Secretary at War

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Henry Pelham, who served as Secretary at War between 1724 and 1730 Henry Pelham, Parliamentary Art Collection.jpg
Henry Pelham, who served as Secretary at War between 1724 and 1730

The Secretary at War was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. After 1794 it was occasionally a Cabinet-level position, although it was considered of subordinate rank to the Secretary of State for War. The position was combined with that of Secretary of State for War in 1854 and abolished in 1863. [1]

Contents

Notable holders of the position include Robert Walpole, Henry Pelham, Henry Fox, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston, William Windham and Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay.

Secretaries at War, 1661–1854

NameEntered officeLeft office
Sir William Clarke 16611666
Matthew Locke 16661683
William Blathwayt 16831692
George Clarke 16921704
Henry St John 17041708
Robert Walpole 17081710
George Granville 17101712
Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet 17121713
Francis Gwyn 17131714
William Pulteney 17141717
James Craggs the Younger 17171718
Christopher Wandesford, 2nd Viscount Castlecomer 17181718
Robert Pringle 17181718
George Treby 17181720
Thomas Trevor 17201724
Henry Pelham 17241730
Sir William Strickland, 4th Baronet 17301735
Sir William Yonge, 4th Baronet 17351741
Thomas Winnington 17411746
Henry Fox 17461755
William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington 17551761
Charles Townshend 17611762
Welbore Ellis 17621765
William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington 17651778
Charles Jenkinson 17781782
Thomas Townshend 17821782
Sir George Yonge, 5th Baronet 17821783
Richard FitzPatrick 17831783
Sir George Yonge, 5th Baronet17831794
William Windham 17941801
Charles Philip Yorke 18011803
Charles Bragge 18031804
William Dundas 18041806
Richard FitzPatrick 18061807
Sir James Murray-Pulteney, 7th Baronet 18071809
Lord Granville Leveson-Gower 18091809
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston 18091828
Sir Henry Hardinge 18281830
Lord Francis Leveson-Gower 18301830
Charles Williams-Wynn 18301831
Sir Henry Parnell, 4th Baronet 18311832
Sir John Hobhouse, 2nd Baronet 18321833
Edward Ellice 18331834
John Charles Herries 18341835
Henry Grey, Viscount Howick 18351839
Thomas Babington Macaulay 18391841
Sir Henry Hardinge18411844
Sir Thomas Fremantle, 1st Baronet 18441845
Sidney Herbert 18451846
Fox Maule 18461852
Robert Vernon Smith 18521852
William Beresford 18521852
Sidney Herbert 18521854

Secretaries of State for War and Secretaries at War, 1854–1863

NameEntered officeLeft office
Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle 18541855
Fox Maule-Ramsay, Baron Panmure 18551858
Jonathan Peel 18581859
Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea 18591861
Sir George Cornewall Lewis, 2nd Baronet 18611863

References

  1. ↑ "Senior Cabinet posts". The National Archives . Retrieved 7 May 2020.
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