Chatham ministry
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The Chatham ministry was a British government led by William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham that ruled between 1766 and 1768. Because of Pitt's former prominence before his title, it is sometimes referred to as the Pitt ministry. Unusually for a politician considered to be Prime Minister, Pitt was not First Lord of the Treasury during the administration, but instead held the post of Lord Privy Seal.
History
Pitt had been opposition since his 1761 resignation as
Pitt, who moved to the
Chatham was ill with
Soon after, Chatham managed to largely alienate the heretofore cautiously friendly Rockingham faction by dismissing their ally
In the midst of this crisis in early 1767 Chatham apparently had a nervous breakdown and withdrew entirely from the conduct of affairs.
The adhesion of the Bedfords ultimate gave them a dominant role in the ministry, which they used to pursue a more hardline policy towards the American colonies than Chatham had originally intended, or than several of the remaining were comfortable with. In October 1768, the Bedfords persuaded Grafton that it would be necessary to remove Shelburne from the ministry. This threatened dismissal roused Chatham, who resigned his post alongside Shelburne.[11] Although Chatham's close friend Camden remained in the government, it was clear that the ministry was now dominated by the Bedfords, and the Duke of Grafton formally took over as Prime Minister and led the Grafton ministry, which lasted for slightly over a year until January 1770.
Ministry
Portfolio | Minister | Took office | Left office | Party | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Lord of the Treasury | 30 July 1766 | 14 October 1768 | Whig | ||
Lord Chancellor | 30 July 1766 | 14 October 1768 | Whig | ||
Lord President of the Council | 30 July 1766 | 22 December 1767 | Whig | ||
22 December 1767 | 14 October 1768 | Tory | |||
Lord Privy Seal | * | 30 July 1766 | 14 October 1768 | Whig | |
Chancellor of the Exchequer | 30 July 1766 | 4 September 1767 | Whig | ||
4 September 1767 | 14 October 1768 | Tory | |||
30 July 1766 | 20 January 1768 | Whig | |||
20 January 1768 | 14 October 1768 | Tory | |||
Secretary of State for the Southern Department | 30 July 1766 | 14 October 1768 | Whig | ||
Secretary of State for the Colonies | 27 February 1768 | 14 October 1768 | Independent | ||
First Lord of the Admiralty | 30 July 1766 | September 1766 | Tory | ||
September 1766 | December 1766 | Independent | |||
December 1766 | 14 October 1768 | Independent | |||
Master-General of the Ordnance | 30 July 1766 | 14 October 1768 | Whig | ||
Minister without Portfolio | 30 July 1766 | 14 October 1768 | Whig |
Notes
References
- ^ Brown p.322-23
- ^ Brown p.324-31
- ^ Jensen 1968, p. 216
- ^ Bloy, Marjie (2002). "William Pitt (the Edler), Earl of Chatham (1708-1778)". Victorian Web. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
- ^ Jensen 1968, p. 216
- ^ Thompson, Andrew. "William Pitt 'The Elder' (Whig, 1766-1768)". History of Government. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
- ^ Jensen 1968, p. 219
- ^ Jensen 1968, p. 220
- ^ Jensen 1968, p. 315
- ^ Jensen 1968, p. 316
- ^ Jensen 1968, p. 316
- Bibliography
- Black, Jeremy (1992). William Pitt. Cambridge University Press.
- Brown, Peter Douglas. William Pitt, Earl of Chatham: The Great Commoner. George Allen & Unwin, 1978.
- ISBN 0872207056.
- Winstanley, D. A. Lord Chatham and the Whig Opposition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912.