List of Lord Wardens

Lord Warden is a 13th century term: prior to that the office was known as the Keeper of the Coast.
There is some uncertainty about the early incumbents and the exact dates when they held office.
We are grateful to Dover Museum for the following list.

CONSTABLES OF DOVER CASTLE AND KEEPERS OF THE COAST

Keepers of the Coast in italics

11th Century
● 1045-1053 Godwin, Earl of Wessex
● 1053-1066 Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex (later King Harold II)
● 1066 Bertram Ashburnham
● 1066 William de Peverell (appointed by the Conqueror)
● 1066-1084 Odo, Bishop of Bayeux and Earl of Kent, Keeper of the Coast:  Odo, Bishop of Bayeux (1066-1084)
● 1084 -1085 John de Fiennes
● 1085–1111 James de Fiennes (son of John)
● 1111–1138 John de Fiennes (son of James)


12th Century

● 1138 Walkelin de Magminot
● 1138-1153 Prince Eustace of Boulogne (son of King Stephen)
● 1153-1154 Wakelin de Magminot
● 1154-1169 Robert Fitz-Bernard
● 1169-1187 Hugo de Mara
● 1187-1190 Alan de Valeines (or Valoines)
● 1190-1195 Matthew de Clera
● 1195-1201 William de Wrotham


13th Century
● 1201-1202 Thomas Basset, Lord Hedenden
● 1202-1203 Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent
● 1203-1204 William de Huntingfield
● 1204-1207 William de Longspee, Keeper of the Coast:3rd Earl of Salisbury(known as ‘Longsword’ )William de Warenne, 6th ● Earl of Surrey (1204-1205)
● 1207-1213 Geoffrey Fitzpier, Earl of Essex
● 1213-1215 William Briwere, Lord Torbay Keeper of the Coast:● William de Warenne (1214)
● 1215-1220  1st Earl of Kent, Hubert de Burgh Keeper of the Coast:● Hubert de Burgh, (1215-1220)
● 1220 Henry de Braibroc
● 1221-1223 Robert de Nereford (Hereford)
● 1223 Hugh de Windsor
● 1223-1224 Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury
● 1224-1225 Geoffery de Lucy, Lord Newington
● 1225 Hubert de Hoese (Hose or Hussey)
● 1225-1226 Geoffrey de Surland
● 1226-1227 William de Averanch, Lord Folkestone Keeper of the Coast:● William de Averanch (1st true Lord Warden & Constable)
● 1227 Bertram de Crioill, Lord Albury Bertram de Crioill
● 1227-1232 Hubert de Burgh, 1st Earl of Kent Robert de Auberville (1228-1235)
● 1232 Henry de Hoese, Lord Hastings
● 1232-1235 Stephen, Lord de Segrove (Segrave) Keeper of the Coast:● Walerland Teutonicus (1235)
● 1235 Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford Keeper of the Coast:● Hamo de Crevequer, Lord Leeds (1235)
● 1236 Bertram de Crioill Keeper of the Coast:● Peter de Rivaux (1236)
● 1236-1241 Henry de Hoese, Lord Hastings Keeper of the Coast:● Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd Earl of Hereford (1241)
● 1241-1242 Peter de Savoy, Earl of Richmond Keeper of the Coast:● Peter de Savoy
● 1242-1255 Bertram de Crioill
● 1256-1258 Reginald de Cobham of Allington, 1st Baron Cobham Keeper of the Coast:● Reginald de Cobham
● 1258 Sir Roger Northwode Keeper of the Coast:Sir Roger Northwode
● 1258 Nicholas de Moels, Lord Caddebury Keeper of the Coast:● Nicholas de Moels
● 1258-1259 Richard de Grey, Lord Condor Richard de Grey
● 1259-1261 Hugh de Bigod Keeper of the Coast:● Nicholas de Crioill  (1260-1263)
● 1261-1262 Robert de Walerand, Lord Kilpek
● 1262 Walter de Burgsted Keeper of the Coast: ● Walter de Burgsted (1263)
● 1263 Robert de Walerand
● 1263 Richard de Grey, Lord Condor Keeper of the Coast:● Hamo de Crevequer, Baron Chatham (1263)
● 1263 Prince Edmund (son of Henry III) jointly with Robert de Gascoyne Keeper of the Coast:● Humphrey de Bohun, 3rd ● Earl of Hereford  (1264)
● 1263 Henry de Sandwich, Bishop of London
● 1263 John de Haia
● 1263 Richard de Grey, Lord Condor
● 1263-1264 Sir Roger de Leybourne………..
● 1264-1265 Henry de Montfort…………
● 1265 Matthew de Hastings…………
● 1265 Sir Roger de Leybourne…………
● 1265-1266 Prince Edward, (King Edward I)…………
● 1266 -1267 Sir Matthew de Bezille………..


1264-1267: The Second Baron’s War – a period of great instability, when Dover Castle changed hands several times in quick succession.


