Second Melbourne ministry explained

Cabinet Name:Second Melbourne ministry
Incumbent:1835–1841
Government Head Title:Prime Minister
Government Head:The Viscount Melbourne
State Head Title:Monarch
State Head:William IV
Victoria
Election:1835 general election
Last Election:1841 general election
Previous:First Peel ministry
Successor:Second Peel ministry

The second Lord Melbourne ministry was formed in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland by the Viscount Melbourne in 1835.

History

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.

1841 votes of no confidence

The 1841 votes of no confidence against the government of Viscount Melbourne were votes of no confidence in the government of William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne which occurred on 7 June 1841.[1] Melbourne lost the vote by only one vote and dissolved Parliament leading to an election in July 1841. Melbourne lost a second vote of confidence shortly after the election in August, leading to his resignation.

Cabinets

April 1835 – August 1839

OfficeNameTerm
First Lord of the TreasuryThe Viscount MelbourneApril 1835 – August 1839
Lord ChancellorIn CommissionApril 1835 – January 1836
The Lord CottenhamJanuary 1836 – August 1839
Lord President of the CouncilThe Marquess of LansdowneApril 1835 – August 1839
Lord Privy SealViscount DuncannonApril 1835 – August 1839
Home SecretaryThe Earl RussellApril 1835 – August 1839
Foreign SecretaryThe Viscount PalmerstonApril 1835 – August 1839
Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesThe Lord GlenelgApril 1835 – February 1839
The Marquess of NormanbyFebruary–August 1839
First Lord of the AdmiraltyThe Lord AucklandApril–September 1835
The Earl of MintoSeptember 1835 – August 1839
Chancellor of the ExchequerThomas Spring RiceApril 1835 – August 1839
President of the Board of TradeCharles Poulett ThomsonApril 1835 – August 1839
President of the Board of ControlSir John Cam HobhouseApril 1835 – August 1839
First Commissioner of Woods and ForestsViscount DuncannonApril 1835 – August 1839
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Lord HollandApril 1835 – August 1839
Secretary at WarViscount HowickApril 1835 – August 1839

Notes

August 1839 – September 1841

OfficeNameTerm
First Lord of the Treasury
Leader of the House of Lords
The Viscount MelbourneAugust 1839 – September 1841
Lord ChancellorThe Lord CottenhamAugust 1839 – September 1841
Lord President of the CouncilThe Marquess of LansdowneAugust 1839 – September 1841
Lord Privy SealViscount DuncannonAugust 1839 – January 1840
The Earl of ClarendonJanuary 1840 – September 1841
Home SecretaryThe Marquess of NormanbyAugust 1839 – September 1841
Foreign SecretaryThe Viscount PalmerstonAugust 1839 – September 1841
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
Leader of the House of Commons
Lord John RussellAugust 1839 – September 1841
First Lord of the AdmiraltyThe Earl of MintoAugust 1839 – September 1841
Chancellor of the ExchequerFrancis Thornhill BaringAugust 1839 – September 1841
President of the Board of TradeHenry LabouchereAugust 1839 – September 1841
President of the Board of ControlSir John Cam HobhouseAugust 1839 – September 1841
First Commissioner of Woods and ForestsViscount DuncannonAugust 1839 – September 1841
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Lord HollandAugust 1839 – October 1840
The Earl of ClarendonOctober 1840 – June 1841
Sir George GreyJune–September 1841
Secretary at WarThomas Babington MacaulayAugust 1839 – September 1841
Chief Secretary for IrelandViscount MorpethAugust 1839 – September 1841

Notes

List of ministers

Members of the Cabinet are indicated by bold face.

