The Conservative government under Benjamin Disraeli had been defeated at the 1868 general election, so in December 1868 the victorious William Ewart Gladstone formed his first government. He introduced reforms in the British Army (including the abolition of the purchase system), the legal system (establishing the Supreme Court of Judicature) and the Civil Service, and disestablished the Church of Ireland. In foreign affairs he pursued a peaceful policy. His ministry was defeated in the 1874 election, whereupon Disraeli formed a ministry and Gladstone retired as Leader of the Liberal Party.C. Cook and B. Keith, British Historical Facts 1830–1900
Cabinet
December 1868 – February 1874 OfficeNameTermFirst Lord of the TreasuryLeader of the House of CommonsWilliam Ewart GladstoneDecember 1868 – February 1874Lord ChancellorWilliam Wood, 1st Baron HatherleyDecember 1868 – October 1872 Roundell Palmer, 1st Baron SelborneOctober 1872 – February 1874Lord President of the CouncilGeorge Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey†December 1868 – August 1873 Henry Austin Bruce, 1st Baron AberdareAugust 1873 – February 1874Lord Privy SealJohn Wodehouse, 1st Earl of KimberleyDecember 1868 – July 1870 Charles Wood, 1st Viscount HalifaxJuly 1870 – February 1874Home SecretaryHenry Austin Bruce‡December 1868 – August 1873 Robert LoweAugust 1873 – February 1874Foreign SecretaryGeorge Villiers, 4th Earl of ClarendonDecember 1868 – July 1870 Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl GranvilleJuly 1870 – February 1874Secretary of State for the ColoniesGranville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl GranvilleDecember 1868 – July 1870 John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of KimberleyJuly 1870 – February 1874Secretary of State for WarEdward CardwellDecember 1868 – February 1874Secretary of State for IndiaGeorge Douglas Campbell, 8th Duke of ArgyllDecember 1868 – February 1874Chancellor of the ExchequerRobert LoweDecember 1868 – August 1873 William Ewart GladstoneAugust 1873 – February 1874First Lord of the AdmiraltyHugh ChildersDecember 1868 – March 1871 George GoschenMarch 1871 – February 1874President of the Board of TradeJohn BrightDecember 1868 – January 1871 Chichester FortescueJanuary 1871 – February 1874President of the Poor Law BoardGeorge GoschenDecember 1868 – March 1871 replaced by the Local Government BoardPresident of the Local Government BoardJames StansfeldMarch 1871 – February 1874Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterHugh ChildersAugust 1872 – September 1873 John BrightSeptember 1873 – February 1874Postmaster GeneralSpencer Cavendish, Marquess of HartingtonDecember 1868 – January 1871 incumbent not in cabinetChief Secretary for IrelandChichester FortescueDecember 1868 – January 1871 Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of HartingtonJanuary 1871 – February 1874Vice President of the CouncilWilliam Edward ForsterJuly 1870 – February 1874Leader of the House of LordsGranville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl GranvilleDecember 1868 – February 1874
Notes
† The Earl de Grey was created the Marquess of Ripon in 1871. ‡ Henry Austin Bruce was created Baron Aberdare in 1873. William Gladstone served as both First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer between August 1873 and February 1874.
Changes July 1870: On the death of Lord Clarendon, Lord Granville succeeds him as Foreign Secretary. Lord Kimberley succeeds Granville as Colonial Secretary, and Lord Halifax succeeds Kimberley as Lord Privy Seal. W.E. Forster enters the cabinet as vice president of the council. January 1871: Chichester Fortescue succeeds Bright at the Board of Trade. Lord Hartington succeeds Fortescue as Chief Secretary for Ireland. Hartington's successor as Postmaster-General is not in the Cabinet. March 1871: G.J. Goschen succeeds Childers at the Admiralty. James Stansfeld succeeds Goschen at the Poor Law Board (which becomes the Local Government Board later that year). August 1872: Hugh Childers returns to the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. October 1872: Lord Selborne succeeds Lord Hatherley as Lord Chancellor. August 1873: Lord Aberdare (formerly Henry Austin Bruce) succeeds Lord Ripon as Lord President. Robert Lowe succeeds Aberdare as Home Secretary. Gladstone himself takes over the Exchequer. September 1873: John Bright returns to the Cabinet, succeeding Childers at the Duchy of Lancaster.
