After campaigning against the foreign policy of the Beaconsfield ministry, William Ewart Gladstone led the Liberal Party to victory in the 1880 general election. The nominal leader of the Party, Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, resigned in Gladstone's favour and Gladstone was appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for a second time by Queen Victoria. He pursued a policy of parliamentary reform, but his government became wildly unpopular after the death of General Gordon in 1885. Gladstone was held responsible, and resigned, leaving the way free for the Conservatives under Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury to form a government.
Cabinet; April 1880 – June 1885
OfficeNameTermFirst Lord of the TreasuryLeader of the House of CommonsWilliam Ewart GladstoneApril 1880 – June 1885Lord ChancellorRoundell Palmer, 1st Baron Selborne†April 1880 – June 1885Lord President of the CouncilJohn Spencer, 5th Earl SpencerApril 1880 – March 1883Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron CarlingfordMarch 1883 – June 1885Lord Privy SealGeorge Campbell, 8th Duke of ArgyllApril 1880 – May 1881Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron CarlingfordMay 1881 – March 1885Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of RoseberyMarch 1885 – June 1885Home SecretarySir William HarcourtApril 1880 – June 1885Foreign SecretaryLeader of the House of LordsGranville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl GranvilleApril 1880 – June 1885Secretary of State for the ColoniesJohn Wodehouse, 1st Earl of KimberleyApril 1880 – December 1882Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of DerbyDecember 1882 – June 1885Secretary of State for WarHugh ChildersApril 1880 – December 1882Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of HartingtonDecember 1882 – June 1885Secretary of State for IndiaSpencer Cavendish, Marquess of HartingtonApril 1880 – December 1882John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of KimberleyDecember 1882 – June 1885Chancellor of the ExchequerWilliam Ewart GladstoneApril 1880 – December 1882Hugh ChildersDecember 1882 – June 1885First Lord of the AdmiraltyThomas George Baring, 1st Earl of NorthbrookApril 1880 – June 1885President of the Board of TradeJoseph ChamberlainApril 1880 – June 1885President of the Local Government BoardJohn George DodsonApril 1880 – December 1882Sir Charles DilkeDecember 1882 – June 1885Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterJohn BrightApril 1880 – July 1882John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of KimberleyJuly 1882 – December 1882John George DodsonDecember 1882 – October 1884George Otto TrevelyanOctober 1884 – June 1885Postmaster GeneralHenry Fawcett3 May 1880 – 6 November 1884George John Shaw-Lefevre7 November 1884 – 9 June 1885Chief Secretary for IrelandWilliam Edward ForsterApril 1880 – May 1882successor not in the cabinetLord Lieutenant of IrelandJohn Spencer, 5th Earl SpencerApril 1882 – June 1885
†Created Earl of Selborne in 1882.
Notes
William Gladstone served as both First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer between April 1880 and December 1882. The Earl Spencer served as both Lord President and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland between April 1882 and March 1883. The Earl of Kimberley served as both Colonial Secretary and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster between July and December 1882. The Lord Carlingford served as both Lord Privy Seal and Lord President between March 1883 and March 1885.
Changes May 1881: Lord Carlingford succeeds the Duke of Argyll as Lord Privy Seal. April 1882: Earl Spencer becomes Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, but retains his seat in the cabinet and his position as Lord President. May 1882: William Edward Forster resigns as Chief Secretary for Ireland. His successor is not in the cabinet. July 1882: The Earl of Kimberley succeeds John Bright as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster remaining also Colonial Secretary. December 1882: Hugh Childers succeeds William Gladstone as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Lord Hartington succeeds Childers as Secretary for War. Kimberley succeeds Hartington as Secretary for India. The Earl of Derby succeeds Kimberley as Colonial Secretary. John George Dodson succeeds Kimberley as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. Sir Charles Dilke succeeds Dodson as President of the Local Government Board. March 1883: Carlingford succeeds Spencer as Lord President, remaining also Lord Privy Seal. Spencer remains in the Cabinet as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. October 1884: George Otto Trevelyan succeeds Dodson as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. March 1885: The Earl of Rosebery succeeds Carlingford as Lord Privy Seal. Carlingford remains Lord President. George John Shaw-Lefevre enters the cabinet as Postmaster-General.
