First Palmerston ministry

Lord Palmerston, of the Whigs, first formed a government by popular demand in 1855, after the resignation of the Aberdeen Coalition. Initially, the government was a continuation of the previous coalition administration but lost three Peelites (William Ewart Gladstone, Sir James Graham and Sidney Herbert) within a few weeks. However, other Peelites like The Duke of Argyll and The Viscount Canning remained in office. Palmerston was heavily criticised by Parliament in 1857 over the conduct of the Second Opium War and called a dissolution, but the nation voiced its support in the resulting general election and he returned with a Whig majority.[1]

First Palmerston ministry
1855–1858
Palmerston (1857)
Date formed6 February 1855 (1855-02-06)
Date dissolved19 February 1858 (1858-02-19)
People and organisations
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterViscount Palmerston
Total no. of members110 appointments
Member partyWhig Party
Status in legislature
Opposition partyConservative Party
Opposition leaders
History
Election(s)1857 general election
Legislature term(s)
PredecessorAberdeen ministry
SuccessorSecond Derby–Disraeli ministry

In 1858, the Government resigned when defeated (on a measure for removing conspiracies to murder abroad from the class of misdemeanour to that of felony, which was introduced in consequence of Felice Orsini's attempt on the life of Napoleon III the emperor of the French) and was succeeded by another short-lived Conservative government under Disraeli and Lord Derby.[1]

Cabinet

February 1855 – February 1858
PortfolioMinisterTook officeLeft office
*6 February 1855 (1855-02-06)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21)
Lord Chancellor28 December 1852 (1852-12-28)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21)
8 February 1855 (1855-02-08)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21)
Lord Privy Seal4 January 1853 (1853-01-04)7 December 1855 (1855-12-07)
7 December 1855 (1855-12-07)3 February 1858 (1858-02-03)
3 February 1858 (1858-02-03)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21)
Secretary of State for the Home Department8 February 1855 (1855-02-08)26 February 1858 (1858-02-26)
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs21 February 1853 (1853-02-21)26 February 1858 (1858-02-26)
Secretary of State for the Colonies8 February 1855 (1855-02-08)21 February 1855 (1855-02-21)
23 February 1855 (1855-02-23)21 July 1855 (1855-07-21)
21 July 1855 (1855-07-21)22 October 1855 (1855-10-22)
21 November 1855 (1855-11-21)21 October 1858 (1858-10-21)
Secretary of State for War8 February 1855 (1855-02-08)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21)
First Lord of the Admiralty30 December 1852 (1852-12-30)13 March 1855 (1855-03-13)
13 March 1855 (1855-03-13)8 March 1858 (1858-03-08)
Chancellor of the Exchequer30 December 1852 (1852-12-30)5 March 1855 (1855-03-05)
5 March 1855 (1855-03-05)26 February 1858 (1858-02-26)
President of the Board of Control30 December 1852 (1852-12-30)3 May 1855 (1855-05-03)
3 May 1855 (1855-05-03)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21)
President of the Board of Trade27 November 1855 (1855-11-27)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21)
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster31 March 1855 (1855-03-31)7 December 1855 (1855-12-07)
7 December 1855 (1855-12-07)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21)
First Commissioner of Works5 January 1853 (1853-01-05)21 July 1855 (1855-07-21)
Postmaster General5 January 1853 (1853-01-05)1855 (1855)
30 November 1855 (1855-11-30)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21)
Minister without portfolio28 December 1852 (1852-12-28)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21)

Changes
  • Later in February 1855 – Sir George Cornewall Lewis succeeds Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord John Russell succeeds Herbert as Colonial Secretary. Sir Charles Wood succeeds Sir James Graham as First Lord of the Admiralty. R.V. Smith succeeds Wood as President of the Board of Control
  • July 1855 – Sir William Molesworth succeeds Russell as Colonial Secretary. Molesworth's successor as First Commissioner of Public Works is not in the Cabinet.
  • November 1855 – Henry Labouchere succeeds Molesworth as Colonial Secretary
  • December 1855 – The Duke of Argyll succeeds Lord Canning as Postmaster-General. Lord Harrowby succeeds Argyll as Lord Privy Seal. Harrowby's successor as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is not in the Cabinet
  • 1857 – M.T. Baines, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, enters the Cabinet.
  • February 1858 – Lord Clanricarde succeeds Harrowby as Lord Privy Seal.

List of ministers

Members of the Cabinet are indicated by bold face.

