The Whig government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that began in November 1830 and ended in November 1834 consisted of two ministries: the Grey ministry (from 1830 to July 1834) and then the first Melbourne ministry.

History The first wholly Whig government since 1783 came to power after the Duke of Wellington's Tory government lost a vote of no confidence on 15 November 1830. The government, led by the Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, passed the Great Reform Act in 1832, which brought about parliamentary reform, and enacted the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, bringing about the abolition of slavery in most of the British Empire.

However, King William IV dismissed Grey's successor William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne in 1834 and asked Sir Robert Peel to form a government. Peel was out of the country at the time, so the Duke of Wellington formed a caretaker government.

Cabinets

The Earl Grey's Cabinet, November 1830 – July 1834 OfficeNameTermFirst Lord of the TreasuryLeader of the House of LordsCharles Grey, 2nd Earl GreyNovember 1830 – July 1834Lord ChancellorHenry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and VauxNovember 1830 – July 1834Lord President of the CouncilHenry Petty-FitzMaurice, 3rd Marquess of LansdowneNovember 1830 – July 1834Lord Privy SealJohn Lambton, 1st Baron DurhamNovember 1830 – April 1833Frederick Robinson, 1st Earl of RiponApril 1833 – June 1834George Howard, 6th Earl of CarlisleJune 1834 – July 1834Home SecretaryWilliam Lamb, 2nd Viscount MelbourneNovember 1830 – July 1834Foreign SecretaryHenry John Temple, 3rd Viscount PalmerstonNovember 1830 – July 1834Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesFrederick Robinson, 1st Viscount GoderichNovember 1830 – April 1833Edward Smith-StanleyApril 1833 – June 1834Thomas Spring RiceJune 1834 – July 1834First Lord of the AdmiraltySir James Graham, 2nd BaronetNovember 1830 – June 1834George Eden, 2nd Baron AucklandJune – July 1834Chancellor of the ExchequerLeader of the House of CommonsJohn Spencer, Viscount AlthorpNovember 1830 – July 1834President of the Board of ControlCharles GrantNovember 1830 – July 1834Chief Secretary for IrelandEdward Smith-StanleyJune 1831 – March 1833Postmaster-GeneralCharles Gordon-Lennox, 5th Duke of RichmondDecember 1830 – July 1834Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterHenry Richard Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron HollandNovember 1830 – July 1834Paymaster of the ForcesLord John RussellJune 1831 – July 1834Secretary at WarEdward ElliceJune – July 1834Minister without PortfolioGeorge Howard, 6th Earl of CarlisleNovember 1830 – June 1834

Viscount Melbourne's Cabinet, July 1834 – November 1834

OfficeNameTermFirst Lord of the TreasuryLeader of the House of LordsWilliam Lamb, 2nd Viscount MelbourneJuly–November 1834Lord ChancellorHenry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and VauxJuly–November 1834Lord President of the CouncilHenry Petty-FitzMaurice, 3rd Marquess of LansdowneJuly–November 1834Lord Privy SealConstantine Phipps, 2nd Earl of MulgraveJuly–November 1834Home SecretaryJohn Ponsonby, Viscount DuncannonJuly–November 1834Foreign SecretaryHenry John Temple, 3rd Viscount PalmerstonJuly–November 1834Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesThomas Spring RiceJuly–November 1834First Lord of the AdmiraltyGeorge Eden, 2nd Baron AucklandJuly–November 1834Chancellor of the ExchequerLeader of the House of CommonsJohn Spencer, Viscount AlthorpJuly–November 1834President of the Board of TradeTreasurer of the NavyCharles Poulett ThomsonJuly–November 1834President of the Board of ControlCharles GrantJuly–November 1834Master of the MintJames AbercrombyJuly–November 1834First Commissioner of Woods and ForestsSir John Hobhouse, 2nd BaronetJuly–November 1834Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterHenry Richard Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron HollandJuly–November 1834Paymaster of the ForcesLord John RussellJuly–November 1834Secretary at WarEdward ElliceJuly–November 1834

List of ministers Members of the Cabinet are indicated by bold face.

