Secretary at War

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The Hon. Henry Pelham, who served as Secretary at War between 1724 and 1730 Henry Pelham, Parliamentary Art Collection.jpg
The Hon. 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 Secretaries of State. 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, the Hon. Henry Pelham, Henry Fox, Lord Palmerston, William Windham. and Lord 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, Bt 17121713
Francis Gwyn 17131714
William Pulteney 17141717
James Craggs the Younger 17171718
The Viscount Castlecomer 17181718
Robert Pringle 17181718
George Treby 17181720
Thomas Trevor 17201724
Hon. Henry Pelham 17241730
Sir William Strickland, Bt 17301735
Sir William Yonge, Bt 17351741
Thomas Winnington 17411746
Henry Fox 17461755
The Viscount Barrington 17551761
Hon. Charles Townshend 17611762
Welbore Ellis 17621765
The Viscount Barrington 17651778
Charles Jenkinson 17781782
Thomas Townshend 17821782
Sir George Yonge, Bt 17821783
Richard FitzPatrick 17831783
Sir George Yonge, Bt 17831794
William Windham 17941801
Charles Philip Yorke 18011803
Charles Bragge 18031804
William Dundas 18041806
Richard FitzPatrick 18061807
Sir James Murray-Pulteney, Bt 18071809
Lord Granville Leveson-Gower 18091809
The Viscount Palmerston 18091828
Sir Henry Hardinge 18281830
Lord Francis Leveson-Gower 18301830
Charles Williams-Wynn 18301831
Sir Henry Parnell, Bt 18311832
Sir John Hobhouse, Bt 18321833
Edward Ellice 18331834
John Charles Herries 18341835
Viscount Howick 18351839
Thomas Babington Macaulay 18391841
Sir Henry Hardinge 18411844
Sir Thomas Fremantle, Bt 18441845
Hon. Sidney Herbert 18451846
Hon. Fox Maule 18461852
Robert Vernon Smith 18521852
William Beresford 18521852
Hon. Sidney Herbert 18521854

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

NameEntered officeLeft office
The Duke of Newcastle 18541855
The Lord Panmure 18551858
Jonathan Peel 18581859
The Lord Herbert of Lea 18591861
Sir George Cornewall Lewis, Bt 18611863

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References

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