 

LORD WARDENS AND CONSTABLES OF DOVER CASTLE

(Henceforth the offices of Constable and Lord Warden have always been combined)

● 1267-1298 Sir Stephen de Pencester
● 1298-1306 Robert de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh

14th Century
● 1306-1307 Henry Cobham, 1st Baron Cobham
● 1307-1315 Robert de Kendall
● 1315 Henry Cobham, 1st Baron Cobham
● 1315-1320 Robert de Kendall
● 1320-1321 Bartholomew Badlesmere, 1st Baron Badlesmere
● 1321 Sir Hugh le Despenser, 1st Earl of Winchester
● 1321-1323 Edmund “of Woodstock”, Earl of Kent (son of Edward I)
● 1323-1324 Sir John Peche, Baron Wormleighton
● 1324-1325 Robert de Kendall
● 1325-1326 Ralph Basset, 3rd Baron Basset de Drayton
● 1326-1327 Robert de Kendall
● 1327-1330 Bartholomew de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh
● 1330-1343 William Clinton, 1st Earl of Huntingdon
● 1343-1355 Bartholomew de Burghersh, 1st Baron Burghersh
● 1355-1359 Roger Mortimer, 2nd Earl of March
● 1359-1360 John Baron Beauchamp de Somerset
● 1361-1364 Sir Richard de Herle of Broughton
● 1364-1369 Ralph, Baron Spigurnell
● 1369-1371 Sir Richard de Peinbrugge
● 1371-1372 Andrew de Guldeford
● 1372-1376 William Latymer, 4th Baron Latymer
● 1376 Sir Thomas Reines
● 1376 -1381 Edmund of Langley, Earl of Cambridge and Duke of York
● 1381-1384 Sir Robert Assheton
● 1384-1388 Sir Simon de Burley
● 1388-1393 John Devereux, 2nd Baron Devereux
● 1393-1396 John Beaumont, 4th Baron Beaumont
● 1396-1398 Edmund of Langley, Duke of York and Aumerle
● 1398-1399 John Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Dorset
● 1399-1409 Sir Thomas Erpyngham

15th Century
● 1409-1413 Henry, Prince of Wales (King Henry V)
● 1413-1415 Thomas Fitzalan, 12th Earl of Arundel and 10th Earl of Surrey
● 1415-1447 Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
● 1447-1450 James Fiennes, 1st Baron Saye and Sele
● 1450-1460 Humphrey Stafford, 1st Duke of Buckingham
● 1460 Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers
● 1460-1470 Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick
● 1470 William Fitz-Alan, Earl of Arundel
● 1470-1471 Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick
● 1471-1487 William Fitz-Alan, Earl of Arundel
● 1488-1492 Philip Fitz Lewes
● 1492-1493 Sir William Scott of Brabourne
● 1493-1509 Prince Henry, Duke of York (King Henry VIII)

16th Century
● 1509-1521 Sir Edward Poynings (previously deputised for Prince Henry from 1505)1521George Neville, 5th Baron Bergavenny
● 1521-1533 Sir Edward Guilford
● 1533-1536 George Boleyn, Viscount Rochford1536Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset
● 1536-1539 Sir Thomas Cheyne
● 1539-1542 Arthur Plantagenet, 1st Viscount Lisle
● 1542-1558 Sir Thomas Cheyne
● 1558-1597 William Brooke, 10th Baron Cobham
● 1597-1603 Henry Brooke, 11th Baron Cobham

17th Century
● 1604-1614 Henry Howard, 1st Earl of Northampton
● 1614-1615 Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset
● 1615-1624 Edward Zouche, 11th Baron Zouche of Haryngworth
● 1624-1628 George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
● 1628-1640 Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk
● 1640-1642 James Stewart (Stuart), 1st Duke of Richmond and 4th Duke of Lennox
● 1642-1646 Sir Edward Boys
● 1646-1648 Major John Boys
● 1648-1651 Sir Algernon Sidney
● 1651-1654 Lt-Colonel Thomas Kelsey
● 1654 -1657 Admiral Robert Blake, jointly ‘in commission’ with Colonel Lambert (1654-1659)
● 1660 Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Winchelsea
● 1660-1669 Prince James, Duke of York and Albany
● 1669-1689 Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Winchelsea
● 1689-1691 Colonel John Beaumont
● 1691-1702 Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney

18th Century
● 1702-1708 Prince George of Denmark (consort of Queen Anne)
● 1708-1713 Lionel Sackville, 7th Earl of Dorset
● 1713-1714 James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde
● 1714-1717 Lionel Sackville, 7th Earl of Dorset
● 1717-1728 John Sidney, 6th Earl of Leicester
● 1728-1765 Lionel Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset
● 1765-1778 Robert D’arcy, 4th Earl of Holderness
● 1778-1792 Frederick Lord North (2nd Earl of Guilford from 1790)
● 1792-1805 William Pitt the Younger

19th Century
● 1806-1828 Robert Banks Jenkinson, Lord Hawkesbury, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
● 1829-1852 Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
● 1853-1860 James Andrew Broun Ramsey, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie
● 1861-1865 Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
● 1866-1891 George Leveson Gower, 2nd Earl Granville
● 1891 William Henry Smith
● 1891-1895 Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of  Dufferin and Ava
● 1895-1903 Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury

20th Century
● 1904-1905 George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Baron Curzon of Kedleston
● 1905-1907 Prince George, Prince of Wales (King George V)
● 1908-1913 Thomas Brassey of Hythe, 1st Earl Brassey
● 1913-1934 William Lygon, 7th Earl Beauchamp
● 1934-1935 Rufus Isaacs, 1st Marquess of Reading
● 1936-1941 Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon
● 1941-1965 Sir Winston Churchill
● 1966-1978 Sir Robert Menzies
● 1978-2002 HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother

21st Century
● 2004-2022 Admiral of the Fleet, the Lord Boyce
● 2024-          Admiral Sir George Zambellas GCB DSC DL