Russell (1853) Whig Lord John Russell led the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1846 to 1852.
History
Following the split in the Tory Party over the Corn Laws in 1846 and the consequent end of Sir Robert Peel 's second government , the Whigs came to power under Lord John Russell. Sir Charles Wood became Chancellor of the Exchequer , Sir George Grey Home Secretary and Lord Palmerston Foreign Secretary for the third time.
One of the major problems facing the government was the Great Irish Famine (1845–1849) , which Russell failed to deal with effectively. Another problem was the maverick Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston, who was eventually forced to resign in December 1851 after recognising the coup d'état of Louis Napoleon without first seeking royal approval. He was succeeded by Lord Granville , the first of his three tenures as Foreign Secretary. Palmerston thereafter successfully devoted his energies to bringing down Russell's government, leading to the formation of a minority Conservative government under Lord Derby in February 1852.
Cabinet
July 1846 – February 1852
† became the Earl of Carlisle in 1848
‡ denotes becoming a member of the cabinet, not gaining the office
Notes
Lord Carlisle served as both Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and First Commissioner of Woods and Forests between March and July 1850.
Changes
July 1847: Henry Labouchere succeeds Lord Clarendon as President of the Board of Trade. Labouchere's successor as Chief Secretary for Ireland is not in the cabinet. Thomas Babington Macaulay leaves the cabinet. His successor as Paymaster-General is not in the Cabinet.
January 1849: Sir Francis Baring succeeds Lord Auckland as First Lord of the Admiralty
March 1850: Lord Carlisle succeeds Lord Campbell as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He remains First Commissioner of Woods and Forests
July 1850: Lord Truro succeeds Lord Cottenham as Lord Chancellor. Lord Seymour succeeds Lord Carlisle as First Commissioner of Woods and Forests. Lord Carlisle remains Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
1851: Fox Maule, the Secretary at War, and Lord Granville, the Paymaster-General, enter the Cabinet
December 1851: Lord Granville succeeds Lord Palmerston as Foreign Secretary. Granville's successor as Paymaster-General is not in the Cabinet
February 1852: Fox Maule succeeds Sir John Cam Hobhouse as President of the Board of Control. Maule's successor as Secretary at War is not in the Cabinet.
List of ministers
Cabinet members are listed in bold face.
Office
Name
Date
Notes
Prime Minister , First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons
Lord John Russell
30 June 1846 – 21 February 1852
The Government resigned 22 February 1851 and resumed 3 March 1851
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Sir Charles Wood, Bt
6 July 1846
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury
Henry Tufnell
7 July 1846
William Goodenough Hayter
July 1850
Financial Secretary to the Treasury
John Parker
7 July 1846
William Goodenough Hayter
22 May 1849
George Cornewall Lewis
9 July 1850
Junior Lords of the Treasury
Viscount Ebrington
6 July 1846 – 22 December 1847
the number of Junior Lordships was reduced from four to three in 1848
Denis O'Conor
6 July 1846 – 2 August 1847
William Gibson-Craig
6 July 1846 – 21 February 1852
Henry Rich
6 July 1846 – 21 February 1852
Richard Bellew
2 August 1847 – 21 February 1852
Earl of Shelburne
22 December 1847 – August 1848
Lord Chancellor
The Lord Cottenham
6 July 1846
in commission
19 June 1850
The Lord Truro
15 July 1850
Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords
The Marquess of Lansdowne
6 July 1846
Lord Privy Seal
The Earl of Minto
6 July 1846
Secretary of State for the Home Department
Sir George Grey, Bt
6 July 1846
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department
Sir William Somerville, Bt
5 July 1846
Sir Denis Le Marchant, Bt
22 July 1847
George Cornewall Lewis
15 May 1848
Edward Pleydell-Bouverie
9 July 1850
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
The Viscount Palmerston
6 July 1846
The Earl Granville
26 December 1851
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Edward Stanley
6 July 1846
Austen Henry Layard
12 February 1852
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
The Earl Grey
6 July 1846
Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
Benjamin Hawes
6 July 1846
Frederick Peel
1 November 1851
President of the Board of Control
Sir John Hobhouse, Bt
