Harley ministry

The Harley (or Oxford–Bolingbroke) ministry was the British government that existed between 1710 and 1714 in the reign of Queen Anne. It was headed by Robert Harley (from 1711, Earl of Oxford) and composed largely of Tories. Harley was a former Whig who had changed sides, bringing down the seemingly powerful Whig Junto. The ministry vigorously pushed for a peace to end the War of the Spanish Succession, leading to the Treaty of Utrecht. Foreign affairs were largely conducted by Viscount Bolingbroke. They were fiercely pressed by the Whig opposition, who used the rallying cry of No Peace Without Spain. The ministry successfully prosecuted Robert Walpole over charges of profiteering and had him imprisoned in the Tower of London.

The government fell following Anne's death in 1714. The new king, George I, was not comfortable with Harley or Bolingbroke, who he believed had opposed the Hanoverian Succession and instead supported the Jacobite pretenders. They were replaced by the Townshend ministry, beginning the Whig Ascendancy, and it would be nearly fifty years before a Tory ministry gained office again in 1762. Both Harley and Bolingbroke were forced into exile, along with many of their followers after being accused of treason.

Principal ministers[1]

OfficeNameTerm
Lord TreasurerThe Earl Poulett (First Lord of commission)1710–1711
The Earl of Oxford1711–1714
The Duke of Shrewsbury1714–1714
Chancellor of the ExchequerRobert Harley1710–1711
Robert Benson1711–1714
Lord President of the CouncilThe Earl of Rochester1710–1711
The Duke of Buckingham1711–1714
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Lord Berkeley1710–1714
Master-General of the OrdnanceThe Duke of Marlborough1702–1712
The Earl Rivers1712–1712
The Duke of Hamilton1712–1712
Vacant1712–1714
Secretary of State for the Southern DepartmentThe Lord Dartmouth (Earl of Dartmouth from 1711)1710–1713
The Viscount Bolingbroke1713–1714
Secretary of State for the Northern DepartmentThe Viscount Bolingbroke1710–1713
William Bromley1713–1714
Lord Privy SealThe Duke of Newcastle1705–1711
The Bishop of Bristol1711–1713
The Earl of Dartmouth1713–1714
First Lord of TradeThe Earl of Stamford1707–1711
The Earl of Winchilsea1711–1713
The Lord Guilford1713–1714
First Lord of the AdmiraltyThe Earl of Orford1709–1710
Sir John Leake1710–1712
The Earl of Strafford1712–1714
Secretary at WarGeorge Granville1710–1712
Sir William Wyndham1712–1713
Francis Gwyn1713–1714
Treasurer of the NavyRobert Walpole1710–1711
Charles Caesar1711–1714
Paymaster-General of the Forces[n 1]James Brydges1707–1713
Thomas Moore1713–1714
Secretary of State for ScotlandThe Duke of Queensberry1710–1711
John Erskine, Earl of Mar|The Earl of Mar1713–1714
  1. Cook and Stevenson also list Edward Nicholas as Paymaster-General in 1713, but his office was that of Paymaster of Pensions.[2]

References

  1. Chris Cook and John Stevenson, British Historical Facts 1688–1760, Macmillan 1988, pp. 35–36.
  2. J. C. Sainty, Paymaster of Pensions 1703-1782. Accessed 9 December 2018.

See also

Preceded by
Godolphin–Marlborough ministry
Government of Great Britain
17101714
Succeeded by
Townshend ministry
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