First Rockingham ministry
The first Rockingham ministry was a British ministry headed by the Marquess of Rockingham from 1765 to 1766 during the reign of King George III. The government was made up mainly of his followers known as the Rockingham Whigs. The most influential member of the government was the Duke of Newcastle, a former Prime Minister, who served as Lord Privy Seal. It is often referred to as the only government ever to have been made up almost entirely of members of the Jockey Club, with Rockingham himself being a prominent patron and follower of the turf. Rockingham was noted for his ignorance of foreign affairs, and his ministry failed to reverse the growing isolation of Britain within Europe (Simms 2008, p. 520).
First Rockingham ministry | |
---|---|
1765–1766 | |
Date formed | 13 July 1765 |
Date dissolved | 30 July 1766 |
People and organisations | |
Monarch | George III |
Prime Minister | Lord Rockingham |
Total no. of members | 12 appointments |
Member party | Rockingham Whigs |
Status in legislature | Majority 446 / 558 |
Opposition party | Grenvillites |
History | |
Legislature term(s) | 12th GB Parliament |
Predecessor | Grenville ministry |
Successor | Chatham ministry |
The Rockingham ministry fell in 1766 and was replaced by one headed by William Pitt, later the Earl of Chatham.
Cabinet
Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office |
---|---|---|---|
* | 13 July 1765 | 30 July 1766 | |
Lord Chancellor | 16 January 1761 | 30 July 1766 | |
Lord President of the Council | 12 July 1765 | 30 July 1766 | |
Lord Privy Seal | 1765 | 1766 | |
Chancellor of the Exchequer | 16 July 1765 | 2 August 1766 | |
Secretary of State for the Northern Department | 12 July 1765 | 14 May 1766 | |
23 May 1766 | 20 January 1768 | ||
Henry Seymour Conway | 12 July 1765 | 23 May 1766 | |
Secretary of State for the Southern Department | 23 May 1766 | 29 July 1766 | |
First Lord of the Admiralty | 1763 | 1766 | |
Master-General of the Ordnance | 1763 | 1770 | |
Minister without Portfolio | 1765 | 1766 |
Changes
- October 1765 – The Duke of Cumberland (also the uncle of King George III) dies.
- May 1766 – The Duke of Grafton resigns from the cabinet. Henry Seymour Conway succeeds him as Northern Secretary, and the Duke of Richmond succeeds Conway as Southern Secretary.
Ministers not in Cabinet
References
- Browning, Reed (1975). The Duke of Newcastle. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-01746-5.
- Cook, Chris; Stevenson, John (1980). British Historical Facts: 1760–1830. Palgrave Macmillan UK. ISBN 978-0-333-21512-8.
- Hibbert, Christopher (1999). George III: A Personal History. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-025737-3.
- Simms, Brendan (2008). Three Victories and a Defeat: The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-028984-8.