First Salisbury ministry

First Salisbury ministry
First Salisbury ministry
; Caretaker government of the United Kingdom
1885–1886
	Portrait of the Marquess of Salisbury by John Everett Millais (1883)
Date formed	23 June 1885
Date dissolved	28 January 1886
People and organisations
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Total no. of members	70 appointments
Member party	Conservative Party
Status in legislature	Minority ; dependent on IPP support
Opposition party	Liberal Party
Opposition leaders	William Ewart Gladstone ; in the House of Commons ; Lord Granville ; in the House of Lords ;
History
Outgoing election	1885 general election
Legislature terms	22nd UK Parliament ; 23rd UK Parliament ; lost a vote of confidence ;
Predecessor	Second Gladstone ministry
Successor	Third Gladstone ministry

Last updated October 06, 2025

Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury formed a government in June 1885,^[1]^[2]^[3] upon his appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by Queen Victoria, succeeding William Ewart Gladstone. His ministry lasted for over seven months.^[3]

Cabinet


Portfolio	Minister	Took office	Left office
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Leader of the House of Lords	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (head of ministry)	23 June 1885 (1885-06-23)	6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)
First Lord of the Treasury	Stafford Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh	29 June 1885 (1885-06-29)	1 February 1886 (1886-02-01)
Lord Chancellor	Hardinge Giffard, 1st Baron Halsbury	24 June 1885 (1885-06-24)	28 January 1886 (1886-01-28)
Lord President of the Council	Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Viscount Cranbrook	24 June 1885 (1885-06-24)	6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)
Lord Privy Seal	Dudley Ryder, 3rd Earl of Harrowby	24 June 1885 (1885-06-24)	28 January 1886 (1886-01-28)
Secretary of State for the Home Department	Sir Richard Cross	24 June 1885 (1885-06-24)	1 February 1886 (1886-02-01)
Secretary of State for the Colonies	Frederick Stanley	24 June 1885 (1885-06-24)	28 January 1886 (1886-01-28)
Secretary of State for War	William Henry Smith	24 June 1885 (1885-06-24)	21 January 1886 (1886-01-21)
Secretary of State for War	Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Viscount Cranbrook	21 January 1886 (1886-01-21)	6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)
Secretary of State for India	Lord Randolph Churchill	24 June 1885 (1885-06-24)	28 January 1886 (1886-01-28)
First Lord of the Admiralty	Lord George Hamilton	1885 (1885)	1886 (1886)
Chancellor of the Exchequer Leader of the House of Commons	Sir Michael Hicks Beach, 9th Baronet	24 June 1885 (1885-06-24)	28 January 1886 (1886-01-28)
President of the Board of Trade	Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond	24 June 1885 (1885-06-24)	19 August 1885 (1885-08-19)
President of the Board of Trade	Edward Stanhope	19 August 1885 (1885-08-19)	28 January 1886 (1886-01-28)
Chief Secretary for Ireland	William Henry Smith	23 January 1886 (1886-01-23)	28 January 1886 (1886-01-28)
Postmaster General	Lord John Manners	1885 (1885)	1886 (1886)
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland	Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon	27 June 1885 (1885-06-27)	28 January 1886 (1886-01-28)
Lord Chancellor of Ireland	Edward Gibson, 1st Baron Ashbourne	1885 (1885)	February 1886 (1886-02)
Secretary for Scotland	Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond	17 August 1885 (1885-08-17)	28 January 1886 (1886-01-28)
Vice-President of the Council	Edward Stanhope	24 June 1885 (1885-06-24)	17 September 1885 (1885-09-17)

Changes

August 1885 –The Duke of Richmond becomes Secretary for Scotland. Edward Stanhope succeeds him at the Board of Trade; his successor as Vice-President of the Council is not in the Cabinet.
January 1886 –
- The Lord-Lieutenantship of Ireland goes into commission.
- William Henry Smith becomes Chief Secretary for Ireland. Lord Cranbrook succeeds him as Secretary for War while remaining Lord President.

List of ministers

Cabinet members are listed in bold face.

