that royal decrees were enrolled and registered by the sundry parlements, provincial appellate courts. However, since the Chancellor was appointed for life, and might fall from favour, or be too ill to carry out his duties, his duties would occasionally fall to his deputy, the Keeper of the Seals of France.
The last Chancellor died in 1790, by which time the French Revolution was well underway, and the position was left vacant. Instead, in 1791, the Chancellor's portfolio and responsibilities were assigned to the Keeper of the Seals who was accordingly given the additional title of Minister of Justice under the Revolutionary government. The modern Minister of Justice is ceremonially known by both titles. See also Royal Administration of Merovingian and Carolingian Dynasties.

Frankish chancellors under the Merovingians and Carolingians

See also Royal Administration of Merovingian and Carolingian Dynasties.

Chancellors of France

ChancellorBeganEnded
Renaud de Vendôme, Bishop of Paris989991
Gerbert d'Aurillac, later Pope Sylvester II991998
Roger de Blois9981005
Francon10051015
Arnoul, Archbishop of Tours1018
Baudouin1030circa 1059
Gervais de Château-du-Loir, Bishop of Le Mans10591067
Pierre de Loiselève10671073
Guillaume1073
Roger II, Bishop of Beauvais10741080
Geoffroy de Boulogne, Bishop of Paris10741085
Gilbert10851090
Ourson or Ursion, Bishop of Senlis1090
Hubert, Bishop of Senlis10911092
Gilbert10941106
Étienne de Senlis, Bishop of Paris11061118
Étienne de Garlande11181127
Simon11271132
Étienne de Garlande11321137
Algrin11371140
Noël, abbot of Rebais1140
Cadurc11401147
Barthélemy11471149
Simon1150
Hugues de Champfleury, Bishop of Soissons11501172
Hugues du Puiset11791185
Guérin, monk and Bishop of Senlis12031227
Philippe d'Antogny12271231
Aubry Cornu12311236
Jean de la Cour12361244
Nicolas Le Chien,12441249
Gilles, Archbishop of Tyros12491252
Raoul de Grosparmy12521259
Guy Faucoi, later Pope Clement IVbefore 1260
Simon de Brie, later Pope Martin IV12591261
Philippe de Cahors, Prior of Saint-Frambaud de Senlis12621270
Guillaume de Rampillon, Archdeacon of Paris1270
Guillaume de Chartres, Dominican friar1270
Pierre Barbet12711273
Henri de Vézélay12731282
Pierre Chalon12821290
Jean de Vassoigne12911292
Guillaume de Crépy12931296
Thibaut de Pouancé, Bishop of Dol12961297
Pierre Flote, knight12971302
Étienne de Suizy13021304
Pierre de Mornay, Bishop of Auxerre13041306
Pierre de Grez1306
Pierre de Belleperche, Bishop of Auxerre13061307
Guillaume de Nogaret, knight13071310
Gilles I Aycelin de Montaigu, Archbishop of Narbonne13101311
Guillaume de Nogaret13111313
Pierre de Latilly, Bishop of Châlons13131314
Étienne de Mornay13141316
Pierre d'Arabloy1316-
Pierre de Chappes13171321
Jean de Cherchemont13201321
Pierre Rodier13211323
Jean de Cherchemont13231328
Mathieu Ferrand13281329
Jean de Marigny, Bishop of Beauvais1329-
Guillaume de Saint-Maure13291334
Roger, Bishop of Arras, later Pope Clement VI1334-
Guy Baudet, bishop of Langres13351338
Étienne de Vissac, knight13381339
Guillaume Flote13391347
Firmin de Coquerel, Bishop of Noyon13471349
Pierre de la Forest, Archbishop of Rouen13491357
Gilles Aycelin de Montaigut, Bishop of Thérouanne13571358
Foulques Bardoul, Bishop of Avranches13571359
Jean de Dormans, Bishop of Lisieux1358
Pierre de la Forest, cardinal, Archbishop of Rouen13591361
Gilles Aycelin de Montaigut, Bishop of Thérouanne1361
Jean de Dormans, Bishop of Beauvais18 September 13611372
Guillaume de Dormans13721373
Jean de Dormans,1373
Pierre d'Orgemont 20 November 13731380
Miles de Dormans, Bishop of BeauvaisOctober 13801383
Pierre de Giac1383December 1388
Arnaud de CorbieDecember 13881398
Nicolas du Bosc, Bishop of Bayeux13981400
Arnaud de Corbie14001405
Jean de Montagu, Archbishop of Sens14051413
Arnaud de Corbie14098 August 1413
Eustache de Laistre1413
Henri de MarieAugust 141329 May 1418
Robert le Maçon1418
Eustache de Laistre14181420
Robert le Maçon14191421
Jean Le Clerc, Burgundian party.14201424
Martin Gouge, Bishop of Clermont, Charles VII's faction14211425
Lewis of Luxembourg, Bishop of Thérouanne, Burgundian party14241435
Renault de Chartres, Archbishop of Reims, Charles VII's factions14251445
Guillaume Jouvenel des Ursins14451461
Pierre de Morvilliers14611465
Guillaume Jouvenel des Ursins14651472
Pierre Doriole14721483
Guillaume de Rochefort148312 August 1492
Adam Fumée1492November 1494
Robert Briçonnet, Archbishop of ReimsAugust 14951497
Guy de Rochefort14971507/1508
Jean de Ganay15081512
Antoine Duprat, Cardinal, Archbishop of Sens and Bishop of Albi15151535
Antoine du Bourg15351538
Guillaume Poyet15381545
François Olivier15451560
Michel de l'Hospital15601568
Jean de Morvilliers, Bishop of Orléans15681571
René de Birague, Cardinal15731583
Philippe Hurault, comte de Cheverny15831599
Pomponne de Bellièvre2 August 15999 September 1607
Nicolas Brûlart de Sillery10 September 16071 October 1624
Étienne I d'Aligre3 October 162411 December 1635
Pierre Séguier19 December 163528 January 1672
Étienne II d'Aligre8 January 167428 October 1677
Michel Le Tellier29 October 167730 October 1685
Louis Boucherat, Count of Compans1 November 16852 September 1699
Louis Phélypeaux, Comte de Pontchartrain5 September 16991 July 1714
Daniel Voysin de La Noiraye2 July 17142 February 1717
Henri François d'Aguesseau3 February 171727 October 1750
Guillaume de Lamoignon de Blancmesnil10 December 175014 September 1768
René Charles de Maupeou15 September 176816 September 1768
René Nicolas de Maupeou16 September 17681 July 1790

