John Waltham was a priest and high-ranking government official in England in the 14th century. He held a number of ecclesiastical and civic positions during the reigns of King Edward III and Richard II, eventually rising to become Lord High Treasurer, Lord Privy Seal of England and Bishop of Salisbury. He is buried in Westminster Abbey, London.
1906 plan of Westminster Abbey showing Waltham's tomb in Edward the Confessor's Chapel
John Waltham's final resting place: Edward the Confessor's Chapel in Westminster Abbey
The Lord Privy Seal is the fifth of the Great Officers of State in the United Kingdom, ranking beneath the Lord President of the Council and above the Lord Great Chamberlain. Originally, its holder was responsible for the monarch's personal (privy) seal until the use of such a seal became obsolete. Though one of the oldest offices in European governments, it has no particular function today because the use of a privy seal has been obsolete for centuries; it may be regarded as a traditional sinecure, but today, the holder of the office is invariably given a seat in the Cabinet of the United Kingdom, and is sometimes referred to as a minister without portfolio.
Lord Privy Seal
Image: Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland
Image: 1st Duke of Kingston upon Hull
Image: Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent, by Charles Jervas