Office	Name	Date
Prime minister ^[a] Leader of the House of Lords	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury	23 Jun 1885 –28 Jan 1886
First Lord of the Treasury	Stafford Northcote, 1st Earl of Iddesleigh	24 Jun 1885
Chancellor of the Exchequer Leader of the House of Commons	Sir Michael Hicks Beach, 9th Baronet	24 Jun 1885
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury	Aretas Akers-Douglas	24 Jun 1885
Financial Secretary to the Treasury	Sir Henry Holland	24 Jun 1885
	Sir Matthew White Ridley	1885
	William Jackson	1886
Junior Lords of the Treasury	Charles Dalrymple	29 Jun 1885 –28 Jan 1886
	Sidney Herbert	29 Jun 1885 –28 Jan 1886
	William Walrond	29 Jun 1885 –28 Jan 1886
Lord Chancellor	Hardinge Giffard, 1st Baron Halsbury	24 Jun 1885
Lord President of the Council	Gathorne Gathorne-Hardy, 1st Viscount Cranbrook	24 Jun 1885
Lord Privy Seal	Dudley Ryder, 3rd Earl of Harrowby	24 Jun 1885
Secretary of State for the Home Department	Sir R. A. Cross	24 Jun 1885
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department	Charles Stuart-Wortley	30 Jun 1885
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury	24 Jun 1885
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Robert Bourke	25 Jun 1885
Secretary of State for War	William Henry Smith	24 Jun 1885
Under-Secretary of State for War	William Keppel, Viscount Bury	26 Jun 1885
Financial Secretary to the War Office	Henry Northcote	26 Jun 1885
Surveyor-General of the Ordnance	Guy Dawnay	27 Jun 1885
Secretary of State for the Colonies	Frederick Stanley	24 Jun 1885
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies	Windham Wyndham-Quin, 4th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl	24 Jun 1885
Secretary of State for India	Lord Randolph Churchill	24 Jun 1885
Under-Secretary of State for India	George Harris, 4th Baron Harris	25 Jun 1885
First Lord of the Admiralty	Lord George Hamilton	24 Jun 1885
Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty	Charles Ritchie	1 Jul 1885
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett	1 Jul 1885
Vice-President of the Committee on Education	Edward Stanhope	24 Jun 1885
Vice-President of the Committee on Education	Sir Henry Holland	17 Sep 1885
Chief Secretary for Ireland	Sir William Hart Dyke, 7th Baronet	25 Jun 1885
Chief Secretary for Ireland	William Henry Smith	23 Jan 1886
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland	Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon	27 Jun 1885
Lord Chancellor of Ireland	Edward Gibson, 1st Baron Ashbourne	27 Jun 1885
Postmaster General	Lord John Manners	24 Jun 1885
Secretary for Scotland	Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond	17 Aug 1885
President of the Board of Trade	Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond	24 Jun 1885
President of the Board of Trade	Edward Stanhope	19 Aug 1885
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade	Baron Henry de Worms	24 Jun 1885
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	Henry Chaplin	24 Jun 1885
President of the Local Government Board	Arthur Balfour	24 Jun 1885
Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board	Adelbert Brownlow-Cust, 3rd Earl Brownlow	24 Jun 1885
Paymaster General	Frederick Lygon, 6th Earl Beauchamp	24 Jun 1885
First Commissioner of Works	David Robert Plunket	24 Jun 1885
Attorney General	Sir Richard Webster	27 Jul 1885
Solicitor General	John Eldon Gorst	2 Jul 1885
Judge Advocate General	William Thackeray Marriott	13 Jul 1885
Lord Advocate	John Macdonald	2 Jul 1885
Solicitor General for Scotland	James Robertson	2 Jul 1885
Attorney-General for Ireland	Hugh Holmes	3 Jul 1885
Solicitor-General for Ireland	John Munroe	3 Jul 1885
Solicitor-General for Ireland	John George Gibson	1885
Lord Steward of the Household	William Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount Edgcumbe	27 Jun 1885
Lord Chamberlain of the Household	Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom	27 Jun 1885
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household	William Legge, Viscount Lewisham	27 Jun 1885
Master of the Horse	Orlando Bridgeman, 3rd Earl of Bradford	1 Jul 1885
Treasurer of the Household	William Pleydell-Bouverie, Viscount Folkestone	27 Jun 1885
Comptroller of the Household	Lord Arthur Hill	27 Jun 1885
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms	George Coventry, 9th Earl of Coventry	6 Jul 1885
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard	George Barrington, 7th Viscount Barrington	27 Jun 1885
Master of the Buckhounds	John Beresford, 5th Marquess of Waterford	27 Jun 1885
Mistress of the Robes	Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch	27 Jun 1885
Lords in Waiting	Dudley FitzGerald-de Ros, 23rd Baron de Ros	27 Jun 1885 –28 Jan 1886
	Algernon Keith-Falconer, 9th Earl of Kintore	27 Jun 1885 –28 Jan 1886
	Cornwallis Maude, 4th Viscount Hawarden	27 Jun 1885 –28 Jan 1886
	John Henniker-Major, 5th Baron Henniker	27 Jun 1885 –28 Jan 1886
	John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun	27 Jun 1885 –28 Jan 1886
	William Elphinstone, 15th Lord Elphinstone	27 Jun 1885 –28 Jan 1886
	George Irby, 6th Baron Boston	6 Jul 1885 –28 Jan 1886
Extra Lord in Waiting	Mortimer Sackville-West, 1st Baron Sackville	1 Oct 1876 –1 Oct 1888

Notes

↑ The position of Prime Minister was not a formal ministerial office.

References

↑ Yu 1939, p. 12.
↑ Shannon 1996, p. 142.
1 2 "Robert Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury". Gov.uk . Retrieved 16 November 2017.

Sources

Cook, Chris and Brendan Keith (1975). British Historical Facts: 1830–1900 (first ed.). Palgrave Macmillan UK. ISBN 978-1-349-01348-7.
Shannon, Richard (1996). The Age of Salisbury, 1881–1902: Unionism and Empire. Longman. ISBN 978-0-582-09608-0.
Yu, Wangteh (1939). The English Cabinet System. Suffolk: Richard Clay and Company Ltd.

Preceded by Second Gladstone ministry	Government of the United Kingdom 1885–1886	Succeeded by Third Gladstone ministry

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[4] The position of Prime Minister was not a formal ministerial office.

[FOOTNOTEYu193912-1] Yu 1939, p. 12.

[FOOTNOTEShannon1996142-2] Shannon 1996, p. 142.

[gov.uk-3] 1 2 "Robert Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury". Gov.uk . Retrieved 16 November 2017.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[a]

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Current ministry

First Salisbury ministry
Caretaker government of the United Kingdom
1885–1886
Portrait of the Marquess of Salisbury by John Everett Millais (1883)
Date formed	23 June 1885 (1885-06-23)
Date dissolved	28 January 1886 (1886-01-28)
People and organisations
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury
Total no. of members	70 appointments
Member party	Conservative Party
Status in legislature	Minority dependent on IPP support
Opposition party	Liberal Party
Opposition leaders	William Ewart Gladstone in the House of Commons Lord Granville in the House of Lords
History
Outgoing election	1885 general election
Legislature terms	22nd UK Parliament 23rd UK Parliament lost a vote of confidence
Predecessor	Second Gladstone ministry
Successor	Third Gladstone ministry