List of ministers Cabinet members are listed in bold face. Office Name Date Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons William Ewart Gladstone 23 April 18809 June 1885 Chancellor of the Exchequer William Ewart Gladstone 28 April 1880 Hugh Childers 16 December 1882 Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Lord Richard Grosvenor 28 April 1880 Financial Secretary to the Treasury Lord Frederick Cavendish 28 April 1880 Leonard Courtney 8 May 1882 John Tomlinson Hibbert 12 December 1884 Junior Lords of the Treasury Sir Arthur Hayter 5 May 188026 June 1882 John Holms 5 May 188026 June 1882 Charles Cecil Cotes 5 May 18809 June 1885 Herbert Gladstone 24 August 18819 June 1885 Robert Duff 26 June 18829 June 1885 Lord Chancellor Roundell Palmer, 1st Baron Selborne 28 April 1880 Lord President of the Council John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer 28 April 1880 Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford 19 March 1883 Lord Privy Seal George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll 28 April 1880 Chichester Parkinson-Fortescue, 1st Baron Carlingford 2 May 1881 Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery 5 March 1885 Secretary of State for the Home Department Sir William Vernon Harcourt 28 April 1880 Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Arthur Wellesley Peel 28 April 1880 Leonard Courtney 1 January 1881 Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery 8 August 1881 John Tomlinson Hibbert 7 June 1883 Henry Fowler 12 December 1884 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the House of Lords Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville 28 April 1880 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Sir Charles Dilke, 2nd Baronet 28 April 1880 Lord Edmond FitzMaurice 1 January 1883 Secretary of State for War Hugh Childers 28 April 1880 Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington 16 December 1882 Under-Secretary of State for War Albert Parker, 3rd Earl of Morley 1 May 1880 Financial Secretary to the War Office Henry Campbell-Bannerman 28 April 1880 Arthur Hayter 13 May 1882 Surveyor-General of the Ordnance Sir John Miller Adye 1 June 1880 Henry Brand 17 January 1882 Secretary of State for the Colonies John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley 28 April 1880 Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby 16 December 1882 Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies Mountstuart Elphinstone Grant Duff 29 August 1880 Leonard Courtney 6 August 1881 Evelyn Ashley 12 May 1882 Secretary of State for India Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington 28 April 1880 John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley 16 December 1882 Under-Secretary of State for India Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne 29 April 1880 George Byng, Viscount Enfield 1 September 1880 John Kynaston Cross 16 January 1883 First Lord of the Admiralty Thomas Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook 28 April 1880 Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty George Shaw-Lefevre 28 April 1880 George Trevelyan 29 November 1880 Henry Campbell-Bannerman 10 May 1882 Sir Thomas Brassey 23 October 1884 Civil Lord of the Admiralty Thomas Brassey 12 May 1880 George Wightwick Rendel 22 July 1882 Chief Secretary for Ireland William Edward Forster 30 April 1880 Lord Frederick Cavendish 6 May 1882 George Trevelyan 9 May 1882 Henry Campbell-Bannerman 23 October 1884 Lord Lieutenant of Ireland Francis Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper 4 May 1880 John Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer 4 May 1882 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster John Bright 28 April 1880 John Wodehouse, 1st Earl of Kimberley 25 July 1882 John George Dodson 28 December 1882 George Trevelyan 29 October 1884 President of the Local Government Board John George Dodson 3 May 1880 Sir Charles Dilke, 2nd Baronet 28 December 1882 Parliamentary Secretary to the Local Government Board John Tomlinson Hibbert 3 May 1880 George W. E. Russell 7 June 1883 Postmaster-General Henry Fawcett 3 May 1880 George Shaw-Lefevre 7 November 1884 President of the Board of Trade Joseph Chamberlain 3 May 1880 Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade Evelyn Ashley 29 April 1880 John Holms 15 May 1882 First Commissioner of Works William Patrick Adam 3 May 1880 George Shaw-Lefevre 29 November 1881 Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery 13 February 1885 Vice-President of the Committee on Education A. J. Mundella 3 May 1880 Paymaster General George Glyn, 2nd Baron Wolverton 24 May 1880 Attorney General Sir Henry James 3 May 1880 Solicitor General Sir Farrer Herschell 3 May 1880 Judge Advocate General George Osborne Morgan 7 May 1880 Lord Advocate John McLaren 5 May 1880 John Balfour 19 August 1881 Solicitor General for Scotland John Balfour 6 May 1880 Alexander Asher 19 August 1881 Attorney General for Ireland Hugh Law 10 May 1880 William Moore Johnson 17 November 1881 Andrew Marshall Porter 3 January 1883 John Naish 19 December 1883 Samuel Walker 1885 Solicitor General for Ireland William Moore Johnson 24 May 1880 Andrew Marshall Porter 18 November 1881 John Naish 9 January 1883 Samuel Walker 19 December 1883 Hugh Hyacinth O'Rorke MacDermot 1885 Lord Steward of the Household John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney 3 May 1880 Lord Chamberlain of the Household Valentine Browne, 4th Earl of Kenmare 3 May 1880 Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Lord Charles Bruce 3 May 1880 Master of the Horse Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster 3 May 1880 Treasurer of the Household Gavin Campbell, 7th Earl of Breadalbane 3 May 1880 Comptroller of the Household William Edwardes, 4th Baron Kensington 3 May 1880 Captain of the Gentlemen-at-Arms Alexander Duff, 6th Earl Fife 3 May 1880 Charles Gordon, 11th Marquess of Huntly 21 January 1881 Charles Wynn-Carington, 3rd Baron Carrington 27 June 1881 Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard William Monson, 7th Baron Monson 3 May 1880 Master of the Buckhounds Richard Boyle, 9th Earl of Cork 3 May 1880 Mistress of the Robes Elizabeth Russell, Duchess of Bedford 3 May 1880 Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe 11 January 1883 Lords in Waiting Frederick Methuen, 2nd Baron Methuen 10 May 18809 June 1885 Lawrence Dundas, 3rd Earl of Zetland 10 May 188014 September 1880 William Hare, 3rd Earl of Listowel 10 May 188014 September 1880 Thomas Lister, 4th Baron Ribblesdale 10 May 18809 June 1885 Charles Hanbury-Tracy, 4th Baron Sudeley 10 May 18809 June 1885 Arthur Wrottesley, 3rd Baron Wrottesley 10 May 18809 June 1885 George Byng, Viscount Enfield 20 May 18801 September 1880 George Byng, 7th Viscount Torrington 23 June 185927 April 1884 John William Ramsay, 13th Earl of Dalhousie 14 September 18809 June 1885 William Mansfield, 2nd Baron Sandhurst 14 September 18809 June 1885 Thomas Hovell-Thurlow-Cumming-Bruce, 5th Baron Thurlow 14 September 18809 June 1885 Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport (1814-1904) 30 June 188418 February 1901 Extra Lord in Waiting Mortimer Sackville-West, 1st Baron Sackville 1 October 18761 October 1888
Notes
References
Further reading McCarthy, Justin H. England under Gladstone, 1880–1885 (1885). online