The Harley (or Oxford–Bolingbroke) ministry was the British government that existed between 1710 and 1714 in the reign of Queen Anne. It was headed by Robert Harley (from 1711, Earl of Oxford) and composed largely of Tories. Harley was a former Whig who had changed sides, bringing down the seemingly powerful Whig Junto and their moderate Tory ally Lord Godolphin. It came during the Rage of Party when divisions between the two factions were at their height, and a "paper war" broke out between their supporters. Amongst those writers supportive of Harley's government were Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe, Delarivier Manley, John Arbuthnot and Alexander Pope who clashed with members of the rival Kit-Kat Club. The ministry was formed on 9 August 1710, when Harley was appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and was dissolved upon Harley's dismissal as Lord High Treasurer.

Peace treaty

The ministry vigorously pushed for a peace to end the War of the Spanish Succession, leading to the Treaty of Utrecht. Foreign affairs were largely conducted by Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke. They were fiercely pressed by the Whig opposition, who used the rallying cry of No Peace Without Spain. In order to secure his peace treaty through the hostile Whig-dominated House of Lords, Harley created twelve new peerages known as Harley's Dozen in a single day to tip the balance. The ministry successfully prosecuted Robert Walpole over charges of profiteering and had him imprisoned in the Tower of London for a period.

In December 1711 the government controversially dismissed John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, a notional Tory but long supported by the Whigs, as Captain General and replaced him with the staunchly Tory Irish general James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormond. Ormond took the field as commander of the British forces in Flanders in 1712, but received "restraining orders" from Harley forbidding him from committing troops to fight the French. Ormond marched his troops away from the Allies, now commanded by Eugene of Savoy, who suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Denain without the assistance of the British. Marlborough was also dismissed from his post in the cabinet Master General of the Ordnance, a position that was handed to the Scottish Tory James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton. Hamilton was also appointed as the first British Ambassador to France following the war, but before he left for France he was killed in a notorious duel in Hyde Park with the Whig politician Charles Mohun, 4th Baron Mohun of Okehampton.

Fall and aftermath

The government fell following Anne's death in 1714. The new king, George I, was not comfortable with Harley or Bolingbroke, who he believed had opposed the Hanoverian Succession and instead supported the Jacobite pretenders. They were replaced by the Townshend ministry, beginning the Whig Ascendancy, and it would be nearly fifty years before a Tory ministry gained office again in 1762. Bolingbroke was forced into exile, along with many of his followers after being accused of treason. Harley was impeached by Parliament, and remained in the Tower of London until 1717. Matthew Prior who had played an important part in the negotiating the Utrecht treaty was also imprisoned.

Several former members of the government were involved or caught up in the 1715 Jacobite rebellion. Bolingbroke in Paris served as Secretary of State for the claimant James Francis Edward Stuart, the former Scottish Secretary John Erskine, Earl of Mar led the uprising in Scotland while Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet was arrested as a potential leader of the revolt in England.

Principal ministers OfficeChris Cook and John Stevenson, British Historical Facts 1688–1760, Macmillan 1988, pp. 35–36. Name TermLord TreasurerJohn Poulett, 1st Earl Poulett (First Lord of commission)1710–1711Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer1711–1714Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury1714–1714Chancellor of the ExchequerRobert Harley1710–1711Robert Benson1711–1714Lord President of the CouncilLaurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester1710–1711John Sheffield, 1st Duke of Buckingham and Normanby1711–1714Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterWilliam Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley of Stratton1710–1714Master-General of the OrdnanceJohn Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough1702–1712Richard Savage, 4th Earl Rivers1712–1712James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Hamilton1712–1712Vacant1712–1714Secretary of State for the Southern DepartmentWilliam Legge, 2nd Baron Dartmouth (Earl of Dartmouth from 1711)1710–1713Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke1713–1714Secretary of State for the Northern DepartmentHenry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke1710–1713William Bromley1713–1714Lord Privy SealJohn Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle1705–1711John Robinson, Bishop of Bristol1711–1713William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth1713–1714First Lord of TradeThomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford1707–1711Charles Finch, 4th Earl of Winchilsea1711–1713Francis North, 2nd Baron Guilford1713–1714First Lord of the AdmiraltyEdward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford1709–1710Sir John Leake1710–1712Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford1712–1714Secretary at WarGeorge Granville1710–1712Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet1712–1713Francis Gwyn1713–1714Treasurer of the NavyRobert Walpole1710–1711Charles Caesar1711–1714Paymaster-General of the ForcesJames Brydges1707–1713Thomas Moore1713–1714 Lord Lieutenant of Ireland James Butler, 2nd Duke of Ormonde 1710–1713 Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury 1713–1714 Secretary of State for Scotland James Douglas, 2nd Duke of Queensberry 1710–1711 John Erskine, Earl of Mar 1713–1714

See also 3rd Parliament of Great Britain 4th Parliament of Great Britain

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