OfficeNameDate
scope=row Prime Minister
First Lord of the Treasury
Leader of the House of Lords
The Viscount Melbourne18 April 183530 August 1841
scope=row rowspan=2 Chancellor of the ExchequerThomas Spring Rice18 April 1835
Francis Baring26 August 1839
scope=row rowspan=2 Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryEdward Stanley21 April 1835
Sir Denis Le Marchant19 June 1841
scope=row rowspan=3 Financial Secretary to the TreasuryFrancis Baring21 April 1835
Robert Gordon6 September 1839
Richard More O'Ferrall9 June 1841
scope=row rowspan=9 Junior Lords of the TreasuryLord Seymour18 April 18352 November 1839
William Ord18 April 183518 July 1837
Robert Steuart18 April 183526 May 1840
Richard More O'Ferrall16 May 183528 August 1839
John Parker18 July 183723 June 1841
Thomas Wyse28 August 183930 August 1841
Henry Tufnell2 November 183930 August 1841
Edward Horsman26 May 184030 August 1841
William Cowper23 June 184130 August 1841
scope=row rowspan=2 Lord Chancellorin commission23 April 1835
The Lord Cottenham16 January 1836
scope=row Lord President of the CouncilThe Marquess of Lansdowne23 April 1835
scope=row rowspan=2 Lord Privy SealThe Viscount Duncannon23 April 1835
The Earl of Clarendon15 January 1840
scope=row rowspan=2 Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentLord John Russell18 April 1835
The Marquess of Normanby30 August 1839
scope=row rowspan=2 Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentFox Maule18 April 1835
Lord Seymour15 June 1841
scope=row Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsViscount Palmerston18 April 1835
scope=row rowspan=2 Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsWilliam Fox-Strangways18 April 1835
Viscount Leveson7 March 1840
scope=row rowspan=3 Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesCharles Grant18 April 1835
The Marquess of Normanby20 February 1839
Lord John Russell30 August 1839
scope=row rowspan=3 Under-Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesSir George Grey18 April 1835
Henry Labouchere28 February 1839
Robert Vernon Smith31 August 1839
scope=row rowspan=2 First Lord of the AdmiraltyThe Lord Auckland22 April 1835
The Earl of Minto15 September 1835
scope=row rowspan=3 First Secretary of the AdmiraltyCharles Wood27 April 1835
Richard More O'Ferrall4 October 1839
John Parker9 June 1841
scope=row Civil Lord of the AdmiraltyLord Dalmeny23 April 1835
scope=row President of the Board of ControlSir John Hobhouse23 April 1835
scope=row rowspan=5 Joint Secretaries of the Board of ControlRobert Gordon21 April 183530 September 1839
Robert Vernon Smith21 April 183530 September 1839
Lord Seymour30 September 183915 June 1841
William Clay30 September 183930 August 1841
Charles Buller21 June 184130 August 1841
scope=row Chief Secretary for IrelandViscount Morpeth22 April 1835
scope=row rowspan=2 Lord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Earl of Mulgrave29 April 1835
Viscount Ebrington13 March 1839
scope=row rowspan=3 Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Lord Holland20 February 1835
The Earl of Clarendon31 October 1840
Sir George Grey23 June 1841
scope=row rowspan=2 President of the Board of TradeCharles Poulett Thomson18 April 1835
Henry Labouchere29 August 1839
scope=row rowspan=3 Vice-President of the Board of TradeHenry Labouchere6 May 1835
Richard Lalor Sheil29 August 1839
Fox Maule28 June 1841
scope=row rowspan=2 Secretary at WarViscount Howick18 April 1835
Thomas Babington Macaulay27 September 1839
scope=row First Commissioner of Woods and ForestsThe Viscount Duncannon28 April 1835
scope=row Master of the MintHenry Labouchere25 April 1835
scope=row Treasurer of the NavySir Henry Parnell20 April 1835
scope=row Master-General of the OrdnanceSir Hussey Vivian4 May 1835
