This book is a biographical listing of the 198 British leaders who filled the top four offices of state and the post of secretary of state for the colonies between 1730 and the present. The entries are arranged in alphabetical order either by birth name or by title—whichever the given individual was best known by. For example, the third Marquess of Salisbury is listed as Lord Salisbury rather than as Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil. In contrast, William Pitt, the Elder, also known as the “Great Commoner,” is listed by his given name rather than as the first Earl of Chatham. The same style is adopted for others such as Benjamin Disraeli, who was also the first Earl of Beaconsfield from 1876, and Philip Snowden, who became Viscount Snowden of Ickornshaw in 1931.
Although the titles of prime minister, foreign secretary, home secretary, and chancellor of the exchequer evolved gradually after 1730, we have applied these titles consistently to the entire period in order to make each leader’s role more immediately apparent to readers. The post of prime minister previously was that of First (thus, prime) Lord of the Treasury. William Pitt, the Elder, was the sole exception to this rule: He never commanded the monarch’s favor, a majority in the Commons, or control of the Treasury. Yet, as secretary of state for the Southern Department (that is, home secretary), he dominated two administrations between 1756 and 1761, while the Duke of Newcastle filled the post of First Lord of the Treasury. Nevertheless, in this period, Pitt was regarded as the prime minister. The titles of secretary of state for foreign affairs and of secretary of state for home affairs first emerged in 1782. Prior to that, the same two posts were those of secretary of state for the Northern Department and secretary of state for the Southern Department, respectively. The four statesmen who performed the function of secretary of state for the American colonies in the eighteenth century are also profiled in this volume.
The idea for this collection of biographies came from Robert Neville, of ABC-CLIO, who was a tireless helper during its preparation. I was substantially aided in the writing by five others, including Kit Hardwick, whom I particularly thank for his willingness to track down information about some of the lesser political figures—always more difficult to profile than the political giants. In addition, I would like to thank all of the library staff who aided us in our research, most obviously those at the University of Huddersfield, Leeds Central Library, and the Central Library, Huddersfield.
The main sources used in the preparation of the individual biographies are cited at the end of each. More generally, The Dictionary of National Biography, Dictonary of Labour Biography, Dod’s Parliamentary Companions, and Who’s Who provided background information, particularly for the lesser-known political figures.