Liberal government, 1859–1866

The Liberal government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that began in 1859 and ended in 1866 consisted of two ministries: the second Palmerston ministry and the second Russell ministry.

History

After the fall of the second of Lord Derby's short-lived attempts at governments in 1859, Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston returned to power, this time in alliance with his former rival, John Russell, 1st Earl Russell, in the first Liberal government. Palmerston remained as prime minister until his death in 1865, when Russell succeeded him. However, disunity within the party caused the fall of the government in the following year, and Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby formed another Conservative ministry.

Cabinets

The Viscount Palmerston's Cabinet, June 1859 – October 1865

Changes

July 1859 – Charles Pelham Villiers succeeds Milner-Gibson as President of the Poor Law Board
May 1860 – Edward Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley succeeds Lord Elgin as Postmaster-General
June 1861 – Richard Bethell, 1st Baron Westbury succeeds Lord Campbell as Lord Chancellor
July 1861 – Sir George Cornewall Lewis succeeds Herbert as Secretary for War. Sir George Grey succeeds Lewis as Home Secretary. Edward Cardwell succeeds Grey as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Cardwell's successor as Chief Secretary for Ireland is not in the Cabinet.
April 1863 – George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey becomes Secretary for War following Sir George Lewis's death.
April 1864 – Edward Cardwell succeeds the Duke of Newcastle as Colonial Secretary. George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon succeeds Cardwell as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
July 1865 – Robert Rolfe, 1st Baron Cranworth succeeds Lord Westbury as Lord Chancellor

The Earl Russell's Cabinet, October 1865 – June 1866

Changes

February 1866: The Lord de Grey succeeds Sir Charles Wood as Secretary for India. Lord Hartington succeeds Grey as Secretary for War.

List of ministers

Cabinet members are listed in bold face.