scope=row Treasurer of the OrdnanceSir Henry Parnell9 May 1835
scope=row rowspan=2 Surveyor-General of the OrdnanceSir Rufane Shaw Donkin20 April 1835
Charles Richard Fox5 May 1841
scope=row rowspan=3 Clerk of the OrdnanceAndrew Leith Hay20 April 1835
James Whitley Deans Dundas21 March 1838
George Anson23 June 1841
scope=row rowspan=2 Storekeeper of the OrdnanceGeorge Anson25 April 1835
James Hanway Plumridge23 June 1841
scope=row Paymaster of the ForcesSir Henry Parnell28 April 1835
scope=row rowspan=2 Paymaster GeneralSir Henry Parnell27 April 1835
Edward Stanley19 June 1841
scope=row rowspan=2 Postmaster-GeneralThe Marquess Conyngham30 April 1835
The Earl of Lichfield22 May 1835
scope=row rowspan=2 Attorney GeneralSir John Campbell30 April 1835
Sir Thomas Wilde3 July 1841
scope=row rowspan=2 Solicitor GeneralSir Robert Rolfe4 May 1835
Sir Thomas Wilde2 December 1839
scope=row rowspan=4 Judge Advocate GeneralRobert Cutlar Fergusson20 April 1835
William St Julien Arabin24 November 1838
Sir George Grey15 February 1839
Richard Lalor Sheil23 June 1841
scope=row rowspan=2 Lord AdvocateJohn Murray20 April 1835
Andrew Rutherfurd20 April 1839
scope=row rowspan=4 Solicitor General for ScotlandJohn Cunninghame22 April 1835
Andrew Rutherfurd9 February 1837
James Ivory20 April 1839
Thomas Maitland9 May 1840
scope=row rowspan=7 Attorney General for IrelandLouis Perrin29 April 1835
Michael O'Loghlen31 August 1835
John Richards10 November 1836
Stephen Woulfe3 February 1837
Nicholas Ball11 July 1838
Maziere Brady23 February 1839
David Richard Pigot11 August 1840
scope=row rowspan=6Solicitor General for IrelandMichael O'Loghlen29 April 1835
John Richards21 September 1835
Stephen Woulfe10 November 1836
Maziere Brady3 February 1837
David Richard Pigot11 February 1839
Richard Moore14 August 1840
scope=row rowspan=2 Lord Steward of the HouseholdThe Duke of Argyll23 April 1835
The Earl of Erroll21 November 1839
scope=row rowspan=3 Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Marquess Wellesley23 April 1835
The Marquess Conyngham22 May 1835
Earl of Uxbridge6 May 1839
scope=row rowspan=2 Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdLord Charles FitzRoy29 June 1835
Earl of Belfast27 April 1838
scope=row Master of the HorseThe Earl of Albemarle25 April 1835
scope=row rowspan=3 Treasurer of the HouseholdSir William Henry Fremantle27 May 1826Continued in office
Earl of Surrey17 July 1837
George Byng23 June 1841
scope=row rowspan=2 Comptroller of the HouseholdGeorge Byng6 May 1835
Lord Marcus Hill23 June 1841
scope=row Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsThe Lord Foley6 May 1835
scope=row rowspan=3 Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Earl of Gosford23 April 1835
The Earl of Ilchester5 August 1835
Earl of Surrey6 July 1841
scope=row rowspan=2 Master of the BuckhoundsThe Earl of Erroll30 April 1835
The Lord Kinnaird21 December 1839
scope=row Mistress of the RobesThe Duchess of Sutherland29 August 1837
scope=row rowspan=12 Lords in WaitingThe Marquess of Headfort17 July 183730 August 1841
The Marquess of Queensberry17 July 183730 August 1841
The Viscount Falkland17 July 18374 February 1840
The Viscount Torrington17 July 183730 August 1841
The Lord Byron17 July 183731 March 1860
The Lord Gardner17 July 18371 July 1840
The Lord Lilford17 July 183730 August 1841
The Lord Templemore17 July 183726 September 1837
Earl of Uxbridge11 October 18376 May 1839
The Earl of Fingall11 December 183730 August 1841
The Earl of Listowel4 February 184030 August 1841
Earl of Aboyne1 July 184030 August 1841
Notes

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: British parliamentary timeline 1828 – 1900 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090331223544/http://www.pdavis.nl/TimeLine.htm. 31 March 2009. live. 2009-06-01.