Secretary of State for the Southern Department

The secretary of state for the Southern Department<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> was a position in the cabinet of the government of the Kingdom of Great Britain up to 1782, when the Southern Department became the Home Office.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two British secretaries of state for the Northern and the Southern departments were divided not based on the principles of modern ministerial divisions, but geographically. The secretary of state for the Southern Department was responsible for Ireland, the Channel Islands, France, Spain, Portugal, the Old Swiss Confederacy, the states of Italy, and the Ottoman Empire. He was also responsible for the American colonies until 1768, when the charge was given to the secretary of state for the colonies. The secretary of state for the Northern Department was responsible for relations with the Dutch Republic, Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, and the Holy Roman Empire. Domestic responsibilities in England and Wales were shared between the two Secretaries. After the union with Scotland in 1707, the two secretaries also took responsibility for Scotland when there was no secretary of state for Scotland in office.<ref name=thomson_2_3>Template:Cite book</ref>

Until 1706, the practice was generally for the senior official to lead the Southern Department, and the junior the Northern Department, with the Northern Secretary being transferred to the Southern Department when a vacancy arose at the latter.<ref name=thomson_2_3/> During the reigns of George I and George II, however, the Northern Department began to be seen as the more important, since its responsibilities included the monarchs' ancestral home of Hanover.<ref>Cass (1932), pp. 21-22</ref> During the reign of George III, the two departments were of approximately equal importance.<ref>Cass (1932), p. 4</ref>

In 1782, the two secretaries of state were reformed as the secretary of state for the Home Department and the secretary of state for foreign affairs.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite book</ref>

List of southern secretaries

Secretary of State for the Southern Department<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>'Lists of appointments', in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 2, Officials of the Secretaries of State 1660–1782, ed. J C Sainty (London, 1973), pp. 22-58. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol2/pp22-58 [accessed 18 July 2017].</ref>

