Liberal government, 1892–1895

Rosebery ministry
Rosebery ministry
1894–1895
	Rosebery (c. 1895)
Date formed	5 March 1894
Date dissolved	22 June 1895
People and organisations
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	Lord Rosebery
Member party	Liberal Party
Status in legislature	Minority ; dependent on IPP support
Opposition party	Conservative Party
Opposition leaders	Arthur Balfour ; in the House of Commons ; Lord Salisbury ; in the House of Lords ;
History
Legislature terms	25th UK Parliament ; lost a vote of confidence
Predecessor	Fourth Gladstone ministry
Successor	Third Salisbury ministry

Fourth Gladstone ministry
Fourth Gladstone ministry
1892–1894
	Gladstone
Date formed	15 August 1892
Date dissolved	2 March 1894
People and organisations
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	William Gladstone
Member party	Liberal Party
Status in legislature	Minority ; dependent on IPP support
Opposition party	Conservative Party
Opposition leaders	Arthur Balfour ; in the House of Commons ; Lord Salisbury ; in the House of Lords ;
History
Election	1892 general election
Legislature terms	25th UK Parliament
Predecessor	Second Salisbury ministry
Successor	Rosebery ministry

Last updated August 22, 2025

William Ewart Gladstone led the Government from 1892 to 1894 and was succeeded by Lord Rosebery.

Rosebery led the Government from 1894. He was defeated in the 1895 general election.

In the 1892 general election, the Conservative Party, led by Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, won the most seats but not an overall majority. As a result, William Ewart Gladstone's Liberal Party formed a minority government that relied upon Irish Nationalist support. On 3 March 1894, Gladstone resigned over the rejection of his Home Rule Bill and Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery succeeded him.

Cabinets

Fourth Gladstone ministry

Portfolio	Minister	Term
Cabinet ministers
Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury Lord Privy Seal Leader of the House of Commons	William Ewart Gladstone MP	1892–94
Lord Chancellor	Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell	1892–95
Lord President of the Council Secretary of State for India Leader of the House of Lords	John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley	1892–94
Home Secretary	H. H. Asquith MP	1892–95
Foreign Secretary	Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery	1892–94
Secretary of State for the Colonies	George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon	1892–95
Secretary of State for War	Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman MP	1892–95
Chancellor of the Exchequer Second Lord of the Treasury	Sir William Harcourt MP	1892–95
First Lord of the Admiralty	John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer	1892–95
President of the Board of Trade	A. J. Mundella MP	1892–94
Postmaster General	Arnold Morley MP	1892–95
President of the Local Government Board	Henry Fowler MP	1892–94
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	James Bryce MP	1892–94
First Commissioner of Works	George Shaw-Lefevre MP	1892–94
Chief Secretary for Ireland	John Morley MP	1892–95
Secretary for Scotland	Sir George Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet MP	1892–95
Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education	Arthur Dyke Acland MP	1892–95

Rosebery ministry

Portfolio	Minister	Term
Cabinet ministers
Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury Lord President of the Council Leader of the House of Lords	Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery	1894–95
Lord Chancellor	Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell	1892–95
Lord Privy Seal	Edward Marjoribanks, 2nd Baron Tweedmouth	1894–95
Home Secretary	H. H. Asquith MP	1892–95
Foreign secretary	John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley	1894–95
Secretary of State for the Colonies	George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon	1892–95
Secretary of State for War	Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman MP	1892–95
Secretary of State for India	Henry Fowler MP	1894–95
Chancellor of the Exchequer Second Lord of the Treasury Leader of the House of Commons	Sir William Harcourt MP	1892–95
First Lord of the Admiralty	John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer	1892–95
President of the Board of Trade	A. J. Mundella MP	1892–94
President of the Board of Trade	James Bryce MP	1894–95
Postmaster General	Arnold Morley MP	1892–95
President of the Local Government Board	George Shaw-Lefevre MP	1894–95
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	James Bryce MP	1892–94
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	Edward Marjoribanks, 2nd Baron Tweedmouth	1894–95
Chief Secretary for Ireland	John Morley MP	1892–95
Secretary for Scotland	Sir George Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet MP	1892–95
Vice-President of the Committee of the Council on Education	Arthur Dyke Acland MP	1892–95

Changes

May 1894 – James Bryce succeeds A. J. Mundella at the Board of Trade. Lord Tweedmouth succeeds Bryce at the Duchy of Lancaster, remaining also Lord Privy Seal.

List of ministers

Cabinet members are listed in bold face.

