Whig Government 1835-1841

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Lord Melbourne's second government came to power after Sir Robert Peel's minority government resigned in 1835. Lord Palmerston returned as Foreign Secretary while Lord John Russell held his first major office as Home Secretary.

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 House of Commons majority in the General Election of 1841. He was succeeded by Sir Robert Peel's second government.

Preceded by Conservative Government 1834-1835

British Government 1835–1841

Succeeded by Conservative Government 1841-1846

Members of the Cabinet are indicated by bold face.

Office	Name	Date	Notes
Prime Minister	The Viscount Melbourne	18 April 1835 – 30 August 1841	The Government resigned 7 May 1839 and resumed 10 May 1839
Chancellor of the Exchequer	Thomas Spring-Rice	18 April 1835
	Francis Thornhill Baring	26 August 1839
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury	Edward John Stanley	21 April 1835
	Sir Denis Le Marchant	19 June 1841
Financial Secretary to the Treasury	Francis Thornhill Baring	21 April 1835
	Robert Gordon	6 September 1839
	Richard More O'Ferrall	9 June 1841
Junior Lords of the Treasury	Lord Seymour	18 April 1835 – 2 November 1839
	William Henry Ord	18 April 1835 – 18 July 1837
	Robert Steuart	18 April 1835 – 26 May 1840
	Richard More O'Ferrall	16 May 1835 – 28 August 1839
	John Parker	18 July 1837 – 23 June 1841
	Thomas Wyse	28 August 1839 – 30 August 1841
	Henry Tufnell	2 November 1839 – 30 August 1841
	Edward Horsman	26 May 1840 – 30 August 1841
	William Francis Cowper	23 June 1841 – 30 August 1841
Lord Chancellor	in commission	23 April 1835
	The Lord Cottenham	16 January 1836
Lord President of the Council	The Marquess of Lansdowne	23 April 1835
Lord Privy Seal	Viscount Duncannon	23 April 1835
	The Earl of Clarendon	15 January 1840
Secretary of State for the Home Department	The Lord John Russell	18 April 1835
	The Marquess of Normanby	30 August 1839
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department	Fox Maule	18 April 1835
	Lord Seymour	15 June 1841
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	The Viscount Palmerston	18 April 1835
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	The Hon. William Fox-Strangways	18 April 1835
	Viscount Leveson	7 March 1840
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies	Charles Grant	18 April 1835	created Lord Glenelg 8 May 1835
	The Marquess of Normanby	20 February 1839
	The Lord John Russell	30 August 1839
Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies	Sir George Grey, Bt	18 April 1835
	Henry Labouchere	28 February 1839
	Robert Vernon Smith	31 August 1839
First Lord of the Admiralty	The Lord Auckland	22 April 1835
	The Earl of Minto	15 September 1835
First Secretary of the Admiralty	Charles Wood	27 April 1835
	Richard More O'Ferrall	4 October 1839
	John Parker	9 June 1841
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	Lord Dalmeny	23 April 1835
President of the Board of Control	Sir John Cam Hobhouse	23 April 1835
Joint Secretaries of the Board of Control	Robert Gordon	21 April 1835 – 30 September 1839
	Robert Vernon Smith	21 April 1835 – 30 September 1839
	Lord Seymour	30 September 1839 – 15 June 1841
	(Sir) William Clay	30 September 1839 – 30 August 1841
	Charles Buller	21 June 1841 – 30 August 1841
Chief Secretary for Ireland	Viscount Morpeth	22 April 1835	entered the Cabinet 20 February 1839
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland	The Earl of Mulgrave	29 April 1835
	Viscount Ebrington	13 March 1839
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	The Lord Holland	20 February 1835
	The Earl of Clarendon	31 October 1840
	Sir George Grey, Bt	23 June 1841
President of the Board of Trade	Charles Poulett Thomson	18 April 1835
	Henry Labouchere	29 August 1839
Vice-President of the Board of Trade	Henry Labouchere	6 May 1835
	Richard Lalor Sheil	29 August 1839
	Fox Maule	28 June 1841
Secretary at War	Viscount Howick	18 April 1835
	Thomas Babington Macaulay	27 September 1839
First Commissioner of Woods and Forests	Viscount Duncannon	28 April 1835
Master of the Mint	Henry Labouchere	25 April 1835
Treasurer of the Navy	Sir Henry Parnell	20 April 1835	office abolished 1 December 1836
Master-General of the Ordnance	Sir Richard Hussey Vivian	4 May 1835	created Lord Vivian 19 August 1841
Surveyor-General of the Ordnance	Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin	20 April 1835
	Charles Richard Fox	5 May 1841
Clerk of the Ordnance	Andrew Leith Hay	20 April 1835
	James Whitley Deans Dundas	21 March 1838
	George Anson	23 June 1841
Storekeeper of the Ordnance	George Anson	25 April 1835
	James Hanway Plumridge	23 June 1841
Paymaster-General	Sir Henry Parnell	27 April 1835
	Edward John Stanley	19 June 1841
Postmaster-General	The Marquess Conyngham	30 April 1835
	The Earl of Lichfield	22 May 1835
Attorney General	Sir John Campbell	30 April 1835
	Sir Thomas Wilde	3 July 1841
Solicitor General	Sir Robert Rolfe	4 May 1835
	Sir Thomas Wilde	2 December 1839
Judge Advocate General	Robert Cutlar Fergusson	20 April 1835
	William St Julien Arabin	24 November 1838
	Sir George Grey, Bt	15 February 1839
	Richard Lalor Sheil	23 June 1841
Lord Advocate	John Murray	20 April 1835
	Andrew Rutherfurd	20 April 1839
Solicitor General for Scotland	John Cunninghame	22 April 1835
	Andrew Rutherfurd	9 February 1837
	James Ivory	20 April 1839
	Thomas Maitland	9 May 1840
Attorney General for Ireland	Louis Perrin	29 April 1835
	Michael O'Loghlen	31 August 1835
	John Richards	10 November 1836
	Stephen Woulfe	3 February 1837
	Nicholas Ball	11 July 1838
	Maziere Brady	23 February 1839
	David Richard Pigot	11 August 1840
Solicitor General for Ireland	Michael O'Loghlen	29 April 1835
	John Richards	21 September 1835
	Stephen Woulfe	10 November 1836
	Maziere Brady	3 February 1837
	David Richard Pigot	11 February 1839
	Richard Moore	14 August 1840
Lord Steward of the Household	The Duke of Argyll	23 April 1835
	The Earl of Erroll	21 November 1839
Lord Chamberlain of the Household	The Marquess Wellesley	23 April 1835
	The Marquess Conyngham	22 May 1835
	Earl of Uxbridge	6 May 1839
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household	The Lord Charles Fitzroy	29 June 1835
	Earl of Belfast	27 April 1838
Master of the Horse	The Earl of Albemarle	25 April 1835
Treasurer of the Household	Sir William Henry Fremantle	27 May 1826	continued in office
	Earl of Surrey	17 July 1837
	George Stephens Byng	23 June 1841
Comptroller of the Household	George Stephens Byng	6 May 1835
	The Lord Arthur Hill	23 June 1841
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms	The Lord Foley	6 May 1835
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard	The Earl of Gosford	23 April 1835
	The Earl of Ilchester	5 August 1835
	Earl of Surrey	6 July 1841
Master of the Buckhounds	The Earl of Erroll	30 April 1835
	The Lord Kinnaird	21 December 1839
Mistress of the Robes	The Duchess of Sutherland	29 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
	The Viscount Falkland	17 July 1837 – 4 February 1840
	The Viscount Torrington	17 July 1837 – 30 August 1841
	The Lord Byron	17 July 1837 – 31 March 1860	(permanent)
	The Lord Gardner	17 July 1837 – 1 July 1840
	The Lord Lilford	17 July 1837 – 30 August 1841
	The Lord Templemore	17 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

