First Peel ministry

Sir Robert Peel's first government succeeded the caretaker ministry of the Duke of Wellington. Peel was also Chancellor of the Exchequer while the Duke of Wellington served as Foreign Secretary. A young William Ewart Gladstone held office as a Junior Lord of the Treasury, his first governmental post in a ministerial career that would span for the next sixty years.

The Peel ministry was a minority government, and relied on Whig support. However, this the Whigs felt disinclined to give, joining with the Irish radicals to defeat the Conservatives at every turn. After a reign of only four months, the government felt obliged to resign, whereupon the Whig leader Lord Melbourne formed his second government.

Cabinet

December 1834 – April 1835

OFFICENAMETERM
First Lord of the Treasury
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Leader of the House of Commons
Sir Robert Peel, BtDecember 1834 – April 1835
Lord ChancellorThe Lord LyndhurstDecember 1834 – April 1835
Lord President of the CouncilThe Earl of RosslynDecember 1834 – April 1835
Lord Privy SealThe Lord WharncliffeDecember 1834 – April 1835
Home SecretaryHenry GoulburnDecember 1834 – April 1835
Foreign Secretary
Leader of the House of Lords
The Duke of WellingtonDecember 1834 – April 1835
Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesThe Earl of AberdeenDecember 1834 – April 1835
First Lord of the AdmiraltyThe Earl de GreyDecember 1834 – April 1835
Master-General of the OrdnanceSir George MurrayDecember 1834 – April 1835
President of the Board of Trade
Master of the Mint
Alexander BaringDecember 1834 – April 1835
President of the Board of ControlThe Lord EllenboroughDecember 1834 – April 1835
Paymaster of the ForcesSir Edward Knatchbull, BtDecember 1834 – April 1835
Secretary at WarJohn Charles HerriesDecember 1834 – April 1835

List of Ministers

Members of the Cabinet are indicated by bold face.

OfficeNameDateNotes
Prime Minister,
First Lord of the Treasury
and Leader of the House of Commons
Sir Robert Peel, Bt10 December 1834 – 8 April 1835 
Chancellor of the ExchequerSir Robert Peel, Bt10 December 1834 
Financial Secretary to the TreasurySir Thomas Fremantle, Bt20 December 1834 
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasurySir George Clerk19 December 1834 
Junior Lords of the TreasuryWilliam Yates Peel26 December 1834 – 8 April 1835 
Earl of Lincoln26 December 1834 – 8 April 1835
Viscount Stormont26 December 1834 – 8 April 1835
Charles Ross26 December 1834 – 8 April 1835
William Ewart Gladstone26 December 1834 – 27 January 1835
John Iltyd Nicholl14 March 1835 – 8 April 1835
Lord ChancellorThe Lord Lyndhurst21 November 1834 
Lord President of the CouncilThe Earl of Rosslyn15 December 1834 
Lord Privy SealThe Lord Wharncliffe15 December 1834 
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentHenry Goulburn15 December 1834 
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentWilliam Gregson3 January 1835 
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
and Leader of the House of Lords
The Duke of Wellington17 November 1834 
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsViscount Mahon17 December 1834
Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesThe Earl of Aberdeen20 December 1834 
Under-Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesJohn Stuart-Wortley20 December 1834 
William Ewart Gladstone27 January 1835
First Lord of the AdmiraltyThe Earl de Grey22 December 1834 
First Secretary of the AdmiraltyGeorge Robert Dawson24 December 1834 
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltyLord Ashley22 December 1834 
President of the Board of ControlThe Lord Ellenborough18 December 1834 
Secretary of the Board of ControlWinthrop Mackworth Praed20 December 1834 – 8 April 1835Joint Secretaries from 8 January 1835
Sidney Herbert8 January 1835 – 8 April 1835
Master-General of the OrdnanceSir George Murray18 December 1834 
Treasurer of the OrdnanceThomas Creeveycontinued in office 
Alexander Perceval12 January 1835 
Surveyor-General of the OrdnanceLord Edward Somerset22 December 1834 
Clerk of the OrdnanceSir Edward Owen22 December 1834 
Storekeeper of the OrdnanceFrancis Robert Bonham22 December 1834 
Paymaster of the ForcesSir Edward Knatchbull, Bt23 December 1834 
President of the Board of TradeAlexander Baring15 December 1834 
Vice-President of the Board of TradeViscount Lowther20 December 1834 
Secretary at WarJ. C. Herries16 December 1834 
Chief Secretary for IrelandSir Henry Hardinge16 December 1834 
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Earl of Haddington1 January 1835 
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterCharles Watkin Williams-Wynn26 December 1834 
Master of the MintAlexander Baring23 December 1834 
Treasurer of the NavyViscount Lowther22 December 1834 
Postmaster-GeneralThe Lord Maryborough23 December 1834 
First Commissioner of Woods and ForestsLord Granville Somerset23 December 1834 
Attorney GeneralSir Frederick Pollock, Bt17 December 1834 
Solicitor GeneralSir William Webb Follett20 December 1834 
Judge Advocate GeneralSir John Beckett, Bt18 December 1834 
Lord AdvocateSir William Rae, Bt19 December 1834 
Solicitor General for ScotlandDuncan McNeill7 January 1835 
Attorney General for Irelandvacant  
Solicitor General for IrelandEdward Pennefather27 January 1835 
Lord Steward of the HouseholdThe Earl of Wilton2 January 1835 
Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Earl of Jersey15 December 1834 
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdViscount Castlereagh29 December 1834 
Master of the HorseThe Duke of Dorset1 January 1835 
Treasurer of the HouseholdSir William Henry Fremantle27 May 1826continued in office
Comptroller of the HouseholdHenry Lowry-Corry29 December 1834 
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsViscount Hereford29 December 1834 
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Earl of Courtown5 January 1835 
Master of the BuckhoundsThe Earl of Chesterfield30 December 1834 

References

Preceded by
Wellington caretaker ministry
Government of the United Kingdom
1834–1835
Succeeded by
Second Melbourne Ministry