The Ministry of the Chits was the government of the Kingdom of England from November 1679 to 1688. The administration was led by three young ministers, collectively known as the chits: Laurence Hyde (Earl of Rochester, 1682), Sidney Godolphin (Lord Godolphin, 1684) and the Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland.
Rochester, brother-in-law of King Charles II's brother James, Duke of York, served as First Lord of the Treasury until "kicked upstairs" (term coined by Lord Halifax) as Lord President of the Council in September 1684. On the Duke of York's succession as King James II in February 1685, Rochester returned as Lord High Treasurer. He was troubled by the King's Catholicism and disputed religious matters with him. On 4 January 1687 James II dismissed Rochester and his brother the Earl of Clarendon, replacing both with Catholic appointees, Lord Belasyse (aged 72) and Lord Arundell (aged 79).
Sunderland, who served variously as Northern Secretary and Southern Secretary, and additionally as Lord President of the Council from 1685, remained in post until his dismissal by James II in October 1688, when he fled to Rotterdam.
Godolphin, First Lord of the Treasury 1684–85, was retained at the Treasury by William III, returning as First Lord in the Carmarthen Ministry of 1690.
The Chits The moniker "the chits" stems from a satirical verse on the three ministers, attributed to John Dryden by Johnson's Dictionary:
The Ministry November 1679 to September 1684 OFFICENAMETERMFirst Lord of the TreasuryLaurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester1679–1684Treasury CommissionerNorthern SecretarySidney Godolphin1679–16841684Northern SecretarySouthern SecretaryNorthern SecretaryRobert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland1679–16801680–16811683–1684Lord ChancellorLord KeeperHeneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham1679–1682Francis North, 1st Baron Guilford1682–1684Lord President of the CouncilJohn Robartes, 1st Earl of Radnor1679–1684Lord Privy SealArthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey1679–1682George Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax1682–1684Lord StewardJames Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde1679–1684Lord ChamberlainHenry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington1679–1684Southern SecretaryHenry Coventry1679–1680Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland1680–1681Sir Leoline Jenkins1681–1684Northern SecretaryRobert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland1679–1680Sir Leoline Jenkins1680–1681Edward Conway, 1st Earl of Conway1681–1683Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland1683–1684Sidney Godolphin1684Chancellor of the ExchequerSir John Ernle1679–1684First Lord of the AdmiraltySir Henry Capell1679–1681Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham1681–1684
Lord Nottingham was Lord Chancellor until 1682, when Lord Guilford assumed the same position; however, the latter had not yet acceded to the peerage, and was therefore forced to assume the position of Lord Keeper. For all intents and purposes, these positions are identical, and have been formatted as such. Additionally, there were two Earls of Nottingham: the elder Nottingham served as Lord Chancellor, and his successor to the earldom served as First Lord of the Admiralty.
September 1684 to February 1685 OFFICENAMETERMFirst Lord of the TreasurySidney Godolphin, 1st Baron Godolphin1684–1685Southern SecretaryRobert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland1684–1685Lord President of the CouncilLaurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester1684–1685Lord KeeperFrancis North, 1st Baron Guilford1684–1685Lord Privy SealGeorge Savile, 1st Marquess of Halifax1684–1685Lord StewardJames Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde1684–1685Lord ChamberlainHenry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington1684–1685Northern SecretaryCharles Middleton, 2nd Earl of Middleton1684–1685Chancellor of the ExchequerSir John Ernle1684–1685
February 1685 to October 1688 OFFICENAMETERMHow left officeLord High TreasurerFirst Lord of the TreasuryLaurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester1685–1687John Belasyse, 1st Baron Belasyse1687–1689Chamberlain to the QueenTreasury CommissionerSidney Godolphin, 1st Baron Godolphin1685–16871687–1689"He adhered to James till the last; he was one of the council of five [the others were Belasyse, Preston, Jeffreys and Arundell] appointed to remain in London when James advanced to Salisbury [on 17 November], and he was sent with Halifax and Nottingham to treat with the Prince of Orange at Hungerford in December."Lord President of the Council and Southern SecretaryLord President of the Council and Northern SecretaryRobert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland1685–1688Dismissed 27 October 1688.Richard Graham, 1st Viscount PrestonOctober 1688Lord ChancellorGeorge Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys1685–1688Surrendered the great seal to the king, 8 December 1688Lord Privy SealHenry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon1685–1687Henry Arundell, 3rd Baron Arundell of Wardour1687–1688"On the abdication of James, Arundell retired to his house at Breamore, Hampshire, and took no further part in public life."Lord StewardJames Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde1685–1688Died 21 July 1688Lord ChamberlainRobert Bruce, 1st Earl of AilesburyJuly 1685 – October 1685Died 20 October 1685John Sheffield, 3rd Earl of Mulgrave1685–1689"Upon William's landing in England Mulgrave remained with James in London until the time of his flight. When the news of his capture in Kent [on 11 December] reached London, Halifax wished to adjourn the council of lords, who carried on a provisional government, in order to avoid the responsibility of action. But Mulgrave, begging them to keep their seats, introduced the king's messenger, and prevailed on them to send Lord Feversham to the assistance of James (Mulgrave, Account of the Revolution). He came to the aid also of the Spanish ambassador when the mob demolished his house, inviting him to Whitehall and paying him marked honour. For this conduct, which avoided friction with the Spanish court, he received the thanks of both James and William. On the establishment of the revolutionary government Mulgrave quietly submitted and voted for associating William with Mary on the throne."Northern SecretaryCharles Middleton, 2nd Earl of Middleton1685–October 1688Transferred to Southern Department Oct. 1688'Lists of appointments', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 2, Officials of the Secretaries of State 1660-1782, ed. J C Sainty (London, 1973), pp. 22-58. British History Online accessed 13 January 2018.Southern SecretaryCharles Middleton, 2nd Earl of MiddletonOctober 1688"[H]e justified the confidence reposed in him by remaining faithful to James to the last. After the king's sudden withdrawal to Faversham [on the night of 10/11 December] he declined to attend the meeting of the lords and privy council called to consider the steps to be taken in the crisis (Clarke, Life of James II, ii. 259). Nevertheless he was one of the four nobles deputed by them to invite the king to return to Whitehall, and was present with him at Whitehall when a message came from the Prince of Orange that James should retire from London. At the king's request he arranged for his withdrawal to Rochester [on 18 December]. Subsequently he waited on the king there to surrender the seals of the secretary's office, and endeavoured to induce him to abandon his projected flight and to summon a parliament. It was to him that the king, after making his secret escape, left the paper containing his reasons for ‘withdrawing himself from England.’ "Chancellor of the ExchequerSir John Ernle1685–1688
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