Second Melbourne ministry


The Second Melbourne ministry was formed in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland by the Viscount Melbourne in 1835.

History

Lord Melbourne's second government came to power after Sir Robert Peel's minority government resigned in 1835. Lord Palmerston returned as Foreign Secretary while Lord John Russell held his first major office as Home Secretary.
In 1837 Queen Victoria succeeded to the throne, and as was usual for a queen regnant, the Royal Household was appointed by the Prime Minister. The young Queen was so attached to her Whig ladies of the bedchamber that after Melbourne's resignation in 1839, she refused to let Sir Robert Peel replace them with Conservative ladies. This was known as the Bedchamber Crisis, and led to Peel's refusal to form a government. Melbourne therefore resumed, and continued in office until the Conservatives finally won a House of Commons majority in the General Election of 1841. He was succeeded by Sir Robert Peel's second government.

1841 votes of no confidence

The 1841 votes of no confidence against the government of Viscount Melbourne were votes of no confidence in the government of William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne which occurred on the 7 June 1841. Melbourne lost the vote by only one vote and dissolved Parliament leading to an election in July 1841. Melbourne lost a second vote of confidence shortly after the election in August, leading to his resignation.

Cabinets

April 1835 – August 1839

August 1839 – September 1841

List of Ministers

Members of the Cabinet are indicated by bold face.
OfficeNameDate
Prime Minister
First Lord of the Treasury
Leader of the House of Lords		The Viscount Melbourne18 April 183530 August 1841
Chancellor of the ExchequerThomas Spring Rice18 April 1835
Chancellor of the ExchequerFrancis Baring26 August 1839
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasuryEdward Stanley21 April 1835
Parliamentary Secretary to the TreasurySir Denis Le Marchant19 June 1841
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryFrancis Baring21 April 1835
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryRobert Gordon6 September 1839
Financial Secretary to the TreasuryRichard More O'Ferrall9 June 1841
Junior Lords of the TreasuryLord Seymour18 April 18352 November 1839
Junior Lords of the TreasuryWilliam Ord18 April 183518 July 1837
Junior Lords of the TreasuryRobert Steuart18 April 183526 May 1840
Junior Lords of the TreasuryRichard More O'Ferrall16 May 183528 August 1839
Junior Lords of the TreasuryJohn Parker18 July 183723 June 1841
Junior Lords of the TreasuryThomas Wyse28 August 183930 August 1841
Junior Lords of the TreasuryHenry Tufnell2 November 183930 August 1841
Junior Lords of the TreasuryEdward Horsman26 May 184030 August 1841
Junior Lords of the TreasuryWilliam Cowper23 June 184130 August 1841
Lord Chancellorin commission23 April 1835
Lord ChancellorThe Lord Cottenham16 January 1836
Lord President of the CouncilThe Marquess of Lansdowne23 April 1835
Lord Privy SealThe Viscount Duncannon23 April 1835
Lord Privy SealThe Earl of Clarendon15 January 1840
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentLord John Russell18 April 1835
Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentThe Marquess of Normanby30 August 1839
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentFox Maule18 April 1835
Under-Secretary of State for the Home DepartmentLord Seymour15 June 1841
Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsViscount Palmerston18 April 1835
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsWilliam Fox-Strangways18 April 1835
Under-Secretary of State for Foreign AffairsViscount Leveson7 March 1840
Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesCharles Grant18 April 1835
Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesThe Marquess of Normanby20 February 1839
Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesLord John Russell30 August 1839
Under-Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesSir George Grey18 April 1835
Under-Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesHenry Labouchere28 February 1839
Under-Secretary of State for War and the ColoniesRobert Vernon Smith31 August 1839
First Lord of the AdmiraltyThe Lord Auckland22 April 1835
First Lord of the AdmiraltyThe Earl of Minto15 September 1835
First Secretary of the AdmiraltyCharles Wood27 April 1835
First Secretary of the AdmiraltyRichard More O'Ferrall4 October 1839
First Secretary of the AdmiraltyJohn Parker9 June 1841
Civil Lord of the AdmiraltyLord Dalmeny23 April 1835
President of the Board of ControlSir John Hobhouse23 April 1835
Joint Secretaries of the Board of ControlRobert Gordon21 April 183530 September 1839
Joint Secretaries of the Board of ControlRobert Vernon Smith21 April 183530 September 1839
Joint Secretaries of the Board of ControlLord Seymour30 September 183915 June 1841
Joint Secretaries of the Board of ControlWilliam Clay30 September 183930 August 1841
Joint Secretaries of the Board of ControlCharles Buller21 June 184130 August 1841
Chief Secretary for IrelandViscount Morpeth22 April 1835
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandThe Earl of Mulgrave29 April 1835