Office	Name	Date
Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury	William Ewart Gladstone ^[a]	15 August 1892 – 2 March 1894
Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury	Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery ^[b]	5 March 1894 – 21 June 1895
Chancellor of the Exchequer	Sir William Vernon Harcourt ^[c]	18 August 1892
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury	Edward Marjoribanks ^[d]	18 August 1892
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury	T. E. Ellis	10 March 1894
Financial Secretary to the Treasury	Sir John Tomlinson Hibbert	18 August 1892
Junior Lords of the Treasury	T. E. Ellis	22 August 1892 – 21 June 1895
	Richard Causton	22 August 1892 – 21 June 1895
	William Alexander McArthur	22 August 1892 – 21 June 1895
Lord Chancellor	Farrer Herschell, 1st Baron Herschell	18 August 1892
Lord President of the Council	John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley ^[e]	18 August 1892
Lord President of the Council	Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery	10 March 1894
Lord Privy Seal	William Ewart Gladstone	20 August 1892
Lord Privy Seal	Edward Marjoribanks, 2nd Baron Tweedmouth	10 March 1894
Secretary of State for the Home Department	H. H. Asquith	18 August 1892
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department	Herbert Gladstone	19 August 1892
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department	George W. E. Russell	12 March 1894
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery	18 August 1892
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley	11 March 1894
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Sir Edward Grey, 3rd Baronet	19 August 1892
Secretary of State for War	Henry Campbell-Bannerman	18 August 1892
Under-Secretary of State for War	William Mansfield, 2nd Baron Sandhurst	22 August 1892
Under-Secretary of State for War	Robert Collier, 2nd Baron Monkswell	5 January 1895
Financial Secretary to the War Office	William Woodall	22 August 1892
Secretary of State for the Colonies	George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon	18 August 1892
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies	Sydney Buxton	18 August 1892
Secretary of State for India	John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley	18 August 1892
Secretary of State for India	Henry Fowler	10 March 1894
Under-Secretary of State for India	George W. E. Russell	19 August 1892
Under-Secretary of State for India	Donald Mackay, 11th Lord Reay	11 March 1894
First Lord of the Admiralty	John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer	19 August 1892
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty	Sir Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth	19 August 1892
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	Edmund Robertson	25 August 1892
Vice-President of the Committee on Education	Arthur Dyke Acland	25 August 1892
Chief Secretary for Ireland	John Morley	22 August 1892
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland	Robert Offley Ashburton Milnes, 2nd Baron Houghton	18 August 1892
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	James Bryce	18 August 1892
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	The Lord Tweedmouth	28 May 1894
President of the Local Government Board	Henry Fowler	18 August 1892
President of the Local Government Board	George Shaw-Lefevre	1894
Postmaster-General	Arnold Morley	18 August 1892
Secretary for Scotland	Sir George Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet	18 August 1892
President of the Board of Trade	A. J. Mundella	18 August 1892
President of the Board of Trade	James Bryce	28 May 1894
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade	Thomas Burt	18 August 1892
First Commissioner of Works	George Shaw-Lefevre	18 August 1892
First Commissioner of Works	Herbert Gladstone	10 March 1894
President of the Board of Agriculture	Herbert Gardner	25 August 1892
Paymaster General	Charles Seale-Hayne	18 August 1892
Attorney General	Sir Charles Russell	20 August 1892
	Sir John Rigby	3 May 1894
	Sir Robert Threshie Reid	24 October 1894
Solicitor General	Sir John Rigby	20 August 1892
	Sir Robert Threshie Reid	3 May 1894
	Sir Frank Lockwood	28 October 1894
Judge Advocate General	Sir Francis Jeune	31 December 1892
Lord Advocate	John Balfour	20 August 1892
Solicitor General for Scotland	Alexander Asher	20 August 1892
Solicitor General for Scotland	Thomas Shaw	22 March 1894
Attorney-General for Ireland	Hugh Hyacinth O'Rorke MacDermot	August 1892
Solicitor-General for Ireland	Charles Hemphill	August 1892
Lord Steward of the Household	Gavin Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane	25 August 1892
Lord Chamberlain of the Household	Charles Wynn-Carrington, 3rd Baron Carrington	25 August 1892
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household	Charles Spencer	25 August 1892
Master of the Horse	William Monson, 1st Viscount Oxenbridge	25 August 1892
Master of the Horse	Richard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork	19 March 1894
Treasurer of the Household	Edwyn Scudamore-Stanhope, 10th Earl of Chesterfield	25 August 1892
Treasurer of the Household	Arthur Brand	13 March 1894
Comptroller of the Household	George Leveson-Gower	25 August 1892
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms	George Venables-Vernon, 7th Baron Vernon	25 August 1892
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms	Edwyn Scudamore-Stanhope, 10th Earl of Chesterfield	13 March 1894
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard	William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington	25 August 1892
Master of the Buckhounds	Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale	25 August 1892
Mistress of the Robes	Vacant	—
Lords-in-Waiting	John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton	19 September 1892 – 21 June 1895
	Francis Stonor, 4th Baron Camoys	19 September 1892 – 21 June 1895
	John Hamilton, 1st Baron Hamilton of Dalzell	19 September 1892 – 1 May 1894
	Robert Collier, 2nd Baron Monkswell	19 September 1892 – 4 February 1895
	Frederick Glyn, 4th Baron Wolverton	19 September 1892 – 14 June 1893
	Lyon Playfair, 1st Baron Playfair	26 November 1892 – 21 June 1895
	Thomas Brassey, 1st Baron Brassey	14 June 1893 – 21 June 1895
	Francis Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig	1 July 1893 – 18 October 1894
	Cecil Foljambe, 1st Baron Hawkesbury	1 May 1894 – 21 June 1895
	Sidney Hobart-Hampden-Mercer-Henderson, 7th Earl of Buckinghamshire	17 January 1895 – 21 June 1895
	Granville Leveson-Gower, 3rd Earl Granville	4 February 1895 – 21 June 1895

Notes

↑ Also Leader of the House of Commons.
↑ Also Leader of the House of Lords.
↑ Also Leader of the House of Commons 1894–1895.
↑ Succeeded as 2nd Baron Tweedmouth 4 March 1894.
↑ Also Leader of the House of Lords 18 August 1892 –
5 March 1894.

References

D. Butler and G. Butler (ed.). Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000.

Preceded by Second Salisbury ministry	Government of the United Kingdom 1892–1895	Succeeded by Third Salisbury ministry

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[1] Also Leader of the House of Commons.

[2] Also Leader of the House of Lords.

[3] Also Leader of the House of Commons 1894–1895.

[4] Succeeded as 2nd Baron Tweedmouth 4 March 1894.

[5] Also Leader of the House of Lords 18 August 1892 –
5 March 1894.

[a]

[b]

[c]

[d]

[e]

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