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Whig Government 1835-1841

Lord Melbourne's second government came to power after Sir Robert Peel's minority government resigned in 1835. In 1837 Queen Victoria succeeded to the throne, and as was usual for a queen regnant, the Royal Household was appointed by the Prime Minister. The young Queen was so attached to her Whig ladies of the bedchamber that after Melbourne's resignation in 1839, she refused to let Sir Robert Peel replace them with Conservative ladies. This was known as the Bedchamber Crisis , and led to Peel's refusal to form a government. Melbourne therefore resumed, and continued in office until the Conservatives finally won a Commons majority in the General Election of 1841. He was succeeded by Sir Robert Peel's second government.


Members of the Cabinet are indicated by bold face.

OfficeNameDateNotes
Prime MinisterViscount Melbourne18 April 1835-30 August 1841The Government resigned 7 May 1839 and resumed 10 May 1839
Chancellor of the ExchequerThomas Spring-Rice18 April 1835 
Francis Thornhill Baring26 August 1839
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryEdward John Stanley21 April 1835 
Sir Denis Le Marchant 19 June 1841
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryFrancis Thornhill Baring21 April 1835 
Robert Gordon6 September 1839
Richard More O'Ferrall 9 June 1841
Junior Lords of the TreasuryLord Seymour18 April 1835-2 November 1839 
William Henry Ord 18 April 1835-18 July 1837
Robert Stewart18 April 1835-26 May 1840
Richard More O'Ferrall 16 May 1835-28 August 1839
John Parker18 July 1837-23 June 1841
Thomas Wyse28 August 1839-30 August 1841
Henry Tufnell 2 November 1839-30 August 1841
Edward Horsman26 May 1840-30 August 1841
William Francis Cowper23 June 1841-30 August 1841
Lord Chancellorin commission23 April 1835 
Lord Cottenham16 January 1836
Lord President of the CouncilThe Marquess of Lansdowne23 April 1835 
Lord Privy SealViscount Duncannon23 April 1835 
The Earl of Clarendon15 January 1840
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentLord John Russell18 April 1835 
The Marquess of Normanby30 August 1839
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentFox Maule 18 April 1835 
Lord Seymour15 June 1841
Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsViscount Palmerston18 April 1835 
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsW.F. Strangeways18 April 1835 
Viscount Leveson7 March 1840
Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesCharles Grant18 April 1835created Lord Glenelg 8 May 1835
The Marquess of Normanby20 February 1839 
Lord John Russell30 August 1839
Under-Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesSir George Grey18 April 1835 
Henry Labouchere28 February 1839
Robert Vernon Smith 31 August 1839
First Lord of the AdmiraltyLord Auckland22 April 1835 
The Earl of Minto15 September 1835
First Secretary of the Admiralty Charles Wood27 April 1835 
Richard More O'Ferrall 4 October 1839
John Parker9 June 1841
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltyLord Dalmeny 23 April 1835 
President of the Board of ControlSir John Cam Hobhouse23 April 1835 
Joint Secretaries of the Board of Control Robert Gordon21 April 1835-30 September 1839 
Robert Vernon Smith 21 April 1835-30 September 1839
Lord Seymour30 September 1839-15 June 1841
(Sir) W. Clay30 September 1839-30 August 1841
C. Buller21 June 1841-30 August 1841
Chief Secretary for IrelandViscount Morpeth22 April 1835entered the Cabinet 20 February 1839
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Earl of Mulgrave29 April 1835 
Viscount Ebrington13 March 1839
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterLord Holland20 February 1835 