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Monarch (Reign)	Ref.
File:Sir Edward Nicholas by Sir Peter Lely.jpg	Sir Edward Nicholas (1593–1669)	1 June 1660	20 October 1662	Charles II File:Coat of Arms of England (1660-1689).svg (1660–1685)	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:Henry Bennet.jpg	Henry Bennet 1st Earl of Arlington (1618–1685) Template:Efn	20 October 1662	11 September 1674		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:No image.svg	Henry Coventry MP for Droitwich (c. 1618–1686)	11 September 1674	26 April 1680		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:Lord sunderland.jpg	Robert Spencer 2nd Earl of Sunderland (1641–1702)	26 April 1680	2 February 1681
File:Sir Leoline Jenkins by Herbert Tuer.jpg	Sir Leoline Jenkins MP for Oxford University (c. 1625–1685)	2 February 1681	14 April 1684		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:Lord sunderland.jpg	Robert Spencer 2nd Earl of Sunderland (1641–1702)	14 April 1684	28 October 1688
				James II File:Coat of Arms of England (1660-1689).svg (1685–1688)
File:No image.svg	Charles Middleton 2nd Earl of Middleton (c. 1650–1719)	28 October 1688	2 December 1688		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg	Charles Talbot 12th Earl of Shrewsbury (1660–1718)	14 February 1689	2 June 1690	Mary II File:Coat of arms of England (1689–1694).svg (1689–1694) & William III File:Coat of arms of England (1694–1702).svg (1689–1702)
File:Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham and 7th Earl of Winchilsea by Jonathan Richardson.jpg	Daniel Finch 2nd Earl of Nottingham (1647–1730) Template:Efn	2 June 1690	November 1693		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:SirJohnTrenchard.jpg	Sir John Trenchard MP for Poole (1649–1695)Template:Efn	November 1693	27 April 1695		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:Charles Talbot, 1st Duke of Shrewsbury by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg	Charles Talbot 1st Duke of Shrewsbury (1660–1718)	27 April 1695	12 December 1698
File:James Vernon by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (2).jpg	James Vernon MP for Westminster (1646–1727) Template:Efn	12 December 1698	14 May 1699		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:VilliersEdward CU SJ 215sm.jpg	Edward Villiers 1st Earl of Jersey (c. 1656–1711)	14 May 1699	27 June 1700
File:James Vernon by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (2).jpg	James Vernon MP for Westminster (1646–1727) Template:Efn	27 June 1700	4 January 1702		<ref name="James Vernon" />
File:Charles Montagu, 1st Duke of Manchester by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg	Charles Montagu 4th Earl of Manchester (c. 1662–1722)	4 January 1702	1 May 1702
				Anne File:Coat of Arms of England (1702-1707).svg (1702–1714)
File:Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham and 7th Earl of Winchilsea by Jonathan Richardson.jpg	Daniel Finch 2nd Earl of Nottingham (1647–1730)	2 May 1702	22 April 1704		<ref name="Finch" />
File:No image.svg	Sir Charles Hedges MP for West Looe (1650–1714) Template:Efn	18 May 1704	3 December 1706		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland.jpg	Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland (1675–1722)	3 December 1706	13 June 1710		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:1stEarlOfDartmouth.jpg	William Legge 1st Earl of Dartmouth (1672–1750)	15 June 1710	6 August 1713
File:Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678-1751).jpg	Henry St John 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678–1751)	17 August 1713	31 August 1714		<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
				George I File:Coat of arms of Great Britain (1714–1801).svg (1714–1727)
File:James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg	James Stanhope MP for Cockermouth (1673–1721) Template:Efn	27 September 1714	22 June 1716		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:SirPaulMethuen.JPG	Sir Paul Methuen MP for Brackley (c. 1672–1757) Template:Efn	22 June 1716	10 April 1717		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:Joseph Addison by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg	Joseph Addison MP for Malmesbury (1672–1719)	12 April 1717	14 March 1718		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:James Craggs the Younger by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.jpg	James Craggs 'the Younger' MP for Tregony (1686–1721)	16 March 1718	16 February 1721		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville by William Hoare.jpg	John Carteret 2nd Baron Carteret (1690–1763)	4 March 1721	31 March 1724
File:1stDukeOfNewcastleOld.jpg	Thomas Pelham-Holles 1st Duke of Newcastle (1693–1768) Template:Efn	6 April 1724	12 February 1748
				George II File:Coat of arms of Great Britain (1714–1801).svg (1727–1760)
File:4thDukeOfBedford.jpg	John Russell 4th Duke of Bedford (1710–1771)	12 February 1748	13 June 1751
File:Joshua Reynolds - Robert d’Arcy, 4th Earl of Holderness - Google Art Project.jpg	Robert Darcy 4th Earl of Holdernesse (1718–1778)	18 June 1751	23 March 1754
File:Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham.jpg	Sir Thomas Robinson MP for Christchurch (1695–1770)	24 March 1754	October 1755		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland by John Giles Eccardt.jpg	Henry Fox MP for Windsor (1705–1774)	14 November 1755	13 November 1756		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham by William Hoare.jpg	William Pitt 'the Elder' MP for Okehampton (1708–1778)	4 December 1756	6 April 1757		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness.jpg	Robert Darcy 4th Earl of Holdernesse (1718–1778) Template:Efn	6 April 1757	27 June 1757
File:William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham by William Hoare.jpg	William Pitt 'the Elder' MP for Bath (1708–1778)	27 June 1757	5 October 1761		<ref name="Pitt" />
				George III File:Coat of arms of Great Britain (1714–1801).svg (1760–1820)
File:Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont by William Hoare lowres color.jpg	Charles Wyndham 2nd Earl of Egremont (1710–1763)	9 October 1761	21 August 1763		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:2ndEarlofHalifaxByJoshuaReynoldsNSArtGallery.jpg	George Montagu-Dunk 2nd Earl of Halifax (1716–1771)	9 September 1763	10 July 1765
File:Henryseymour.jpg	Henry Seymour Conway MP for Thetford (1719–1795)	12 July 1765	23 May 1766		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond and Lennox by George Romney.jpg	Charles Lennox 3rd Duke of Richmond (1735–1806)	23 May 1766	29 July 1766
File:William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne by Jean Laurent Mosnier.jpg	William Petty 2nd Earl of Shelburne (1737–1805)	30 July 1766	20 October 1768		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
File:MarqBath.jpg	Thomas Thynne 3rd Viscount Weymouth (1734–1796)	21 October 1768	12 December 1770
File:4thEarlRochford.jpg	William de Zuylestein 4th Earl of Rochford (1717–1781)	19 December 1770	9 November 1775
File:MarqBath.jpg	Thomas Thynne 3rd Viscount Weymouth (1734–1796) Template:Efn	9 November 1775	November 1779
File:1stMarquessOfDownshire.jpg	Wills Hill 1st Earl of Hillsborough (1718–1793)	25 November 1779	27 March 1782		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• Secretary of State (England)