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    Svetlana Velmar-Janković

    "Aberdeen government" redirects here. For the local government authority in Scotland, see Aberdeen City Council.

    Aberdeen ministry
    1852–1855
    Aberdeen (circa 1847)
    Date formed19 December 1852 (1852-12-19)
    Date dissolved30 January 1855 (1855-01-30)
    People and organisations
    MonarchQueen Victoria
    Prime MinisterGeorge Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen
    Member partiesPeelites
    Whigs
    Opposition partyConservative Party
    Opposition leaders
    History
    PredecessorWho? Who? ministry
    SuccessorFirst Palmerston ministry

    After the collapse of Lord Derby's minority government, the Whigs and Peelites formed a coalition under the Peelite leader George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen. The government resigned in early 1855 after a large parliamentary majority voted for a select committee to enquire into the incompetent management of the Crimean War. The former Home Secretary, Lord Palmerston, then formed his first government.

    Cabinet

    December 1852 – February 1855

    The Coalition Ministry of 1854 as painted by Sir John Gilbert (1855)
    Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
    		(head of ministry)19 December 1852 (1852-12-19)30 January 1855 (1855-01-30) Peelite
    Lord Chancellor28 December 1852 (1852-12-28)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21) Whig
    Lord President of the Council28 December 1852 (1852-12-28)12 June 1854 (1854-06-12) Whig
    12 June 1854 (1854-06-12)8 February 1855 (1855-02-08) Whig
    Lord Privy Seal4 January 1853 (1853-01-04)7 December 1855 (1855-12-07) Peelite
    Secretary of State for the Home Department28 December 1852 (1852-12-28)6 February 1855 (1855-02-06) Whig
    Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs28 December 1852 (1852-12-28)12 February 1853 (1853-02-12) Whig
    21 February 1853 (1853-02-21)26 February 1858 (1858-02-26) Whig
    Secretary of State for the Colonies12 June 1854 (1854-06-12)8 February 1855 (1855-02-08) Whig
    Secretary of State for War and the Colonies†28 December 1852 (1852-12-28)30 January 1855 (1855-01-30) Peelite
    Chancellor of the Exchequer28 December 1852 (1852-12-28)28 February 1855 (1855-02-28) Peelite
    First Lord of the Admiralty30 December 1852 (1852-12-30)13 March 1855 (1855-03-13) Peelite
    President of the Board of Control30 December 1852 (1852-12-30)3 March 1855 (1855-03-03) Whig
    Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster21 June 1854 (1854-06-21)30 January 1855 (1855-01-30) Whig
    First Commissioner of Works5 January 1853 (1853-01-05)30 January 1855 (1855-01-30) Radical
    Secretary at War30 December 1852 (1852-12-30)28 February 1855 (1855-02-28) Peelite
    Minister without portfolio28 December 1852 (1852-12-28)21 February 1858 (1858-02-21) Whig
    26 February 1853 (1853-02-26)8 June 1854 (1854-06-08) Whig

    † After June 1854 office became Secretary of State for War.

    Notes

    See also: 1855 vote of no confidence in the government of Lord Aberdeen

    Changes

    • February 1853: Lord John Russell becomes Minister without Portfolio, remaining Leader of the Commons. Lord Clarendon succeeds him as Foreign Secretary.
    • June 1854: Lord Granville becomes Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Lord John Russell succeeds him as Lord President, remaining also Leader of the Commons. The Secretaryship of State for War and the Colonies is split up. The Duke of Newcastle stays on as Secretary of State for War, while Sir George Grey becomes Secretary of State for the Colonies.

    List of ministers

    Members of the Cabinet are indicated by bold face.

