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Third Gladstone ministry

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Third Gladstone ministry
February–July 1886
Gladstone (1886)
Date formed1 February 1886 (1886-02-01)
Date dissolved20 July 1886 (1886-07-20)
People and organisations
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterWilliam Gladstone
Total no. of members68 appointments
Member partyLiberal Party
Status in legislatureMinority
Opposition partyConservative Party
Opposition leaders
History
Election1885 general election
Outgoing election1886 general election
Legislature terms
PredecessorFirst Salisbury ministry
SuccessorSecond Salisbury ministry

The third Gladstone ministry was one of the shortest-lived ministries in British history. It was led by William Ewart Gladstone of the Liberal Party upon his reappointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom by Queen Victoria. It lasted five months until July 1886.

Formation

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Gladstone speaking during a Commons debate on Irish Home Rule on 8 April 1886.

The Liberal Party under the leadership of William Gladstone came to power in the United Kingdom in February 1886 after they, with the support of the Irish Nationalists, defeated the Conservative government of Lord Salisbury. The ministry was to become one of the most short-lived in British history. Gladstone, aged 76, became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for the third time. Sir William Vernon Harcourt became Chancellor of the Exchequer, Hugh Childers Home Secretary and future prime minister the Earl of Rosebery Foreign Secretary. Lord Selborne and Sir Henry James both rejected the Lord Chancellorship, a post, which, however, was accepted by Sir Farrer Herschell, who was ennobled as Baron Herschell. Former Foreign Secretary Lord Granville became Secretary of State for the Colonies, while another political veteran, Lord Kimberley, resumed the post of Secretary of State for India which he had held from 1882 to 1885. The influential Joseph Chamberlain was appointed President of the Local Government Board while future party leader and Prime Minister Henry Campbell-Bannerman was made Secretary of State for War. The government also saw John Morley hold his first ministerial post as Chief Secretary for Ireland.

The ministry is chiefly remembered for Gladstone's first attempt to introduce the Home Rule Bill for Ireland. The bill was defeated by a majority of 30 (93 Liberal MP's having voted against it) on 8 June and on 26 June Parliament was dissolved. The issue split the Liberal Party. Lord Hartington, who had refused to serve under Gladstone because of his Irish policies, became leader of the Liberal Unionists. He was joined by Joseph Chamberlain, who had resigned over Home Rule in April.

Fate

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The Conservative Party, with the support of the Liberal Unionists, gained a decisive victory in the July 1886 general election, and Lord Salisbury once again became prime minister. The Liberals were to remain out of office until 1892, when Gladstone became prime minister for a fourth time.

Cabinet

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February 1886 to August 1886

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Portfolio Minister Took office Left office
(head of ministry)1 February 1886 (1886-02-01)20 July 1886 (1886-07-20)
Lord Chancellor6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
Lord President of the Council6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
Secretary of State for the Home Department6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
Secretary of State for War6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
Secretary of State for India6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
Chancellor of the Exchequer6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
First Lord of the Admiralty6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
President of the Board of Trade6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
President of the Local Government Board6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 April 1886 (1886-04-03)
3 April 1886 (1886-04-03)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
Chief Secretary for Ireland6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 August 1886 (1886-08-03)
Secretary for Scotland6 February 1886 (1886-02-06)3 April 1886 (1886-04-03)

Changes

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April 1886: James Stansfeld succeeds Joseph Chamberlain at the Local Government Board. George Otto Trevelyan leaves the Cabinet. His successor as Secretary for Scotland is not in the Cabinet.

List of ministers

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Cabinet members are listed in bold face.