Office Name Date Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury Leader of the House of Lords Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey 22 November 1830 – 9 July 1834 William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne 16 July 1834 – 14 November 1834 Chancellor of the Exchequer John Spencer, Viscount Althorp 22 November 1830 Financial Secretary to the Treasury Thomas Spring-Rice 26 November 1830 Francis Baring 6 June 1834 Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Edward Ellice 26 November 1830 Charles Wood 10 August 1832 Junior Lords of the Treasury George Nugent-Grenville, 2nd Baron Nugent 22 November 1830 – 22 November 1832 Robert Vernon Smith 22 November 1830 – 14 November 1834 Francis Baring 22 November 1830 – 6 June 1834 George Ponsonby 22 November 1830 – 14 November 1834 Thomas Francis Kennedy 22 November 1832 – 9 April 1834 Robert Graham 9 April 1834 – 14 November 1834 George Byng 20 June 1834 – 14 November 1834 Lord Chancellor Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux 22 November 1830 Lord President of the Council Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne 22 November 1830 Lord Privy Seal John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham 22 November 1830 Frederick Robinson, 1st Earl of Ripon 3 April 1833 George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle 5 June 1834 Constantine Phipps, 2nd Earl of Mulgrave 30 July 1834 Secretary of State for the Home Department William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne 22 November 1830 John Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon 19 July 1834 Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department George Lamb 22 November 1830 Henry Grey, Viscount Howick 13 January 1834 Edward Stanley 23 July 1834 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston 22 November 1830 Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Sir George Shee, 2nd Baronet 26 November 1830 George Cowper, Viscount Fordwich 13 November 1834 Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Frederick Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich 22 November 1830 Edward Smith-Stanley 3 April 1833 Thomas Spring Rice 5 June 1834 Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Henry Grey, Viscount Howick 23 November 1830 Sir John Shaw-Lefevre 13 January 1834 Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet 16 July 1834 First Lord of the Admiralty Sir James Graham, 2nd Baronet 22 November 1830 George Eden, 2nd Baron Auckland 7 June 1834 First Secretary to the Admiralty George Elliot 29 November 1830 Civil Lord of the Admiralty Henry Labouchere 8 June 1832 President of the Board of Control Charles Grant 1 December 1830 Secretary to the Board of Control Dudley Ryder, Viscount Sandon 18 December 1830 Thomas Hyde Villiers 18 May 1831 Thomas Babington Macaulay 19 December 1832 Robert Gordon 26 December 1833 – 14 November 1834 James Alexander Stewart-Mackenzie 22 April 1834 – 14 November 1834 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Henry Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland 25 November 1830 Chief Secretary for Ireland Edward Smith-Stanley 29 November 1830 Sir John Hobhouse, 2nd Baronet 29 March 1833 Edward Littleton18 May 1833 Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Henry Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey 4 December 1830 Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley 12 September 1833 Master of the Mint George Eden, 2nd Baron Auckland 14 December 1830 James Abercromby 13 June 1834 Paymaster of the Forces Lord John Russell 16 December 1830 Minister without Portfolio George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle 22 November 1830 – 5 June 1834 Postmaster-General Charles Lennox, 5th Duke of Richmond 11 December 1830 Francis Conyngham, 2nd Marquess Conyngham 5 July 1834 President of the Board of Trade George Eden, 2nd Baron Auckland 22 November 1830 Charles Poulett Thomson 5 June 1834 Vice-President of the Board of Trade Charles Poulett Thomson 22 November 1830 Henry Labouchere 5 June 1834 Secretary at War Charles Williams-Wynn 30 November 1830 Sir Henry Parnell 4 April 1831 Sir John Hobhouse, 2nd Baronet 1 February 1832 Edward Ellice 6 April 1833 First Commissioner of Woods and Forests George Agar-Ellis 2 December 1830 John Ponsonby, Viscount Duncannon 7 February 1831 Sir John Hobhouse, 2nd Baronet 22 July 1834 Treasurer of the Navy Charles Poulett Thomson 30 November 1830 Master-General of the Ordnance Sir James Kempt 11 December 1830 Treasurer of the Ordnance Thomas Creevey 31 January 1831 Surveyor-General of the Ordnance William Leader Maberly 12 January 1831 Charles Richard Fox 30 November 1832 Clerk of the Ordnance Charles Tennyson 30 December 1830 Thomas Francis Kennedy 8 February 1832 William Leader Maberly 30 November 1832 Andrew Leith Hay 19 June 1834 Storekeeper of the Ordnance Henry Duncan 30 December 1830 Attorney General Sir Thomas Denman 24 November 1830 Sir William Horne 26 November 1832 Sir John Campbell 1 March 1834 Solicitor General Sir William Horne 24 November 1830 Sir John Campbell 26 November 1832 Sir Charles Pepys 25 February 1834 Sir Robert Rolfe 6 November 1834 Judge Advocate General Sir Robert Grant 24 November 1830 Robert Cutlar Fergusson 19 June 1834 Lord Advocate Francis Jeffrey 3 December 1830 John Murray 17 May 1834 Solicitor General for Scotland Henry Cockburn 3 December 1830 Andrew Skene 5 November 1834 Attorney General for Ireland Edward Pennefather 23 December 1830 Francis Blackburne 11 January 1831 Solicitor General for Ireland Philip Cecil Crampton 23 December 1830 Michael O'Loghlen 21 October 1834 Lord Steward of the Household Richard Wellesley, 1st Marquess Wellesley 23 November 1830 George Campbell, 6th Duke of Argyll 11 September 1833 Lord Chamberlain of the Household William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire 22 November 1830 Vice-Chamberlain of the Household George Chichester, Earl of Belfast 24 July 1830 Master of the Horse William Keppel, 4th Earl of Albemarle 24 November 1830 Treasurer of the Household Sir William Henry Fremantle 27 May 1826 – Continued in office Comptroller of the Household Lord Robert Grosvenor 23 November 1830 Captain of the Gentlemen Pensioners Thomas Foley, 3rd Baron Foley 8 December 1830 Thomas Henry Foley, 4th Baron Foley 1 May 1833 Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard Ulick de Burgh, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde 1 December 1830 Archibald Acheson, 2nd Earl of Gosford 16 July 1834 Master of the Buckhounds Thomas Anson, 2nd Viscount Anson 24 November 1830

Notes

References C. Cook and B. Keith, British Historical Facts 1830–1900