List of ministers Cabinet members are listed in bold face. Office Name Date Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone 3 December 186817 February 1874 First Lord of the Treasury Leader of the House of Commons Chancellor of the Exchequer Robert Lowe 9 December 1868 William Ewart Gladstone 11 August 1873 Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury George Glyn 9 December 1868 Arthur Peel 1 August 1873 Financial Secretary to the Treasury Acton Smee Ayrton 9 December 1868 James Stansfeld 2 November 1869 William Edward Baxter 17 March 1871 John Dodson 11 August 1873 Junior Lords of the Treasury James Stansfeld 16 December 18682 November 1869 Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne 16 December 186825 April 1872 William Patrick Adam 16 December 18688 August 1873 John Cranch Walker Vivian 16 December 18684 August 1870 William Henry Gladstone 2 November 186917 February 1874 Lord Frederick Cavendish 8 August 187317 February 1874 Algernon Greville 8 August 187317 February 1874 Lord Chancellor William Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley 9 December 1868 Roundell Palmer, 1st Baron Selborne 15 October 1872 Lord President of the Council George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey 9 December 1868 Henry Bruce 9 August 1873 Lord Privy Seal John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley 9 December 1868 Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax 6 July 1870 Secretary of State for the Home Department Henry Bruce 9 December 1868 Robert Lowe 9 August 1873 Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen 10 December 1868 George Shaw-Lefevre 11 January 1871 Henry Winterbotham 17 March 1871 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon 9 December 1868 Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville 6 July 1870 Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Arthur Otway 12 December 1868 George Byng, Viscount Enfield 9 January 1871 Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell 9 December 1868 Under-Secretary of State for War Thomas Barin, 2nd Baron Northbrook 10 December 1868 Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne 26 April 1872 Financial Secretary to the War Office John Cranch Walker Vivian 5 August 1870 Henry Campbell-Bannerman 15 November 1871 Surveyor-General of the Ordnance Sir Henry Storks 5 August 1870 Secretary of State for the Colonies Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville 9 December 1868 John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley 6 July 1870 Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies William Monsell 10 December 1868 Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen 14 January 1871 Secretary of State for India George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll 9 December 1868 Under-Secretary of State for India M. E. Grant Duff 10 December 1868 First Lord of the Admiralty Hugh Childers 9 December 1868 George Goschen 24 March 1871 First (later Parliamentary) Secretary to the Admiralty William Edward Baxter 18 December 1868 George Shaw-Lefevre 17 March 1871 Civil Lord of the Admiralty George Trevelyan 21 December 1868 Robert Haldane-Duncan, 3rd Earl of Camperdown 11 July 1870 Vice-President of the Committee on Education William Edward Forster 9 December 1868 Chief Secretary for Ireland Chichester Fortescue 16 December 1868 Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington 12 January 1871 Lord Lieutenant of Ireland John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer 18 December 1868 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Baron Dufferin and Clandeboye 12 December 1868 Hugh Childers 9 August 1872 John Bright 30 September 1873 President of the Poor Law Board George Goschen 9 December 1868 James Stansfeld 24 March 1871 Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board Arthur Peel 10 December 1868 President of the Local Government Board James Stansfeld 19 August 1871 Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board John Tomlinson Hibbert 19 August 1871 Postmaster-General Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington 9 December 1868 William Monsell 14 January 1871 Lyon Playfair 18 November 1873 President of the Board of Trade John Bright 9 December 1868 Chichester Fortescue 14 January 1871 Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade George Shaw-Lefevre 9 December 1868 Arthur Peel 14 January 1871 Paymaster General Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Baron Dufferin and Clandeboye 12 December 1868 Hugh Childers 9 August 1872 William Patrick Adam 30 September 1873 First Commissioner of Works Austen Henry Layard 9 December 1868 Acton Smee Ayrton 26 October 1869 William Patrick Adam 11 August 1873 Attorney General Sir Robert Collier 12 December 1868 Sir John Coleridge 10 November 1871 Sir Henry James 20 November 1873 Solicitor General Sir John Coleridge 12 December 1868 Sir George Jessel 10 November 1871 Sir Henry James 26 September 1873 Sir William Vernon Harcourt 20 November 1873 Judge Advocate General Sir Colman O'Loghlen 16 December 1868 John Robert Davison 28 December 1870 Sir Robert Phillimore 17 May 1871 Acton Smee Ayrton 21 August 1873 Lord Advocate James Moncreiff 10 December 1868 George Young 14 October 1869 Solicitor General for Scotland George Young 14 December 1868 Andrew Rutherfurd-Clark 14 October 1869 Attorney General for Ireland Edward Sullivan 12 December 1868 Charles Robert Barry 26 January 1870 Richard Dowse 13 January 1872 Christopher Palles 5 November 1872 Solicitor General for Ireland Charles Robert Barry 12 December 1868 Richard Dowse 14 February 1870 Christopher Palles 6 February 1872 Hugh Law 18 November 1872 Lord Steward of the Household John Ponsonby, 5th Earl of Bessborough 12 December 1868 Lord Chamberlain of the Household John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney 9 December 1868 Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Valentine Browne, Viscount Castlerosse 12 December 1868 Lord Richard Grosvenor 25 February 1872 Master of the Horse George Brudenell-Bruce, 2nd Marquess of Ailesbury 12 December 1868 Treasurer of the Household George Fleming Warren, 2nd Baron De Tabley 12 December 1868 Augustus Bampfylde, 2nd Baron Poltimore 1 March 1872 William Monson, 7th Baron Monson 1 January 1874 Comptroller of the Household Lord Otho FitzGerald 12 December 1868 Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms Thomas Foley, 4th Baron Foley 12 December 1868 George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby 27 December 1869 Francis Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper 20 April 1871 Henry Fox-Strangways, 5th Earl of Ilchester 1 January 1874 Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans 22 December 1868 Master of the Buckhounds Richard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork 12 December 1868 Mistress of the Robes Elizabeth Campbell, Duchess of Argyll 17 December 1868 Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland 22 January 1870 Lords in Waiting George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby 17 December 186827 December 1869 Robert Haldane-Duncan, 3rd Earl of Camperdown 17 December 186811 July 1870 Francis Stonor, 4th Baron Camoys 17 December 186817 February 1874 Charles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield 17 December 186825 February 1872 Frederick Methuen, 2nd Baron Methuen 17 December 186817 February 1874 Albert Parker, 3rd Earl of Morley 22 December 186817 February 1874 Charles Brownlow, 2nd Baron Lurgan 27 January 186917 February 1874 Arthur Wrottesley, 3rd Baron Wrottesley 27 December 186917 February 1874 Charles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly 21 July 18701 March 1873 Valentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare 25 February 187217 February 1874 Gavin Campbell, 7th Earl of Breadalbane 1 March 187317 February 1874
Notes
References