OfficeNameDateNotes
Prime Minister,
First Lord of the Treasury
and Leader of the House of Commons		The Viscount Palmerston6 February 1855 – 21 February 1858 
Chancellor of the ExchequerWilliam Ewart Gladstone30 December 1852continued in office
Sir George Cornewall Lewis28 February 1855 
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryWilliam Goodenough Hayter5 January 1853continued in office
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryJames Wilson5 January 1853continued in office
Junior Lords of the TreasuryLord Alfred Hervey1 January 1853 – 7 March 1855continued in office
Lord Elcho1 January 1853 – 7 March 1855
Chichester Fortescue6 March 1854 – 16 April 1855
The Viscount Monck7 March 1855 – 21 February 1858 
Viscount Duncan7 March 1855 – 21 February 1858
Henry Brand16 April 1855 – 21 February 1858
Lord ChancellorThe Lord Cranworth28 December 1852continued in office
Lord President of the Council
and Leader of the House of Lords		The Earl Granville8 February 1855 
Lord Privy SealThe Duke of Argyll4 January 1853continued in office
The Earl of Harrowby7 December 1855 
The Marquess of Clanricarde3 February 1858
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentSir George Grey8 February 1855 
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentHenry Fitzroy28 December 1852continued in office
William Cowper16 February 1855 
William Nathaniel Massey13 August 1855
Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsThe Earl of Clarendon21 February 1853continued in office
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsThe Lord Wodehouse28 December 1852continued in office
Earl of Shelburne5 July 1856 
Secretary of State for WarThe Lord Panmure8 February 1855 
Under-Secretary of State for WarFrederick PeelFebruary 1855 
Sir John RamsdenMay 1857
Secretary of State for the ColoniesSidney Herbert8 February 1855 
Lord John Russell23 February 1855
Sir William Molesworth21 July 1855
Henry Labouchere21 November 1855
Under-Secretary of State for the ColoniesJohn Ball8 February 1855 
Chichester FortescueJune 1857
First Lord of the AdmiraltySir James Graham30 December 1852continued in office
Sir Charles Wood13 March 1855 
First Secretary of the AdmiraltyRalph Bernal Osborne6 January 1853continued in office
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltySir Robert Peel13 March 1855 
Thomas Baring27 May 1857
President of the Board of ControlSir Charles Wood30 December 1852continued in office
Robert Vernon Smith3 March 1855 
Joint Secretary to the Board of ControlHenry Danby Seymour3 April 1855 
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancastervacant  
The Earl of Harrowby31 March 1855
Matthew Talbot Baines7 December 1855
Minister without PortfolioThe Marquess of Lansdowne28 December 1852 – 21 February 1858 
Postmaster-GeneralThe Viscount Canning5 January 1853continued in office
The Duke of Argyll30 November 1855 
President of the Board of TradeEdward Cardwell28 December 1852continued in office
The Lord Stanley of Alderley31 March 1855entered the Cabinet 27 November 1855
Vice-President of the Board of TradeThe Lord Stanley of Alderley4 January 1853continued in office
Edward Pleydell-Bouverie31 March 1855 
Robert Lowe13 August 1855
First Commissioner of WorksSir William Molesworth5 January 1853continued in office
Sir Benjamin Hall21 July 1855 
Vice-President of the Committee on EducationWilliam Cowper5 February 1857 
President of the Board of HealthSir Benjamin Hall14 January 1854continued in office
William Cowper13 August 1855 
William Monsell9 February 1857
William Cowper24 September 1857
Chief Secretary for IrelandSir John Young6 January 1853continued in office
Edward Horsman1 March 1855 
Henry Arthur Herbert27 May 1857
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Earl of Carlisle7 March 1855 
Master-General of the OrdnanceThe Lord Raglan30 September 1852Board of Ordnance abolished 25 May 1855
and duties vested in Secretary of State for
War; the post of Surveyor-General remained
but was not filled.
Lieutenant-General of the OrdnanceSir Hew Dalrymple Ross6 May 1854
Surveyor-General of the Ordnancevacant—
Storekeeper of the OrdnanceSir Thomas Hastings25 July 1845
Clerk of the OrdnanceWilliam Monsell13 January 1853clerkship abolished 1857
Paymaster GeneralLord Stanley of Alderley4 January 1853continued in office
Edward Pleydell-Bouverie31 March 1855 
Robert Lowe13 August 1855
President of the Poor Law BoardMatthew Talbot Baines30 December 1852continued in office
Edward Pleydell-Bouverie13 August 1855 
Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law BoardGrenville Berkeley7 January 1853continued in office
Ralph Grey9 May 1856 
Attorney GeneralSir Alexander Cockburn28 December 1852continued in office
Sir Richard Bethell15 November 1856 
Solicitor GeneralSir Richard Bethell28 December 1852continued in office
James Stuart-Wortley22 November 1856 
Sir Henry Singer Keating28 May 1857
Judge Advocate GeneralCharles Pelham Villiers30 December 1852continued in office
Lord AdvocateJames Moncreiff30 December 1852continued in office
Solicitor General for ScotlandEdward Maitland14 February 1855 
Attorney General for IrelandAbraham BrewsterApril 1853continued in office
William KeoghMarch 1855 
John FitzgeraldMarch 1856
Solicitor General for IrelandWilliam KeoghApril 1853continued in office
John FitzgeraldMarch 1855 
Jonathan ChristianMarch 1856
Lord Steward of the HouseholdThe Earl Spencer10 January 1854continued in office
The Earl of St Germans23 November 1857 
Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Marquess of Breadalbane15 January 1853continued in office
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdLord Ernest Bruce30 December 1852continued in office
Master of the HorseThe Duke of Wellington21 January 1853continued in office
Treasurer of the HouseholdEarl of Mulgrave4 January 1853continued in office
Comptroller of the HouseholdViscount Drumlanrig4 January 1853continued in office
Viscount Castlerosse25 July 1856 
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsThe Lord Foley30 December 1852continued in office
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Viscount Sydney30 December 1852continued in office
Master of the BuckhoundsThe Earl of Bessborough30 December 1852continued in office
Chief Equerry and Clerk MarshalLord Alfred Paget30 December 1852continued in office
Mistress of the RobesThe Duchess of Sutherland15 January 1853continued in office
Lords in WaitingThe Earl Somers13 January 1853 – 22 February 1857 
The Lord Camoys13 January 1853 – 21 February 1858
The Lord Rivers13 January 1853 – 21 February 1858
The Lord Waterpark13 January 1853 – 21 February 1858
The Lord de Tabley13 January 1853 – 21 February 1858
The Earl of Listowel1 October 1853 – 21 February 1856
The Lord Dufferin and Clandeboye28 November 1854 – 21 February 1858
The Earl of Caithness15 April 1856 – 21 February 1858
The Lord Cremorne22 February 1857 – 21 February 1858

Notes
  1. Chisholm 1911, p. 648.

References
  • Cook, Chris; Keith, Brendan (1975). British Historical Facts: 1830–1900. Springer. ISBN 978-1-349-01348-7.

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