[edit] References

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

Preceded by Conservative Government 1834-1835

British Government 1835–1841

Succeeded by Conservative Government 1841-1846

British ministries

Clarendon, Cabal, First Danby, Privy Council, First Rochester, Godolphin, Second Rochester, Belasyse, Carmarthen/Halifax, Carmarthen, First Whig Junto, Pembroke, Coalition, Second Whig Junto, Harley, Townshend, First Stanhope/Sunderland, Second Stanhope/Sunderland, Walpole/Townshend, Walpole, Carteret, First Pelham, Bath/Granville, Second Pelham, First Newcastle, Pitt the Elder, 1757 Caretaker, Newcastle/Pitt, Newcastle/Pitt, Bute, Grenville, First Rockingham, Chatham, Grafton, North, Second Rockingham, Shelburne, Fox-North Coalition, First Pitt the Younger, Addington, Second Pitt the Younger, Ministry of All the Talents, Second Portland, Perceval, Liverpool, Canning, Goderich, First Wellington, Second Wellington, Grey, First Melbourne, Wellington Caretaker, First Peel, Second Melbourne, Third Melbourne, Second Peel, First Russell, First Derby, Aberdeen, First Palmerston, Second Derby, Second Palmerston/Second Russell, Third Derby, First Disraeli, First Gladstone, Second Disraeli, Second Gladstone, First Salisbury, Third Gladstone, Second Salisbury, Fourth Gladstone, Rosebery, Third Salisbury/Balfour, Campbell-Bannerman/First Asquith, Second Asquith, Lloyd George, Bonar Law/First Baldwin, First MacDonald, Second Baldwin, Second MacDonald, First National, Second National, Third National, Fourth National, Chamberlain War, War Coalition, Churchill Caretaker, Attlee, Third Churchill/Eden, Macmillan/Douglas-Home, First Wilson, Heath, Second Wilson, Callaghan, Thatcher, Major, Blair