    Office Name Party Date Notes
    Prime Minister,
    First Lord of the Treasury
    and Leader of the House of Lords    		 George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen Peelite 19 December 1852 – 30 January 1855  
    Chancellor of the Exchequer William Ewart Gladstone Peelite 30 December 1852  
    Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury William Goodenough Hayter Whig 5 January 1853  
    Financial Secretary to the Treasury James Wilson Whig 5 January 1853  
    Junior Lords of the Treasury Lord Alfred Hervey Peelite 1 January 1853 – 7 March 1855  
    Francis Charteris, Lord Elcho Whig 1 January 1853 – 7 March 1855
    John Sadleir Independent Irish Party 1 January 1853 – 6 March 1854
    Chichester Fortescue Whig 6 March 1854 – 16 April 1855
    Lord Chancellor Robert Rolfe, 1st Baron Cranworth Whig 28 December 1852  
    Lord President of the Council Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville Whig 28 December 1852  
    Lord John Russell Whig 12 June 1854 also Leader of the House of Commons
    Lord Privy Seal George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll Peelite 4 January 1853  
    Secretary of State for the Home Department Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston Whig 28 December 1852  
    Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Henry Fitzroy Peelite 28 December 1852  
    Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Lord John Russell Whig 28 December 1852 also Leader of the House of Commons
    George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon Whig 21 February 1853  
    Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs John Wodehouse, 3rd Baron Wodehouse Whig 28 December 1852  
    Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Peelite 28 December 1852 department abolished 10 June 1854
    Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Frederick Peel Peelite 28 December 1852
    Secretary of State for War Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Peelite 12 June 1854  
    Under-Secretary of State for War Henry Roberts   12 June 1854  
    Secretary of State for the Colonies Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet Whig 12 June 1854  
    Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies Frederick Peel Whig 12 June 1854  
    First Lord of the Admiralty Sir James Graham, 2nd Baronet Peelite 30 December 1852  
    First Secretary of the Admiralty Ralph Bernal Osborne Whig 6 January 1853  
    Civil Lord of the Admiralty William Francis Cowper Whig 30 December 1852  
    President of the Board of Control Sir Charles Wood, 3rd Baronet Whig 30 December 1852  
    Joint Secretaries to the Board of Control Robert Lowe Whig 30 December 1852  
    Sir Thomas Redington Whig 30 December 1852 (permanent)
    Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Edward Strutt Radical 3 January 1853  
    Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville Whig 21 June 1854
    Minister without Portfolio Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne Whig 28 December 1852 – 21 February 1858  
    Lord John Russell Whig 26 February 1853 – 8 June 1854 also Leader of the House of Commons
    Secretary at War Sidney Herbert Peelite 30 December 1852  
    First Commissioner of Works Sir William Molesworth, 8th Baronet Radical 5 January 1853  
    President of the Board of Health Sir Benjamin Hall, 1st Baronet Whig 14 January 1854  
    Chief Secretary for Ireland Sir John Young, 2nd Baronet Peelite 6 January 1853  
    Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans Peelite 5 January 1853  
    Master-General of the Ordnance Fitzroy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan non-party 30 September 1852 continued in office
    Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance Sir Hew Dalrymple Ross non-party 6 May 1854  
    Surveyor-General of the Ordnance Lauderdale Maule Whig 5 January 1853 died 1 August 1854
    Clerk of the Ordnance William Monsell Whig 13 January 1853  
    Storekeeper of the Ordnance Sir Thomas Hastings non-party 25 July 1845 continued in office
    Paymaster General Edward John Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley Whig 5 January 1853  
    Postmaster-General Charles Canning, 2nd Viscount Canning Peelite 5 January 1853  
    President of the Poor Law Board Matthew Talbot Baines Whig 30 December 1852  
    Parliamentary Secretary to the Poor Law Board Grenville Berkeley Whig 7 January 1853  
    President of the Board of Trade Edward Cardwell Peelite 28 December 1852  
    Vice-President of the Board of Trade Edward Stanley, 2nd Baron Stanley of Alderley Whig 4 January 1853  
    Attorney General Sir Alexander Cockburn, 12th Baronet Whig 28 December 1852  
    Solicitor General Sir Richard Bethell Whig 28 December 1852  
    Judge Advocate General Charles Pelham Villiers Whig 30 December 1852  
    Lord Advocate James Moncreiff Whig 30 December 1852  
    Solicitor General for Scotland Robert Handyside   17 January 1853  
    James Craufurd   16 November 1853
    Thomas Mackenzie   11 January 1855
    Attorney General for Ireland Abraham Brewster Peelite April 1853  
    Solicitor General for Ireland William Keogh Independent Irish Party April 1853  
    Lord Steward of the Household Henry Charles Fitzalan-Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk Whig 4 January 1853  
    Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer Whig 10 January 1854
    Lord Chamberlain of the Household John Campbell, 2nd Marquess of Breadalbane Whig 15 January 1853  
    Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Lord Ernest Bruce Peelite 30 December 1852  
    Master of the Horse Arthur Wellesley, 2nd Duke of Wellington Conservative 21 January 1853  
    Treasurer of the Household George Phipps, Earl of Mulgrave Whig 4 January 1853  
    Comptroller of the Household Archibald Douglas, Viscount Drumlanrig Conservative 4 January 1853  
    Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms Thomas Foley, 4th Baron Foley Whig 30 December 1852  
    Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard John Townshend, 3rd Viscount Sydney Whig; 30 December 1852  
    Master of the Buckhounds John Ponsonby, 5th Earl of Bessborough Whig 30 December 1852  
    Chief Equerry and Clerk Marshal Lord Alfred Paget Whig 30 December 1852  
    Mistress of the Robes Harriet Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland Whig 15 January 1853  
    Lords in Waiting John Butler, 2nd Marquess of Ormonde Whig 11 January 1853 – 25 September 1854  
    Charles Somers-Cocks, 3rd Earl Somers Peelite 13 January 1853 – 22 February 1857
    Thomas Stonor, 3rd Baron Camoys Whig 13 January 1853 – 21 February 1858
    John Elphinstone, 13th Lord Elphinstone Whig 13 January 1853 – 1 October 1853
    George Pitt-Rivers, 4th Baron Rivers Peelite 13 January 1853 – 21 February 1858
    Henry Cavendish, 3rd Baron Waterpark Whig 13 January 1853 – 21 February 1858
    George Warren, 2nd Baron de Tabley Whig 13 January 1853 – 21 February 1858
    William Hare, 2nd Earl of Listowel Whig 1 October 1853 – 21 February 1856
    Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 5th Baron Dufferin and Clandeboye Whig 28 November 1854 – 21 February 1858

    References

    • C. Cook and B. Keith, British Historical Facts 1830–1900
    Preceded by Government of the United Kingdom
    1852–1855     		Succeeded by
    Credit: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberdeen_ministry

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