First Russell ministry

Following the split in the Tory Party over the Corn Laws in 1846 and the consequent end of Sir Robert Peel's second government, the Whigs came to power under Lord John Russell. Sir Charles Wood became Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir George Grey Home Secretary and Lord Palmerston Foreign Secretary for the third time.

One of the major problems facing the government was the Great Irish Famine (1845–1849), which Russell failed to deal with effectively. Another problem was the maverick Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston, who was eventually forced to resign in December 1851 after recognising the coup d'état of Louis Napoleon without first seeking royal approval. He was succeeded by Lord Granville, the first of his three tenures as Foreign Secretary. Palmerston thereafter successfully devoted his energies to bringing down Russell's government, leading to the formation of a minority Conservative government under Lord Derby in February 1852.

July 1846 – February 1852

More information Office, Name ...

Office	Name	Term
First Lord of the Treasury Leader of the House of Commons	Lord John Russell	July 1846 – February 1852
Lord Chancellor	Charles Pepys, 1st Baron Cottenham	July 1846 – July 1850
	Thomas Wilde, 1st Baron Truro	July 1850 – February 1852
Lord President of the Council Leader of the House of Lords	Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne	July 1846 – February 1852
Lord Privy Seal	Gilbert Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, 2nd Earl of Minto	July 1846 – February 1852
Home Secretary	Sir George Grey, 2nd Baronet	July 1846 – February 1852
Foreign Secretary	Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston	July 1846 – December 1851
	Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville	December 1851 – February 1852
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies	Henry Grey, 3rd Earl Grey	July 1846 – February 1852
Chancellor of the Exchequer	Sir Charles Wood	July 1846 – February 1852
First Lord of the Admiralty	George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland	July 1846 – January 1849
	Sir Francis Baring	January 1849 – February 1852
President of the Board of Control	Sir John Cam Hobhouse, Bt	July 1846 – February 1852
	Fox Maule	February 1852
President of the Board of Trade	George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon	July 1846 – July 1847
	Henry Labouchere	July 1847 – February 1852
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	John Campbell, 1st Baron Campbell of St Andrews	July 1846 – March 1850
	George Howard, 7th Earl of Carlisle	March 1850 – February 1852
First Commissioner of Woods and Forests	George Howard, Baron Morpeth†	July 1846 – July 1850
	Edward Seymour, Baron Seymour	July 1850 – February 1852
Chief Secretary for Ireland	Henry Labouchere	July 1846 – July 1847
	successor not in cabinet
Postmaster General	Ulick John de Burgh, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde	July 1846 – February 1852
Paymaster General	Thomas Babington Macaulay	July 1846 – July 1847
	successor not in cabinet
	Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville	1851‡–December 1851
	successor not in cabinet
Secretary at War	Fox Maule	1851‡–February 1852
	successor not in cabinet

Close

† became the Earl of Carlisle in 1848 ‡ denotes becoming a member of the cabinet, not gaining the office

Notes

• Lord Carlisle served as both Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and First Commissioner of Woods and Forests between March and July 1850.

Changes

• July 1847: Henry Labouchere succeeds Lord Clarendon as President of the Board of Trade. Labouchere's successor as Chief Secretary for Ireland is not in the cabinet. Thomas Babington Macaulay leaves the cabinet. His successor as Paymaster-General is not in the Cabinet.
• January 1849: Sir Francis Baring succeeds Lord Auckland as First Lord of the Admiralty
• March 1850: Lord Carlisle succeeds Lord Campbell as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He remains First Commissioner of Woods and Forests
• July 1850: Lord Truro succeeds Lord Cottenham as Lord Chancellor. Lord Seymour succeeds Lord Carlisle as First Commissioner of Woods and Forests. Lord Carlisle remains Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
• 1851: Fox Maule, the Secretary at War, and Lord Granville, the Paymaster-General, enter the Cabinet
• December 1851: Lord Granville succeeds Lord Palmerston as Foreign Secretary. Granville's successor as Paymaster-General is not in the Cabinet
• February 1852: Fox Maule succeeds Sir John Cam Hobhouse as President of the Board of Control. Maule's successor as Secretary at War is not in the Cabinet.

Cabinet members are listed in bold face.

• C. Cook and B. Keith, British Historical Facts 1830–1900

Preceded by Second Peel ministry

Government of the United Kingdom 1846–1852

Succeeded by Who? Who? ministry