The Earl of Clarendon31 October 1840
Sir George Grey23 June 1841
President of the Board of TradeCharles Poulett Thomson18 April 1835 
Henry Labouchere29 August 1839
Vice-President of the Board of TradeHenry Labouchere6 May 1835 
R.L. Sheil29 August 1839
Fox Maule 28 June 1841
Secretary at WarViscount Howick18 April 1835 
Thomas Babington Macaulay27 September 1839
First Commissioner of Woods and ForestsViscount Duncannon28 April 1835 
Master of the MintHenry Labouchere25 April 1835 
Treasurer of the NavySir Henry Parnell 20 April 1835office abolished 1 December 1836
Master-General of the OrdnanceSir Richard Hussey Vivian 4 May 1835created Lord Vivian 19 August 1841
Surveyor-General of the OrdnanceSir R.S. Donkin20 April 1835 
C.R. Fox5 May 1841
Clerk of the Ordnance A.L. Hay20 April 1835 
J.W.D. Dundas21 March 1838
G. Anson23 June 1841
Storekeeper of the Ordnance G. Anson25 April 1835 
J.H. Plumridge23 June 1841
Paymaster-GeneralSir Henry Parnell 27 April 1835 
Edward John Stanley19 June 1841
Postmaster-GeneralThe Marquess Conyngham 30 April 1835 
The Earl of Lichfield 22 May 1835
Attorney GeneralSir John Campbell30 April 1835 
Sir Thomas Wilde3 July 1841
Solicitor GeneralSir Robert Rolfe4 May 1835 
Sir Thomas Wilde2 December 1839
Judge Advocate GeneralR. Fergusson20 April 1835 
W.StJ. Arabin24 November 1838
Sir G. Grey15 February 1839
R.L. Sheil23 June 1841
Lord AdvocateJ. Murray20 April 1835 
A. Rutherfurd20 April 1839
Solicitor General for ScotlandJ. Cunninghame22 April 1835 
A. Rutherfurd9 February 1837
J. Ivory20 April 1839
T. Maitland9 May 1840
Attorney General for Ireland L. Perrin29 April 1835 
M. O'Loghlen31 August 1835
J. Richards10 November 1836
S. Woulfe3 February 1837
N. Ball11 July 1838
M. Brady23 February 1839
D. Pigot11 August 1840
Solicitor General for IrelandM. O'Loghlen29 April 1835 
J. Richards21 September 1835
S. Woulfe10 November 1836
M. Brady3 February 1837
D. Pigot11 February 1839
R. Moore14 August 1840
Lord Steward of the HouseholdThe Duke of Argyll 23 April 1835 
The Earl of Erroll 21 November 1839
Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Marquess Wellesley23 April 1835 
The Marquess Conyngham 22 May 1835
Earl of Uxbridge 6 May 1839
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Lord Charles Fitzroy 29 June 1835 
Earl of Belfast27 April 1838
Master of the HorseThe Earl of Albemarle 25 April 1835 
Treasurer of the HouseholdSir W.H. Fremantle27 May 1826continued in office
Earl of Surrey 17 July 1837 
G.S. Byng23 June 1841
Comptroller of the HouseholdG.S. Byng6 May 1835 
Lord M. Hill23 June 1841
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsLord Foley 6 May 1835 
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Earl of Gosford23 April 1835 
The Earl of Ilchester 5 August 1835
Earl of Surrey 6 July 1841
Master of the BuckhoundsThe Earl of Erroll 30 April 1835 
Lord Kinnaird 21 December 1839
Mistress of the RobesThe Duchess of Sutherland29 August 1837 
Lords in Waiting The Marquess of Headfort 17 July 1837-30 August 1841 
The Marquess of Queensberry 17 July 1837-30 August 1841
Viscount Falkland17 July 1837-4 February 1840
Viscount Torrington 17 July 1837-30 August 1841
Lord Byron 17 July 1837-31 March 1860(permanent)
Lord Gardner 17 July 1837-1 July 1840 
Lord Lilford 17 July 1837-30 August 1841
Lord Templemore17 July 1837-26 September 1837
Earl of Uxbridge 11 October 1837-6 May 1839
The Earl of Fingall 11 December 1837-30 August 1841
The Earl of Listowel 4 February 1840-30 August 1841
Earl of Aboyne 1 July 1840-30 August 1841

Source: C. Cook and B. Keith, British Historical Facts 1830-1900

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