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Palmerston Government 1855-1858

Lord Palmerston first formed a government by popular demand in 1855, after the resignation of the coalition government of Lord Aberdeen. He was heavily criticised by Parliament in 1857 over the conduct of the Second Opium War and called a dissolution, but the nation voiced its support in the resulting general election and he remained in power. In 1858 he resigned when defeated "on a measure for removing conspiracies to murder abroad from the class of misdemeanour to that of felony", and was succeeded by another short-lived Conservative government under Lord Derby.


Members of the Cabinet are indicated by bold face.

OfficeNameDateNotes
Prime MinisterViscount Palmerston6 February 1855-21 February 1858 
Chancellor of the ExchequerWilliam Ewart Gladstone30 December 1852continued in office
Sir George Lewis28 February 1855 
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryWilliam Goodenough Hayter 5 January 1853continued in office
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryJames Wilson5 January 1853continued in office
Junior Lords of the TreasuryLord Alfred Hervey 1 January 1853-7 March 1855continued in office
Lord Elcho 1 January 1853-7 March 1855
Chichester Samuel Fortescue 6 March 1854-16 April 1855
Viscount Monck7 March 1855-21 February 1858 
Viscount Duncan 7 March 1855-21 February 1858
H.B. Brand16 April 1855-21 February 1858
Lord ChancellorLord Cranworth28 December 1852continued in office
Lord President of the CouncilEarl Granville8 February 1855 
Lord Privy SealDuke of Argyll4 January 1853continued in office
Earl of Harrowby7 December 1855 
Marquess of Clanricarde3 February 1858
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentSir George Grey8 February 1855 
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentH. Fitzroy28 December 1852continued in office
W.F. Cowper16 February 1855 
W. Massey13 August 1855
Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsEarl of Clarendon21 February 1853continued in office
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsLord Wodehouse28 December 1852continued in office
Earl of Shelburne 5 July 1856 
Secretary of State for WarLord Panmure 8 February 1855 
Under-Secretary of State for WarFrederick PeelFebruary 1855 
Sir J. RamsdenMay 1857
Secretary of State for the ColoniesSidney Herbert8 February 1855 
Lord John Russell23 February 1855
Sir William Molesworth21 July 1855
Henry Labouchere21 November 1855
Under-Secretary of State for the ColoniesJ. Ball8 February 1855 
Chichester Samuel Fortescue June 1857
First Lord of the AdmiraltySir James Graham30 December 1852continued in office
Sir Charles Wood13 March 1855 
First Secretary of the Admiralty R. Bernal Osborne6 January 1853continued in office
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltySir R. Peel13 March 1855 
[[Thomas George Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook|Thomas George Baring27 May 1857
President of the Board of ControlSir Charles Wood30 December 1852continued in office
Robert Vernon Smith 3 March 1855 
Joint Secretary to the Board of Control H.D. Seymour3 April 1855 
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancastervacant  
Earl of Harrowby31 March 1855
Matthew Talbot Baines 7 December 1855
Minister without PortfolioMarquess of Lansdowne28 December 1852-21 February 1858 
Postmaster-GeneralViscount Canning 5 January 1853continued in office
Duke of Argyll30 November 1855 
President of the Board of TradeEdward Cardwell28 December 1852continued in office
Lord Stanley of Alderley31 March 1855entered the Cabinet 27 November 1855
Vice-President of the Board of TradeLord Stanley of Alderley 4 January 1853continued in office
Edward Pleydell Bouverie 31 March 1855 
Robert Lowe13 August 1855
First Commissioner of WorksSir William Molesworth5 January 1853continued in office
Sir Benjamin Hall21 July 1855 
Vice-President of the Committee on EducationW.F. Cowper5 February 1857 
President of the Board of HealthSir Benjamin Hall14 January 1854continued in office
W.F. Cowper13 August 1855 
W. Monsell9 February 1857
W.F. Cowper24 September 1857
Chief Secretary for IrelandSir John Young6 January 1853continued in office
Edward Horsman1 March 1855 
Henry Arthur Herbert 27 May 1857
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandEarl of Carlisle7 March 1855 
Master-General of the OrdnanceLord Raglan30 September 1852Board of Ordnance abolished 25 May 1855 and duties vested in Secretary of State for War
Surveyor-General of the OrdnanceL. Maule5 January 1853
Storekeeper of the Ordnance Sir T. Hastings25 July 1845
Clerk of the Ordnance W. Monsell13 January 1853clerkship abolished 1857
Paymaster-GeneralLord Stanley of Alderley4 January 1853continued in office
Edward Pleydell Bouverie 31 March 1855 
Robert Lowe13 August 1855
President of the Poor Law BoardMatthew Talbot Baines 30 December 1852continued in office
Edward Pleydell Bouverie 13 August 1855 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board G.C. Berkeley7 January 1853continued in office
R.W. Grey9 May 1856 
Attorney GeneralSir Alexander Cockburn28 December 1852continued in office
Sir Richard Bethell15 November 1856 
Solicitor GeneralSir Richard Bethell28 December 1852continued in office
J.S. Wortley22 November 1856 
Sir H. Keating28 May 1857
Judge Advocate GeneralCharles Pelham Villiers30 December 1852continued in office
Lord AdvocateJ. Montcrieff30 December 1852continued in office
Solicitor General for ScotlandE.F. Maitland14 February 1855 
Attorney General for Ireland A. BrewsterApril 1853continued in office
W. KeoghMarch 1855 
J.D. FitzgeraldMarch 1856
Solicitor General for IrelandW. KeoghApril 1853continued in office
J.D. FitzgeraldMarch 1855 
J. ChristianMarch 1856
Lord Steward of the HouseholdEarl Spencer10 January 1854continued in office
Earl of St Germans23 November 1857 
Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdMarquess of Breadalbane 15 January 1853continued in office
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Lord Ernest Bruce 30 December 1852continued in office
Master of the HorseDuke of Wellington21 January 1853continued in office
Treasurer of the HouseholdEarl of Mulgrave4 January 1853continued in office
Comptroller of the HouseholdViscount Drumlanrig 4 January 1853continued in office
Viscount Castlerosse 25 July 1856 
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsLord Foley 30 December 1852continued in office
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardViscount Sydney 30 December 1852continued in office
Master of the BuckhoundsEarl of Bessborough 30 December 1852continued in office
Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal Lord Alfred Paget30 December 1852continued in office
Mistress of the RobesDuchess of Sutherland15 January 1853continued in office
Lords in Waiting Earl Somers13 January 1853-22 February 1857 
Lord Camoys13 January 1853-21 February 1858
Lord Rivers13 January 1853-21 February 1858
Lord Waterpark13 January 1853-21 February 1858
Lord de Tabley13 January 1853-21 February 1858
Earl of Listowel1 October 1853-21 February 1856
Lord Dufferin and Clandeboye28 November 1854-21 February 1858
Earl of Caithness15 April 1856-21 February 1858
Lord Cremorne22 February 1857-21 February 1858

Sources:

  • C. Cook and B. Keith, British Historical Facts 1830-1900
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1911 edition
Last updated: 06-05-2005 01:18:32
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