STEWARD, LORD HIGH, OF ENGLAND; one of the ancient great officers of state. Under the Norman kings and the early kings of the Plantagenet line it seems to have been an hereditary office. Ilugh Grentmesnil held the office in the reign of Henry II., and it passed with his daughter and co-heir in marriage to Robert de Bello mont, who was Earl of Leicester. Robert's son held it, on whose death without issue it passed to the husband of his sister, the elder Simon de Montfort, who bad also the dignity of Earl of Leicester. From him it passed to his son, the second Simon de Montfort, who was slain at the battle of Evesham in 1265. This high dignity then reverted to the crown, but was immediately granted to Edmund, king Henry the Third's younger son, together with Montfort's earldom of ill whose descendants, the earls of Lancaster and Leicester, it continued, and in the person of Henry the Fourth, who was duke of Lancaster, was absorbed into the regal dignity.
From this time no person has been invested with this high dignity as an heritable possession, or even for his own life, or quamdiu se beau gcsaerit ; but only for some special occasion, the office to cease when the business which required it was ended ; and this occasion has usually been when a person was to be tried before the House of Peers.
Before this court a peer may be impeached for treason, felony, mis prision of treason, and misprision of felony ; but a commoner only for high misdemeanors, and not for any capital offence. The lords are summoned to appear, and the decision is by a majority, but no con viction can take place unless the majority consist of twelve or more. The spiritual lords may be present at the trial, but cannot vote. On such occasions there is a lord high steward created, who presides, and when the proceedings are closed, breaks his wand, and dissolves the court ; but if the trial take place during the session of parliament, though a lord steward is appointed, it is not considered as his court, he having none of tho functions of the judge, only voting with the rest as a peer, although lie presides.