Secretary of State for War and the Colonies explained

Post:	Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
Insignia:	Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
Insigniacaption:	Royal Arms used by His Majesty's Government
Style:	The Right Honourable^[1]
Member Of:	Cabinet · Privy Council · Parliament
Appointer:	Monarch of the United Kingdom based on advice of the Prime Minister
Termlength:	At His Majesty's pleasure
Formation:	17 March 1801
First:	The Lord Hobart
Last:	The Duke of Newcastle
Abolished:	10 June 1854
Succession:	Secretary of State for War · Secretary of State for the Colonies
Deputy:	Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies

The Secretary of State for War and the Colonies was a British cabinet-level position responsible for the army and the British colonies (other than India). The Secretary was supported by an Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.

History

The Department was created in 1801. In 1854 it was split into the separate offices of Secretary of State for War and Secretary of State for the Colonies.

List of secretaries of state (1801–1854)

Secretary! colspan=2

Term of office	Party	Ministry	Monarch
		Robert Hobart	1801	1804		Tory		Addington	George III ^[2]
		John Pratt	1804	1805		Tory	Pitt II
		Robert Stewart	1805	1806		Tory
		William Windham	1806	1807		Whig		All the Talents
		Robert Stewart	1807	1809		Tory		Portland II
		Robert Jenkinson	1809	1812		Tory		Perceval
		Henry Bathurst	1812	1827	Tory	Liverpool
George IV
		F. J. Robinson	1827	1827		Tory		Canning
		William Huskisson	1827	1828		Tory		Goderich
		George Murray	1828	1830	Tory	Wellington–Peel
William IV
		F. J. Robinson	1830	1833		Whig	Grey
		Edward Smith-Stanley	1833	1834		Whig
		Thomas Spring Rice	1834	1834		Whig		Melbourne I
		Arthur Wellesley	1834	1834		Tory		Wellington Caretaker
		George Hamilton-Gordon	1834	1835		Conservative		Peel I
		Charles Grant	1835	1839	Whig	Melbourne II
Victoria
		Constantine Phipps	1839	1839		Whig
		John Russell	1839	1841		Whig
		Edward Smith-Stanley ^[3]	1841	1845		Conservative	Peel II
		William Ewart Gladstone ^[4]	1845	1846		Conservative
		Henry Grey	1846	1852		Whig		Russell I
		John Pakington	1852	1852		Conservative		Who? Who?
		Henry Pelham-Clinton	1852	1854		Peelite		Aberdeen

Notes:

Notes and References

1. Typical style for members of the Privy Council and peers ranked below Marquess. For peers of the rank Marquess The Most Honourable; for peers of the rank Duke His Grace.
2. The Prince of Wales served as prince regent from 5 February 1811.
3. MP for North Lancashire until 1844; thereafter summoned to Parliament through a writ in acceleration in respect of his father's title, Baron Stanley of Bickerstaffe.
4. On appointment to office a ministerial by-election was triggered in the Newark-upon-Trent constituency that Gladstone had represented since 1832. Gladstone did not contest the seat, and was not returned to Parliament until the 1847 general election.