Keepers of the Seals, 1699–1790

Keeper of the SealsBeganEnded
Louis Phélypeaux, Comte de Pontchartrain5 September 16991 July 1714
Daniel Voysin de La Noiraye2 July 17142 February 1717
Henri François d'Aguesseau3 February 171728 January 1718
Marc René de Voyer de Paulmy, Marquis d'Argenson28 January 17187 June 1720
Henri François d'Aguesseau8 June 172028 February 1722
Joseph Jean Baptiste Fleuriau d'Armenonville28 February 172217 August 1727
Germain Louis Chauvelin23 August 172720 February 1737
Henri François d'Aguesseau20 February 173727 November 1750
Jean-Baptiste de Machault d'Arnouville27 November 17501 February 1757
vacant1 February 175713 October 1761
Nicolas René Berryer13 October 176115 September 1762
Paul Esprit Feydeau de Brou27 September 17623 October 1763
René Charles de Maupeou3 October 176318 September 1768
René Nicolas Charles Augustin de Maupeou18 September 176824 August 1774
Armand Thomas Hue de Miromesnil24 August 17748 April 1787
Chrétien François de Lamoignon de Basville8 April 178714 September 1788
Charles Louis François de Paule de Barentin17 September 17883 August 1789
Jérôme Champion de Cicé4 August 178921 November 1790