Office	Name	Date
Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury	Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston	12 June 185918 October 1865
Prime Minister First Lord of the Treasury	John Russell, 1st Earl Russell	29 October 186526 June 1866
Chancellor of the Exchequer	William Ewart Gladstone	18 June 1859
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury	Henry Brand	24 June 1859
Financial Secretary to the Treasury	Samuel Laing	24 June 1859
Financial Secretary to the Treasury	Frederick Peel	2 November 1860
Financial Secretary to the Treasury	Hugh Childers	19 August 1865
Junior Lords of the Treasury	Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen	24 June 185921 April 1865
Junior Lords of the Treasury	Sir William Dunbar, 7th Baronet	24 June 185921 April 1865
Junior Lords of the Treasury	John Bagwell	24 June 185925 March 1862
Junior Lords of the Treasury	Luke White	25 March 18622 June 1866
Junior Lords of the Treasury	William Patrick Adam	21 April 186526 June 1866
Junior Lords of the Treasury	John Bonham Carter	2 June 186626 June 1866
Junior Lords of the Treasury	John Esmonde	2 June 186626 June 1866
Lord Chancellor	John Campbell, 1st Baron Campbell	18 June 1859
Lord Chancellor	Richard Bethell, 1st Baron Westbury	26 June 1861
Lord Chancellor	Robert Rolfe, 1st Baron Cranworth	7 July 1865
Lord President of the Council	Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville	18 June 1859
Lord Privy Seal	George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll	18 June 1859
Secretary of State for the Home Department	Sir George Cornewall Lewis	18 June 1859
Secretary of State for the Home Department	Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet	25 July 1861
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department	George Clive	18 June 1859
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department	Henry Bruce	14 November 1862
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department	Thomas Baring	25 April 1864
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department	Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen	25 May 1866
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Lord John Russell	18 June 1859
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon	3 November 1865
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	John Wodehouse, 3rd Baron Wodehouse	19 June 1859
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs	Austen Henry Layard	15 August 1861
Secretary of State for War	Sidney Herbert	18 June 1859
Secretary of State for War	Sir George Cornewall Lewis	22 July 1861
Secretary of State for War	George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey	28 April 1863
Secretary of State for War	Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington	16 February 1866
Under-Secretary of State for War	George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey	18 June 1859
Under-Secretary of State for War	Thomas Baring	21 January 1861
Under-Secretary of State for War	George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey	31 July 1861
Under-Secretary of State for War	Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington	28 April 1863
Under-Secretary of State for War	Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5h Baron Dufferin and Clandeboye	17 February 1866
Secretary of State for the Colonies	Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle	18 June 1859
Secretary of State for the Colonies	Edward Cardwell	7 April 1864
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies	Chichester Fortescue	18 June 1859
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies	William Edward Forster	25 November 1865
Secretary of State for India	Sir Charles Wood, 3rd Baronet	18 June 1859
Secretary of State for India	George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey	16 February 1866
Under-Secretary of State for India	Thomas Baring	25 June 1859
Under-Secretary of State for India	George Robinson, 3rd Earl de Grey	21 January 1861
Under-Secretary of State for India	Thomas Baring	31 July 1861
Under-Secretary of State for India	John Wodehouse, 3rd Baron Wodehouse	25 April 1864
Under-Secretary of State for India	Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Baron Dufferin and Clandeboye	16 November 1864
Under-Secretary of State for India	James Stansfeld	17 February 1866
First Lord of the Admiralty	Edward Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset	27 June 1859
First Secretary of the Admiralty	Lord Clarence Paget	30 June 1859
First Secretary of the Admiralty	Thomas Baring	30 April 1866
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	Samuel Whitbread	27 June 1859
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington	23 March 1863
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	James Stansfeld	2 May 1863
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	Hugh Childers	21 April 1864
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	Henry Fenwick	22 January 1866
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	Lord John Hay	7 April 1866
Civil Lord of the Admiralty	George Shaw-Lefevre	8 May 1866
Chief Secretary for Ireland	Edward Cardwell	24 June 1859
Chief Secretary for Ireland	Sir Robert Peel, 3rd Baronet	29 July 1861
Chief Secretary for Ireland	Chichester Fortescue	7 December 1865
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland	George Howard, 7th Earl of Carlisle	24 June 1859
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland	John Wodehouse, 3rd Baron Wodehouse	1 November 1864
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet	22 June 1859
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	Edward Cardwell	25 July 1861
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon	7 April 1864
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	vacant	3 November 1865
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	George Goschen	26 January 1866
President of the Poor Law Board	Thomas Milner Gibson	24 June 1859
President of the Poor Law Board	Charles Pelham Villiers	9 July 1859
Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board	Charles Gilpin	28 June 1859
Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board	George Byng	22 February 1865
Postmaster-General	James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin	24 June 1859
Postmaster-General	George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll	11 May 1860
Postmaster-General	Edward Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley	17 August 1860
President of the Board of Trade	vacant
President of the Board of Trade	Thomas Milner Gibson	6 July 1859
Vice-President of the Board of Trade	James Wilson	18 June 1859
Vice-President of the Board of Trade	William Francis Cowper	12 August 1859
Vice-President of the Board of Trade	William Hutt	22 February 1860
Vice-President of the Board of Trade	George Goschen	29 November 1865
Vice-President of the Board of Trade	William Monsell	12 March 1866
Vice-President of the Committee on Education	Robert Lowe	24 June 1859
Vice-President of the Committee on Education	Henry Bruce	26 April 1864
Paymaster General	James Wilson	18 June 1859
Paymaster General	William Francis Cowper	12 August 1859
Paymaster General	William Hutt	22 February 1860
Paymaster General	George Goschen	29 November 1865
Paymaster General	William Monsell	12 March 1866
First Commissioner of Works	Henry Fitzroy	18 June 1859
First Commissioner of Works	William Francis Cowper	9 February 1860
Attorney General	Sir Richard Bethell	18 June 1859
Attorney General	Sir William Atherton	4 July 1861
Attorney General	Sir Roundell Palmer	2 October 1863
Solicitor General	Sir Henry Keating	18 June 1859
Solicitor General	Sir William Atherton	16 December 1859
Solicitor General	Sir Roundell Palmer	8 July 1861
Solicitor General	Sir Robert Collier	2 October 1863
Judge Advocate General	Thomas Emerson Headlam	24 June 1859
Lord Advocate	James Moncreiff	24 June 1859
Solicitor General for Scotland	Edward F. Maitland	27 June 1859
Solicitor General for Scotland	George Young	11 November 1862
Attorney General for Ireland	John David Fitzgerald	June 1859
Attorney General for Ireland	Rickard Deasy	February 1860
Attorney General for Ireland	Thomas O'Hagan	1861
Attorney General for Ireland	James Anthony Lawson	1865
Solicitor General for Ireland	John George	June 1859
Solicitor General for Ireland	Rickard Deasy	1859
Solicitor General for Ireland	Thomas O'Hagan	February 1860
Solicitor General for Ireland	James Anthony Lawson	1861
Solicitor General for Ireland	Edward Sullivan	1865
Lord Steward of the Household	Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans	18 June 1859
Lord Steward of the Household	John Ponsonby, 5th Earl of Bessborough	20 January 1866
Lord Chamberlain of the Household	John Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney	23 June 1859
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household	Valentine Browne, Viscount Castlerosse	23 June 1859
Master of the Horse	George Brudenell-Bruce, 2nd Marquess of Ailesbury	24 June 1859
Treasurer of the Household	William Keppel, Viscount Bury	23 June 1859
Treasurer of the Household		8 May 1866
Comptroller of the Household	Granville Proby, Baron Proby	23 June 1859
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms	Thomas Foley, 4th Baron Foley	28 June 1859
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard	Henry Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Earl of Ducie	28 June 1859
Master of the Buckhounds	John Ponsonby, 5th Earl of Bessborough	18 June 1859
Master of the Buckhounds	Richard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork	23 January 1866
Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal	Lord Alfred Paget	1 July 1859
Mistress of the Robes	Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland	22 June 1859
Mistress of the Robes	Elizabeth Wellesley, Duchess of Wellington	25 April 1861
Lords in Waiting	James Sinclair, 14th Earl of Caithness	23 June 185926 June 1866
Lords in Waiting	Thomas Stonor, 3rd Baron Camoys	23 June 185926 June 1866
Lords in Waiting	George Pitt-Rivers, 4th Baron Rivers	23 June 185928 April 1866
Lords in Waiting	George Warren, 2nd Baron de Tabley	23 June 185926 June 1866
Lords in Waiting	Richard Dawson, 3rd Baron Cremorne	23 June 185926 June 1866
Lords in Waiting	Frederick Methuen, 2nd Baron Methuen	23 June 185926 June 1866
Lords in Waiting	George Byng, 7th Viscount Torrington	23 June 185927 April 1884
Lords in Waiting	George Byron, 7th Baron Byron	17 July 183731 March 1860
Lords in Waiting	George Harris, 3rd Baron Harris	31 March 18604 May 1863
Lords in Waiting	James Talbot, 4th Baron Talbot of Malahide	4 May 186326 June 1866
Lords in Waiting	George Phipps, 2nd Marquess of Normanby	8 May 186626 June 1866
Extra Lord in Waiting	George Byron, 7th Baron Byron	31 March 18603 March 1868

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