William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper

The Right Honourable
The Earl Cowper
PC KC FRS
The Right Honourable The Earl Cowper PC KC FRS
	Portrait by Jonathan Richardson
Lord Chancellor; Lord High Steward for the trials of: List The Earl of Derwentwater; The Lord Widdrington; The Earl of Nithsdale; The Earl of Carnwath; The Viscount of Kenmure; The Lord Nairne; The Earl of Winton; The Earl of Oxford and Mortimer;
	In office; 4 May 1707 – 23 September 1710
Monarch	Anne
Preceded by	himself; as Lord Keeper
Succeeded by	In Commission
	In office; 21 September 1714 – 15 April 1718
Monarchs	Anne; George I;
Preceded by	The Lord Harcourt
Succeeded by	In Commission
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England
	In office; 11 October 1705 – 4 May 1707
Monarch	Anne
Preceded by	Sir Nathan Wright
Succeeded by	himself; as Lord Chancellor
Personal details
Born	c. 1665
Died	10 October 1723; Panshanger, Hertfordshire; Great Britain
Children	William Clavering-Cowper; Spencer Cowper;
Parents	William Cowper (father); Sarah Cowper (mother);
Relatives	Spencer Cowper (brother); Judith Madan (niece);

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William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper, PC, KC, FRS (/ˈkuːpər/ KOO-pər; c. 1665 – 10 October 1723) was an English politician who became the first Lord High 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.