8 July 1846
Fox Maule
5 February 1852
Joint Secretaries to the Board of Control
George Byng
6 July 1846 – 30 November 1847
Thomas Wyse
6 July 1846 – 26 January 1849
George Cornewall Lewis
30 November 1847 – 16 May 1848
James Wilson
16 May 1848 – 21 February 1852
John Elliot
26 January 1849 – 21 February 1852
First Lord of the Admiralty
The Earl of Auckland
7 July 1846
Sir Francis Baring, Bt
15 January 1849
First Secretary of the Admiralty
Henry George Ward
13 July 1846
John Parker
21 May 1849
Civil Lord of the Admiralty
William Cowper
7 July 1846
Chief Secretary for Ireland
Henry Labouchere
6 July 1846
Sir William Somerville, Bt
22 July 1847
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Earl of Bessborough
8 July 1846
The Earl of Clarendon
22 May 1847
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Lord Campbell
6 July 1846
The Earl of Carlisle
6 March 1850
Paymaster General
Thomas Babington Macaulay
7 July 1846
The Earl Granville
8 May 1848
entered the Cabinet October 1851
The Lord Stanley of Alderley
12 February 1852
Postmaster-General
The Marquess of Clanricarde
7 July 1846
President of the Board of Trade
The Earl of Clarendon
6 July 1846
Henry Labouchere
22 July 1847
Vice-President of the Board of Trade
Thomas Milner Gibson
8 July 1846
The Earl Granville
8 May 1848
The Lord Stanley of Alderley
11 February 1852
First Commissioner of Woods and Forests
Viscount Morpeth
7 July 1846
succeeded as 7th Earl of Carlisle 7 October 1848
Lord Seymour
17 April 1849
office abolished 1 August 1851
First Commissioner of Works
Lord Seymour
1 August 1851
entered the Cabinet October 1851
Master-General of the Ordnance
The Marquess of Anglesey
8 July 1846
Surveyor-General of the Ordnance
Charles Richard Fox
8 July 1846
Clerk of the Ordnance
George Anson
8 July 1846
Storekeeper of the Ordnance
Sir Thomas Hastings
25 July 1845
continued in office
President of the Poor Law Board
Charles Buller
23 July 1847
Matthew Talbot Baines
1 January 1849
Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board
Viscount Ebrington
23 July 1847
Ralph William Grey
28 January 1851
Secretary at War
Fox Maule
6 July 1846
Robert Vernon Smith
6 February 1852
Attorney General
Sir Thomas Wilde
7 July 1846
Sir John Jervis
17 July 1846
Sir John Romilly
11 July 1850
Sir Alexander Cockburn, Bt
28 March 1851
Solicitor General
John Jervis
7 July 1846
Sir David Dundas
18 July 1846
Sir John Romilly
4 April 1848
Sir Alexander Cockburn, Bt
11 July 1850
Sir William Page Wood
28 March 1851
Judge Advocate General
Charles Buller
8 July 1846
William Goodenough Hayter
22 December 1847
Sir David Dundas
26 May 1849
Lord Advocate
Andrew Rutherfurd
6 July 1846
James Moncreiff
7 April 1851
Solicitor General for Scotland
Thomas Maitland
6 July 1846
James Moncreiff
7 February 1850
John Cowan
18 April 1851
George Deas
28 June 1851
Attorney General for Ireland
Richard Moore
16 July 1846
James Henry Monahan
21 December 1847
John Hatchell
23 September 1850
Solicitor General for Ireland
James Henry Monahan
16 July 1846
John Hatchell
24 December 1847
Henry George Hughes
26 September 1850
Lord Steward of the Household
The Earl Fortescue
8 July 1846
The Marquess of Westminster
22 March 1850
Lord Chamberlain of the Household
The Earl Spencer
8 July 1846
The Marquess of Breadalbane
5 September 1848
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
Lord Edward Howard
8 July 1846
Master of the Horse
The Duke of Norfolk
11 July 1846
Treasurer of the Household
Lord Robert Grosvenor
3 August 1846
Lord Marcus Hill
23 July 1847
Comptroller of the Household
Lord Marcus Hill
6 July 1846
William Lascelles
23 July 1847
Earl of Mulgrave
23 July 1851
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms
The Lord Foley
24 July 1846
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
The Viscount Falkland
24 July 1846
The Marquess of Donegal
11 February 1848
Master of the Buckhounds
The Earl Granville
9 July 1846
The Earl of Bessborough
16 May 1848
Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal
Lord Alfred Paget
7 July 1846
Mistress of the Robes
The Duchess of Sutherland
4 July 1846
Lords in Waiting
The Earl of Morley
24 July 1846 – 21 February 1852
The Earl of Ducie
24 July 1846 – 1 December 1847
The Lord Waterpark
24 July 1846 – 21 February 1852
The Lord Camoys
4 August 1846 – 21 February 1852
The Earl of Morton
10 September 1841 – 26 June 1849
The Marquess of Ormonde
10 September 1841 – 21 February 1852
The Lord Elphinstone
1 December 1847 – 21 February 1852
Lord Dufferin and Clandeboye
26 June 1849 – 21 February 1852