First Rockingham ministry

The first Rockingham ministry was a British ministry headed by Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham from 1765 to 1766 during the reign of King George III. The government was made up mainly of his followers known as the Rockingham Whigs. The most influential member of the government was Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, a former prime minister, who served as Lord Privy Seal. It is often referred to as the only government ever to have been made up almost entirely of members of the Jockey Club, with Rockingham himself being a prominent patron and follower of the turf. Rockingham was noted for his ignorance of foreign affairs, and his ministry failed to reverse the growing isolation of Britain within Europe (Simms 2008, p. 520).

First Rockingham ministry
1765–1766
Rockingham (after Joshua Reynolds)
Date formed	13 July 1765 (1765-07-13)
Date dissolved	30 July 1766 (1766-07-30)
People and organisations
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	Lord Rockingham
Total no. of members	12 appointments
Member party	Rockingham Whigs
Status in legislature	Majority 446 / 558
Opposition party	Grenvillites
History
Legislature terms	12th GB Parliament
Predecessor	Grenville ministry
Successor	Chatham ministry

The Rockingham ministry fell in 1766 and was replaced by one headed by William Pitt, later the Earl of Chatham.

Cabinet

Portfolio	Minister	Took office	Left office
First Lord of the Treasury Leader of the House of Lords	Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham (head of ministry)	13 July 1765 (1765-07-13)	30 July 1766 (1766-07-30)
Lord Chancellor	Robert Henley, 1st Earl of Northington	16 January 1761 (1761-01-16)	30 July 1766 (1766-07-30)
Lord President of the Council	Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea	12 July 1765 (1765-07-12)	30 July 1766 (1766-07-30)
Lord Privy Seal	Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle	30 July 1765 (1765-07-30)	30 July 1766 (1766-07-30)
Chancellor of the Exchequer	William Dowdeswell	16 July 1765 (1765-07-16)	2 August 1766 (1766-08-02)
Secretary of State for the Northern Department	Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton	12 July 1765 (1765-07-12)	14 May 1766 (1766-05-14)
	Henry Seymour Conway	23 May 1766 (1766-05-23)	20 January 1768 (1768-01-20)
Secretary of State for the Southern Department Leader of the House of Commons	Henry Seymour Conway	12 July 1765 (1765-07-12)	23 May 1766 (1766-05-23)
Secretary of State for the Southern Department	Charles Lennox, 3rd Duke of Richmond	23 May 1766 (1766-05-23)	29 July 1766 (1766-07-29)
First Lord of the Admiralty	John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont	1763 (1763)	1766 (1766)
Master-General of the Ordnance	John Manners, Marquess of Granby	1763 (1763)	1770 (1770)
Minister without Portfolio	Prince William, Duke of Cumberland	1765 (1765)	31 October 1765 (1765-10-31)

Changes

• October 1765 – The Duke of Cumberland (also the uncle of King George III) dies.
• May 1766 – The Duke of Grafton resigns from the cabinet. Henry Seymour Conway succeeds him as Northern Secretary, and the Duke of Richmond succeeds Conway as Southern Secretary.

Ministers not in Cabinet

• Lord Chamberlain – William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland

References

• Browning, Reed (1975). The Duke of Newcastle. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-01746-5.
• Cook, Chris; Stevenson, John (1980). British Historical Facts: 1760–1830. Palgrave Macmillan UK. ISBN 978-0-333-21512-8.
• Hibbert, Christopher (1999). George III: A Personal History. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-025737-3.
• Simms, Brendan (2008). Three Victories and a Defeat: The Rise and Fall of the First British Empire. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-028984-8.

Preceded by Grenville ministry

Government of Great Britain 1765–1766

Succeeded by Chatham ministry