Office Name Date
Prime Minister[a] William Ewart Gladstone 1 February 1886 –
20 July 1886
First Lord of the Treasury
Leader of the House of Commons
Chancellor of the Exchequer Sir William Vernon Harcourt 6 February 1886
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Arnold Morley 6 February 1886
Financial Secretary to the Treasury Henry Fowler 6 February 1886
Junior Lords of the Treasury Sir Edward James Reed 13 February 1886 –
20 July 1886
Cyril Flower 13 February 1886 –
20 July 1886
George Leveson-Gower 13 February 1886 –
20 July 1886
Lord Chancellor Sir Farrer Herschell[b] 6 February 1886
Lord President of the Council John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer 6 February 1886
Lord Privy Seal William Ewart Gladstone 17 February 1886
Secretary of State for the Home Department Hugh Childers 6 February 1886
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Henry Broadhurst 6 February 1886
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery 6 February 1886
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs James Bryce 7 February 1886
Secretary of State for War Henry Campbell-Bannerman 6 February 1886
Under-Secretary of State for War William Mansfield, 1st Viscount Sandhurst 6 February 1886
Financial Secretary to the War Office Herbert Gladstone 6 February 1886
Surveyor-General of the Ordnance William Woodall 6 February 1886
Secretary of State for the Colonies
and Leader of the House of Lords
Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville 6 February 1886
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies George Osborne Morgan 6 February 1886
Secretary of State for India John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley 6 February 1886
Under-Secretary of State for India Sir Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth 7 February 1886
Stafford Howard 12 April 1886
First Lord of the Admiralty George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon 9 February 1886
Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty John Tomlinson Hibbert 9 February 1886
Civil Lord of the Admiralty Robert Duff 15 February 1886
Chief Secretary for Ireland John Morley 6 February 1886
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland John Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Marquess of Aberdeen and Temair 8 February 1886
President of the Local Government Board Joseph Chamberlain 6 February 1886
James Stansfeld 3 April 1886
Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board Jesse Collings 6 February 1886
William Copeland Borlase 3 April 1886
Secretary for Scotland George Trevelyan 8 February 1886
John Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie 5 April 1886
President of the Board of Trade A. J. Mundella 17 February 1886
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade Charles Dyke Acland 6 February 1886
Vice-President of the Committee on Education Sir Lyon Playfair 13 February 1886
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Edward Heneage 6 February 1886
Sir Ughtred Kay-Shuttleworth 16 April 1886
Paymaster General Thomas Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 5th Baron Thurlow 3 April 1886
Postmaster-General George Glyn, 2nd Baron Wolverton 17 February 1886
First Commissioner of Works Albert Parker, 3rd Earl of Morley 17 February 1886
Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin 16 April 1886
Attorney General Sir Charles Russell 9 February 1886
Solicitor General Sir Horace Davey 16 February 1886
Judge Advocate General John William Mellor 22 February 1886
Lord Advocate John Balfour 13 February 1886
Solicitor General for Scotland Alexander Asher 13 February 1886
Attorney General for Ireland Samuel Walker February 1886
Solicitor General for Ireland Hugh Hyacinth O'Rorke MacDermot February 1886
Lord Steward of the Household John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney 10 February 1886
Lord Chamberlain of the Household Valentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare 10 February 1886
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Viscount Kilcoursie 19 February 1886
Master of the Horse Richard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork 10 February 1886
Treasurer of the Household Victor Bruce, 9th Earl of Elgin 17 February 1886
Comptroller of the Household Edward Marjoribanks 10 February 1886
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms Charles Hanbury-Tracy, 4th Baron Sudeley 10 February 1886
Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard Lord Monson 10 February 1886
Master of the Buckhounds Charles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield 17 February 1886
Mistress of the Robes vacant
Lords in Waiting Frederick Methuen, 2nd Baron Methuen 16 February 1886 –
20 July 1886
Thomas Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 5th Baron Thurlow 16 February 1886 –
20 July 1886
Francis Stonor, 4th Baron Camoys 16 February 1886 –
20 July 1886
Lord Houghton 16 February 1886 –
20 July 1886
William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington 1 March 1886 –
20 July 1886
Henry Tufton, 1st Baron Hothfield 1 March 1886 –
20 July 1886
Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale 1 March 1886 –
27 March 1886
Extra Lord in Waiting Mortimer Sackville-West, 1st Baron Sackville 1 October 1876 –
1 October 1888
Notes
  1. ^ The position of Prime Minister was not a formal ministerial office..
  2. ^ Created Lord Herschell on 8 February 1886.

References

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  • C. Cook and B. Keith, British Historical Facts 1830–1900, pp. 38–39.
Preceded by Government of the United Kingdom
1886
Succeeded by