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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 August 2009
Before turning to Eldon's experiences upon leaving office in 1806, it is appropriate to consider an issue that affected the entirety of his public life as Chancellor, but about which little has yet been said. In addition to his own political responsibilities, Eldon had considerable authority with respect to government patronage. This resulted both from the powers of appointment vested in him as Lord Chancellor, and from the opportunity he had to influence patronage vested in the Crown. The areas thus within his sphere of influence were two: legal and ecclesiastical. In conjunction with the King and the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor settled judicial appointments. He played a similar role in the appointment of the Crown law officers, the creation of serjeants, and the elevation of King's Counsels, and he confirmed the Lord Lieutenants' nominations to commissions of the peace. Furthermore, he personally appointed over 100 administrative and judicial offices associated with the court of Chancery. Table 11.1 gives some indication of the Lord Chancellor's influence over legal patronage in England and Wales in the early nineteenth century.
His influence in ecclesiastical appointments was of a comparable breadth. He enjoyed considerable practical influence in the appointment to the over 1,000 Crown preferments in England and Wales, as well as having approximately 800 preferments in his official gift. Table 11.2 indicates the extent of ecclesiastical patronage directly and indirectly influenced by the Lord Chancellor.
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