Ministry of All the Talents explained

The Ministry of All the Talents was a national unity government in the United Kingdom formed by William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, on his appointment as Prime Minister on 11 February 1806, following the death of William Pitt the Younger.[1] [2]

History

With the country remaining at war, Grenville aimed to form the strongest possible government and so included most leading politicians from almost all groupings, although some followers of the younger Pitt, led by George Canning, refused to join.

The inclusion of Charles James Fox surprised some as King George III had previously been very hostile to Fox, but the King's willingness to put aside past enmities for the sake of national unity encouraged many others to join or support the government as well. The ministry boasted a fairly progressive agenda, much of it inherited from Pitt.

The Ministry of All the Talents had comparatively little success, failing to bring the sought-after peace with France. In fact, the war continued for nearly another decade. It did, however, abolish the slave trade in Britain in 1807 before breaking up in 1807 over the question of Catholic emancipation.

It was succeeded by the Second Portland ministry, headed by William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland.

List of ministers

Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

OfficeNameDate
scope=row First Lord of the Treasury
Leader of the House of Lords
The Lord Grenville11 February 180631 March 1807
scope=row Chancellor of the ExchequerLord Henry Petty11 February 180631 March 1807
scope=row rowspan=3 Joint Secretaries to the TreasuryNicholas VansittartFebruary 1806March 1807
John KingFebruaryJuly 1806
William Henry FremantleJuly 1806March 1807
scope=row Junior Lords of the TreasuryViscount Althorp,
William Wickham
and John Courtenay
11 February 1806
scope=row Lord ChancellorThe Lord ErskineFebruary 1806
scope=row rowspan=2 Lord President of the CouncilThe Earl Fitzwilliam19 February 1806
The Viscount Sidmouth8 October 1806
scope=row rowspan=2 Lord Privy SealThe Viscount SidmouthFebruary 1806
The Lord Holland8 October 1806
scope=row Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentThe Earl Spencer5 February 1806
scope=row Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentCharles Williams-WynnFebruary 1806
scope=row rowspan=2 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Leader of the House of Commons
Charles James Fox7 February 180613 September 1806
Viscount Howick24 September 1806
scope=row Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsGeorge Walpole
and Sir Francis Vincent
February 1806March 1807
scope=row Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesWilliam WindhamFebruary 1806
scope=row Under-Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesSir George Shee
and Sir James Cockburn
February 1806March 1807
scope=row rowspan=2 First Lord of the AdmiraltyCharles Grey10 February 1806
Thomas Grenville29 September 1806
scope=row First Secretary to the AdmiraltyWilliam MarsdenContinued in office
scope=row rowspan=3 Civil Lords of the AdmiraltySir Philip Stephens10 February23 October 1806
Lord William Russell
and The Lord Kensington
10 February 180631 March 1807
William Frankland23 October 180631 March 1807
scope=row President of the Board of TradeThe Lord Auckland5 February 1806
scope=row Vice-President of the Board of TradeEarl Temple5 February 1806
scope=row rowspan=3 President of the Board of ControlThe Lord Minto12 February 1806
Thomas Grenville16 July 1806
George Tierney1 October 1806
scope=row Secretary to the Board of ControlThomas Creevey14 February 1806
scope=row Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Earl of Derby12 February 1806
scope=row Master-General of the OrdnanceThe Earl of MoiraFebruary 1806
scope=row Lieutenant-General of the OrdnanceSir Thomas TriggeContinued in office
scope=row Treasurer of the OrdnanceAlexander Davison20 February 1806
scope=row Surveyor-General of the OrdnanceJames Murray HaddenContinued in office
scope=row Clerk of the OrdnanceJohn Calcraft22 February 1806
scope=row Clerk of the Deliveries of the OrdnanceJames Lloyd12 March 1806
scope=row Storekeeper of the OrdnanceJohn McMahon22 February 1806
scope=row Treasurer of the NavyRichard Brinsley SheridanFebruary 1806
scope=row Secretary at WarRichard FitzPatrickFebruary 1806
scope=row rowspan=2 Master of the MintLord Charles SpencerFebruary 1806
Charles BathurstOctober 1806
scope=row Paymaster of the ForcesEarl Temple
and Lord John Townshend
February 1806March 1807
scope=row Postmaster GeneralThe Earl of Carysfort
and The Earl of Buckinghamshire
February 1806March 1807
scope=row Minister without PortfolioThe Earl FitzwilliamOctober 1806March 1807
scope=row rowspan=2 Lord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Duke of Bedford12 March 1806
The Duke of Richmond11 April 1807
scope=row Chief Secretary for IrelandWilliam ElliotFebruary 1806
scope=row Lord Chief Justice of the King's BenchThe Lord EllenboroughContinued in office
scope=row Attorney GeneralSir Arthur Piggott12 February 1806
scope=row Solicitor GeneralSir Samuel Romilly12 February 1806
scope=row Judge Advocate GeneralNathaniel Bond8 March 1806
scope=row Lord AdvocateHenry ErskineFebruary 1806
scope=row Solicitor General for ScotlandJohn ClerkFebruary 1806
scope=row Attorney General for IrelandWilliam PlunketContinued in office
scope=row Solicitor General for IrelandCharles Kendal BusheContinued in office
scope=row Lord Steward of the HouseholdThe Earl of AylesfordContinued in office
scope=row Treasurer of the HouseholdLord Ossulston12 February 1806
scope=row Comptroller of the HouseholdLord George ThynneContinued in office
scope=row Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Earl of DartmouthContinued in office
scope=row Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdLord John ThynneContinued in office
scope=row Master of the HorseThe Earl of Carnarvon8 February 1806
scope=row Master of the BuckhoundsThe Earl of Albemarle12 February 1806
scope=row Captain of the Gentlemen PensionersThe Lord St John of Bletso12 February 1806
scope=row Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Earl of MacclesfieldContinued in office
Notes

Other uses of the term

The term has since been used in politics to describe an administration with members from more than one party or even a non-coalition government that enjoys cross-party support due to gifted and/or non-partisan members. Examples include the coalition government which led Great Britain through the Second World War and the Canadian government that won the 1896 election.[3] In Ireland, the Government of the 20th Dáil (a Fine Gael–Labour coalition that was in office between 1973 and 1977) was widely called the "cabinet of all the talents."[4] [5] [6]

Notes and References

  1. A.D. . Harvey . The Ministry of All the Talents: The Whigs in Office, February 1806 to March 1807 . Historical Journal . 15 . 4 . 1972 . 619–648 . 10.1017/S0018246X00003484 . 2638036.
  2. Web site: Lord William Wyndham Grenville . DukesOfBuckingham.org.uk . https://web.archive.org/web/20090813161928/http://www.dukesofbuckingham.org.uk/people/family/grenville/william_wyndham_grenville.htm . 13 August 2009.
  3. Book: John Holland Rose . John Holland Rose . The Cambridge history of the British Empire: The Growth of the new Empire . Google books . 511 . 1929 . Cambridge University Press.
  4. Web site: 40 years on, three 'talents' remain. independent. 6 October 2017 .
  5. News: Cosgrave's 'no nonsense' farewell. John. Burns. www.thetimes.co.uk.
  6. Web site: Liam Cosgrave 1920-2017. 1 December 2017.