- Ministry of All the Talents
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The Ministry of All the Talents was a national unity government formed by William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville on his appointment as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on 11 February 1806 after the death of William Pitt the Younger. [1] With the country at war, Grenville aimed to form the strongest possible government and so included most leading politicians from almost all groupings, although some followers of Pitt, led by George Canning, refused to join.
The inclusion of Charles James Fox raised eyebrows as King George III had been previously heavily hostile to Fox, but the King's willingness to put aside past enmities for the sake of national unity encouraged many others to join or support the government as well. The ministry boasted a fairly progressive agenda, much of it inherited from Pitt.
The Ministry of All the Talents had comparatively little success, failing to bring the sought-after peace with France (the war continued for nearly another decade). It did, however, abolish the slave trade in Britain in 1807 before it broke up over the question of Catholic emancipation.
It was succeeded by the Second Portland Ministry, headed by William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland.
The term has since been used in politics to describe an administration with members from more than one party or even a non-coalition government that enjoys cross party support due to gifted and or non partisan members. Examples include the coalition government which led Great Britain through the Second World War and the Canadian government that won the 1896 election. [2]
Members of the Government, February 1806 – March 1807
James Gillray's Charon's Boat.—or—the Ghosts of "all the Talents" taking their last voyage (1807) caricatured the ministry's breakup. Lord Howick rows and St. Vincent steers.
Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.
Office Name Date Notes First Lord of the Treasury
Leader of the House of LordsThe Lord Grenville 11 February 1806–31 March 1807 Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord Henry Petty 11 February 1806 Joint Secretaries to the Treasury Nicholas Vansittart February 1806–March 1807 John King February–July 1806 William Henry Fremantle July 1806–March 1807 Junior Lords of the Treasury Viscount Althorp 11 February 1806 William Wickham 11 February 1806 John Courtenay 11 February 1806 Lord Chancellor The Lord Erskine February 1806 Lord President of the Council The Earl Fitzwilliam 19 February 1806 The Viscount Sidmouth 8 October 1806 Lord Privy Seal The Viscount Sidmouth February 1806 The Lord Holland 8 October 1806 Secretary of State for the Home Department The Earl Spencer 5 February 1806 Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn February 1806 Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
Leader of the House of CommonsCharles James Fox 7 February 1806–13 September 1806 Viscount Howick 24 September 1806 Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs George Walpole February 1806–March 1807 Sir Francis Vincent[disambiguation needed 
]February 1806–March 1807 Secretary of State for War and the Colonies William Windham February 1806 Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Sir George Shee, Bt February 1806–March 1807 Sir James Cockburn, Bt February 1806–March 1807 First Lord of the Admiralty Charles Grey 10 February 1806 known as Viscount Howick from 11 April 1806 Thomas Grenville 29 September 1806 First Secretary to the Admiralty William Marsden continued in office Civil Lords of the Admiralty Sir Philip Stephens, Bt 10 February–23 October 1806 Lord William Russell 10 February 1806–31 March 1807 The Lord Kensington 10 February 1806–31 March 1807 William Frankland 23 October 1806–31 March 1807 President of the Board of Trade The Lord Auckland 5 February 1806 Vice-President of the Board of Trade Earl Temple 5 February 1806 also Treasurer of the Navy President of the Board of Control Thomas Grenville February 1806 George Tierney September 1806 Secretary to the Board of Control Thomas Creevey 14 February 1806 Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The Earl of Derby 12 February 1806 Master-General of the Ordnance The Earl of Moira February 1806 Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance Sir Thomas Trigge continued in office Treasurer of the Ordnance Alexander Davison 20 February 1806 Surveyor-General of the Ordnance James Murray Hadden continued in office Clerk of the Ordnance John Calcraft 22 February 1806 Clerk of the Deliveries of the Ordnance James Martin Lloyd 12 March 1806 Storekeeper of the Ordnance John McMahon 22 February 1806 Treasurer of the Navy Richard Brinsley Sheridan February 1806 Secretary at War Richard Fitzpatrick February 1806 Master of the Mint Lord Charles Spencer February 1806 Charles Bathurst October 1806 Paymaster of the Forces Earl Temple February 1806–March 1807 also Vice-President of the Board of Trade Lord John Townshend February 1806–March 1807 Postmaster General The Earl of Carysfort February 1806–March 1807 The Earl of Buckinghamshire February 1806–March 1807 Minister without Portfolio The Earl Fitzwilliam October 1806–March 1807 Lord Lieutenant of Ireland John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford 12 March 1806 The Duke of Richmond 11 April 1807 Chief Secretary for Ireland William Elliot February 1806 Chief Justice, King's Bench The Lord Ellenborough continued in office Attorney General Sir Arthur Piggott 12 February 1806 Solicitor General Sir Samuel Romilly 12 February 1806 Judge Advocate General Nathaniel Bond 8 March 1806 Lord Advocate Henry Erskine February 1806 Solicitor General for Scotland John Clerk February 1806 Attorney General for Ireland William Conyngham Plunket continued in office Solicitor General for Ireland Charles Kendal Bushe continued in office Lord Steward of the Household The Earl of Aylesford continued in office Treasurer of the Household Lord Ossulston 12 February 1806 Comptroller of the Household Lord George Thynne continued in office Lord Chamberlain of the Household The Earl of Dartmouth continued in office Vice-Chamberlain of the Household Lord John Thynne continued in office Master of the Horse The Earl of Carnarvon 8 February 1806 Master of the Buckhounds The Earl of Albemarle 12 February 1806 Captain of the Gentlemen Pensioners The Lord St John of Bletso 12 February 1806 Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard The Earl of Macclesfield continued in office Preceded by
Second Pitt the Younger Ministry 1804-1806British Government
1806–1807Succeeded by
Tory Government 1807–1809Notes and references
- ^ Lord William Wyndham Grenville
- ^ John Holland Rose (Google books). The Cambridge history of the British Empire: The Growth of the new Empire. Cambridge University Press. pp. 511. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yB49AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA511&lpg=PA511&dq=%22ministry+of+all+the+talents%22&source=bl&ots=j7uTaPo_Uo&sig=2HKL2XwFlY6rhQ215rmfGv0Y4fA&hl=en&ei=oXsLTNqnLIPu0wTbzoBi&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CDAQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=%22ministry%20of%20all%20the%20talents%22&f=false.
Preceded by
Second Pitt the Younger Ministry 1804-1806British ministries
1806–1807Succeeded by
Tory Government 1807–1809Categories:- British ministries
- 1806 establishments in the United Kingdom
- 1807 disestablishments
- 1800s in the United Kingdom
- Ministries of George III of the United Kingdom
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