Lord Lieutenant of IrelandViscount Ebrington13 March 1839
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Lord Holland20 February 1835
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterThe Earl of Clarendon31 October 1840
Chancellor of the Duchy of LancasterSir George Grey23 June 1841
President of the Board of TradeCharles Poulett Thomson18 April 1835
President of the Board of TradeHenry Labouchere29 August 1839
Vice-President of the Board of TradeHenry Labouchere6 May 1835
Vice-President of the Board of TradeRichard Lalor Sheil29 August 1839
Vice-President of the Board of TradeFox Maule28 June 1841
Secretary at WarViscount Howick18 April 1835
Secretary at WarThomas Babington Macaulay27 September 1839
First Commissioner of Woods and ForestsThe Viscount Duncannon28 April 1835
Master of the MintHenry Labouchere25 April 1835
Treasurer of the NavySir Henry Parnell20 April 1835
Master-General of the OrdnanceSir Hussey Vivian4 May 1835
Treasurer of the OrdnanceSir Henry Parnell9 May 1835
Surveyor-General of the OrdnanceSir Rufane Shaw Donkin20 April 1835
Surveyor-General of the OrdnanceCharles Richard Fox5 May 1841
Clerk of the OrdnanceAndrew Leith Hay20 April 1835
Clerk of the OrdnanceJames Whitley Deans Dundas21 March 1838
Clerk of the OrdnanceGeorge Anson23 June 1841
Storekeeper of the OrdnanceGeorge Anson25 April 1835
Storekeeper of the OrdnanceJames Hanway Plumridge23 June 1841
Paymaster of the ForcesSir Henry Parnell28 April 1835
Paymaster-GeneralSir Henry Parnell27 April 1835
Paymaster-GeneralEdward Stanley19 June 1841
Postmaster-GeneralThe Marquess Conyngham30 April 1835
Postmaster-GeneralThe Earl of Lichfield22 May 1835
Attorney GeneralSir John Campbell30 April 1835
Attorney GeneralSir Thomas Wilde3 July 1841
Solicitor GeneralSir Robert Rolfe4 May 1835
Solicitor GeneralSir Thomas Wilde2 December 1839
Judge Advocate GeneralRobert Cutlar Fergusson20 April 1835
Judge Advocate GeneralWilliam St Julien Arabin24 November 1838
Judge Advocate GeneralSir George Grey15 February 1839
Judge Advocate GeneralRichard Lalor Sheil23 June 1841
Lord AdvocateJohn Murray20 April 1835
Lord AdvocateAndrew Rutherfurd20 April 1839
Solicitor General for ScotlandJohn Cunninghame22 April 1835
Solicitor General for ScotlandAndrew Rutherfurd9 February 1837
Solicitor General for ScotlandJames Ivory20 April 1839
Solicitor General for ScotlandThomas Maitland9 May 1840
Attorney General for IrelandLouis Perrin29 April 1835
Attorney General for IrelandMichael O'Loghlen31 August 1835
Attorney General for IrelandJohn Richards10 November 1836
Attorney General for IrelandStephen Woulfe3 February 1837
Attorney General for IrelandNicholas Ball11 July 1838
Attorney General for IrelandMaziere Brady23 February 1839
Attorney General for IrelandDavid Richard Pigot11 August 1840
Solicitor General for IrelandMichael O'Loghlen29 April 1835
Solicitor General for IrelandJohn Richards21 September 1835
Solicitor General for IrelandStephen Woulfe10 November 1836
Solicitor General for IrelandMaziere Brady3 February 1837
Solicitor General for IrelandDavid Richard Pigot11 February 1839
Solicitor General for IrelandRichard Moore14 August 1840
Lord Steward of the HouseholdThe Duke of Argyll23 April 1835
Lord Steward of the HouseholdThe Earl of Erroll21 November 1839
Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Marquess Wellesley23 April 1835
Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdThe Marquess Conyngham22 May 1835
Lord Chamberlain of the HouseholdEarl of Uxbridge6 May 1839
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdLord Charles FitzRoy29 June 1835
Vice-Chamberlain of the HouseholdEarl of Belfast27 April 1838
Master of the HorseThe Earl of Albemarle25 April 1835
Treasurer of the HouseholdSir William Henry Fremantle27 May 1826Continued in office
Treasurer of the HouseholdEarl of Surrey17 July 1837
Treasurer of the HouseholdGeorge Byng23 June 1841
Comptroller of the HouseholdGeorge Byng6 May 1835
Comptroller of the HouseholdLord Marcus Hill23 June 1841
Captain of the Gentlemen-at-ArmsThe Lord Foley6 May 1835
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Earl of Gosford23 April 1835
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardThe Earl of Ilchester5 August 1835
Captain of the Yeomen of the GuardEarl of Surrey6 July 1841
Master of the BuckhoundsThe Earl of Erroll30 April 1835
Master of the BuckhoundsThe Lord Kinnaird21 December 1839
Mistress of the RobesThe Duchess of Sutherland29 August 1837
Lords in WaitingThe Marquess of Headfort17 July 183730 August 1841
Lords in WaitingThe Marquess of Queensberry17 July 183730 August 1841
Lords in WaitingThe Viscount Falkland17 July 18374 February 1840
Lords in WaitingThe Viscount Torrington17 July 183730 August 1841
Lords in WaitingThe Lord Byron17 July 183731 March 1860
Lords in WaitingThe Lord Gardner17 July 18371 July 1840
Lords in WaitingThe Lord Lilford17 July 183730 August 1841
Lords in WaitingThe Lord Templemore17 July 183726 September 1837
Lords in WaitingEarl of Uxbridge11 October 18376 May 1839
Lords in WaitingThe Earl of Fingall11 December 183730 August 1841
Lords in WaitingThe Earl of Listowel4 February 184030 August 1841
Lords in WaitingEarl of Aboyne1 July 184030 August 1841

;Notes