The secretary of state for the Northern Department was a position in the Cabinet of the government of Great Britain up to 1782. Following this, the Northern Department became the Foreign Office, and the position evolved into the foreign secretary.
History Before the Act of Union, 1707, the secretary of state's responsibilities were in relation to the English government. Even after the Union, there was still a separate secretary of state for Scotland until 1746, though the post was sometimes vacant. This continued the previous Scottish government post of Secretary of State.
Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two secretaries of state for the Northern and the Southern Departments were not divided up in terms of area of authority, but rather geographically. The secretary of state for the Northern Department was responsible for relations with the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, and the Holy Roman Empire. The secretary of state for the Southern Department was responsible for Ireland, the Channel Islands, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, the Italian states, and the Ottoman Empire. Domestic responsibilities in England and Wales were shared between the two Secretaries. After the union with Scotland in 1707, the two secretaries also took responsibility for Scotland when there was no secretary of state for Scotland in office.
Until 1706, the practice was generally for the senior official to lead the Southern Department, and the junior the Northern Department, with the Northern Secretary being transferred to the Southern Department when a vacancy arose at the latter. During the reigns of George I and George II, however, the Northern Department began to be seen as the more important, since its responsibilities included the monarchs' ancestral home of Hanover.Cass (1932), pp. 21-22 During the reign of George III, the two departments were of approximately equal importance.Cass (1932), p. 4
In 1782, the two secretaries of state were reformed as the secretary of state for the Home Department and the secretary of state for foreign affairs. During the 18th century, secretaries of state for the Northern Department, if peers, were often Leaders of the House of Lords as well.
Secretaries of state for the Northern Department, 1660–1782 Included: Portrait NameConstituency Term of office Notes Sir William MoriceMP for Plymouth 27 May1660 29 September1668 Sir John TrevorMP for Arundel until 1661MP for Great Bedwyn after 1661 29 September1668 28 May1672 Henry CoventryMP for Droitwich 3 July1672 11 September1674 Sir Joseph WilliamsonMP for Thetford 11 September1674 20 February1679 Robert Spencer2nd Earl of Sunderland 10 February1679 26 April1680 Sir Leoline JenkinsMP for Oxford University 26 April1680 2 February1681 Edward Conway1st Earl of Conway 2 February1681 January1683 Robert Spencer2nd Earl of Sunderland 28 January1683 1684 Sidney GodolphinMP for Helston 17 April1684 24 August1684 Charles Middleton2nd Earl of MiddletonMP for Winchelsea after 1685 24 August1684 28 October1688 Richard Graham1st Viscount PrestonMP for Cumberland 29 October1688 2 December1688 Daniel Finch2nd Earl of Nottingham 5 March1689 26 December1690 Henry Sydney1st Viscount Sydney 26 December1690 3 March1692 Daniel Finch2nd Earl of Nottingham 3 March1692 23 March1693 Sir John TrenchardMP for Poole 23 March1693 2 March1694 Charles Talbot1st Duke of Shrewsbury 2 March1694 3 May1695 Sir William TrumbullMP for Oxford University 3 May1695 2 December1697 James VernonMP for Penryn until 1699MP for Westminster after 1699 2 December1697 5 November1700 Sir Charles HedgesMP for Malmesbury 5 November1700 29 December1701 James VernonMP for Westminster 4 January1702 1 May1702 Sir Charles HedgesMP for Malmesbury until 1702MP for Calne after 1702 2 May1702 18 May1704 Robert HarleyMP for Radnor 16 May1704 13 February1708 Henry BoyleMP for Westminster 13 February1708 21 September1710 Henry St John1st Viscount BolingbrokeMP for Berkshire until 1712Viscount Bolingbroke after 1712 21 September1710 17 August1713 Sir William BromleyMP for Oxford University 17 August1713 17 September1714 Charles Townshend2nd Viscount Townshend 17 September1714 12 December1716 James Stanhope 12 December1716 12 April1717 Charles Spencer3rd Earl of Sunderland 12 April1717 2 March1718 James Stanhope1st Earl Stanhope 19 March1718 5 February1721 Charles Townshend2nd Viscount Townshend 10 February1721 16 May1730 William Stanhope1st Baron Harrington 19 June1730 12 February1742 John Carteret2nd Earl Granville 12 February1742 24 November1744 Highest title 2nd Baron Carteret until 18 October 1744 William Stanhope1st Earl of Harrington 24 November1744 10 February1746 John Carteret2nd Earl Granville 10 February1746 12 February1746 Disputed due to the brevity of the Short-lived ministry, only Secretary of State to receive seals of office before the collapse of the ministry William Stanhope1st Earl of Harrington 12 February1746 29 October1746 Philip Stanhope4th Earl of Chesterfield 29 October1746 6 February1748 Thomas Pelham-Holles1st Duke of Newcastle 6 February1748 23 March1754 Robert Darcy4th Earl of Holderness 23 March1754 25 March1761 as sole Secretary: 6 April 1757 — 27 June 1757 John Stuart3rd Earl of Bute 25 March1761 27 May1762 George GrenvilleMP for Buckingham 5 June1762 9 October1762 George Montagu-Dunk2nd Earl of Halifax 14 October1762 9 September1763 John Montagu4th Earl of Sandwich 9 September1763 10 July1765 George Montagu-Dunk2nd Earl of Halifax September1763 July1765 Augustus Henry Fitzroy3rd Duke of Grafton 12 July1765 14 May1766 Henry Seymour ConwayMP for Thetford 23 May1766 20 January1768 Thomas Thynne3rd Viscount Weymouth 20 January1768 21 October1768 William Nassau de Zuylestein4th Earl of Rochford 21 October1768 19 December1770 John Montagu4th Earl of Sandwich 19 December1770 12 January1771 George Montagu-Dunk2nd Earl of Halifax 22 January1771 6 June1771 Henry Howard12th Earl of Suffolk 12 June1771 7 March1779 David Murray7th Viscount Stormont 27 October1779 27 March1782
See also Secretary of State of England Secretary of State for the Southern Department Home Secretary
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