George Cave, 1st Viscount Cave, GCMG (February 23, 1856) - (March 29, 1928) was a British lawyer and Conservative politician who became Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.
Born in London, Cave was educated at the Merchant Taylors' School and St John's College, Oxford. After being called to the bar in 1880, he practised as a barrister for a number of years, being made King's Counsel and recorder of Guildford in 1904. Two years later, he was elected Conservative Member of Parliament for the Kingston Division of Surrey, and was appointed a member of the Royal Commission on Land Purchase in 1908.
Having served as standing Counsel to Oxford University for two years as well as Attorney General to the Prince of Wales, in 1915 Cave was appointed Solicitor General and knighted. The following year, he was made Home Secretary in Lloyd George's coalition government, a post he held for three years.
In 1918, Sir George Cave was ennobled as Viscount Cave, of Richmond in the County of Surrey. The following year, he became a Lord of Appeal, and chaired a number of commissions, including the Southern Rhodesian commission and the Munitions Enquiry Tribunal. In 1922, he became Lord Chancellor in Bonar Law's government, and again served in this capacity in Baldwin's first administration. Having been made GCMG in 1921, he was also appointed Chancellor of Oxford University in 1925.
Lord Cave died aged 72 at St Ann's, Burnham, Somerset, and was buried at Berrow in the same county. On the day of his death it had been announced that he would be created an earl, and so his widow was created Countess Cave of Richmond. Having had no children, the viscountcy became extinct on Lord Cave's death, as did the earldom when his wife died in 1938.
| Preceded by: Herbert Samuel |
Home Secretary 1916-1919 |
Followed by: Edward Shortt |
| Preceded by: The Viscount Birkenhead |
Lord Chancellor 1922-1924 |
Followed by: The Viscount Haldane |
| Preceded by: The Viscount Haldane |
Lord Chancellor 1924-1928 |
Followed by: The Lord Hailsham |
| Preceded by: New Creation |
Viscount Cave | Followed by: Extinct |