William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper
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The Right Honourable The Earl Cowper PC KC FRS |
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| Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain | |
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In office 1714–1718 |
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| Monarch |
Anne George I |
| Preceded by | The Lord Harcourt |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Macclesfield |
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In office 1707–1708 |
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| Monarch | Anne |
| Preceded by | Himself as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England |
| Succeeded by | In Commission |
| Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England | |
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In office 1705–1707 |
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| Monarch | Anne |
| Preceded by | Sir Nathan Wright |
| Succeeded by | Himself as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain |
| Personal details | |
| Born | circa 1665 |
| Died | 10 October 1723 Panshanger, Hertfordshire Great Britain |
William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper PC KC FRS (c. 1665 – 10 October 1723) was an English politician who became the first Lord Chancellor of Great Britain. Cowper was the son of Sir William Cowper, 2nd Baronet, of Ratling Court, Kent, a Whig member of parliament of some mark in the two last Stuart reigns. Educated at St Albans School, he was called to the bar in 1688.
He gave his allegiance to the Prince of Orange on his landing in England, and was made King's Counsel and recorder of Colchester in 1694. He enjoyed a large practice at the bar, and had the reputation of being one of the most effective parliamentary orators of his generation. He lost his seat in parliament in 1702 owing to the unpopularity caused by the trial of his brother Spencer Cowper on a charge of murder.
On 11 October 1705 he sworn of the Privy Council and was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and took his seat on the woolsack without a peerage. In the following year he conducted the negotiations between the English and Scottish commissioners for arranging the union with Scotland. In November of the same year (1706) he succeeded to his father's baronetcy; and on 14 December 1706 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Cowper of Wingham, Kent. He was the youngest Lord Keeper for many years: the Queen, who had taken a great liking to him, joked that "she had given the Seals to a boy" and suggested that in future he wear a wig to lend him gravity.
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