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Secretary of State for the Southern Department

Former British political position From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Secretary of State for the Southern Department
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The secretary of state for the Southern Department[1] was a position in the cabinet of the government of the Kingdom of Great Britain up to 1782, when the Southern Department became the Home Office.[2][3]

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History

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Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two British secretaries of state for the Northern and the Southern departments were divided not based on the principles of modern ministerial divisions, but geographically. The secretary of state for the Southern Department was responsible for Ireland, the Channel Islands, France, Spain, Portugal, the Old Swiss Confederacy, the states of Italy, and the Ottoman Empire. He was also responsible for the American colonies until 1768, when the charge was given to the secretary of state for the colonies. The secretary of state for the Northern Department was responsible for relations with the Dutch Republic, Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, and the Holy Roman Empire. Domestic responsibilities in England and Wales were shared between the two Secretaries. After the union with Scotland in 1707, the two secretaries also took responsibility for Scotland when there was no secretary of state for Scotland in office.[4]

Until 1706, the practice was generally for the senior official to lead the Southern Department, and the junior the Northern Department, with the Northern Secretary being transferred to the Southern Department when a vacancy arose at the latter.[4] During the reigns of George I and George II, however, the Northern Department began to be seen as the more important, since its responsibilities included the monarchs' ancestral home of Hanover.[5] During the reign of George III, the two departments were of approximately equal importance.[6]

In 1782, the two secretaries of state were reformed as the secretary of state for the Home Department and the secretary of state for foreign affairs.[7]

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List of southern secretaries

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See also

Notes

  1. Returned as MP for Callington from 1661 to 1665; thereafter raised to the peerage of England as Baron Arlington, and created Earl of Arlington in 1672.
  2. Served as sole Secretary of State from June to December 1690; again from March 1692 to March 1693.
  3. Served as sole Secretary of State from November to March 1694.
  4. Acting Secretary of State for the Southern Department.
  5. Acting Secretary of State for the Southern Department from June to November 1700; official appointment from 5 November 1700.
  6. Returned as MP for Calne from 1702 to 1705; thereafter returned as MP for West Looe from 1705 to 1713.
  7. Returned as MP for Wendover from March 1715 to 1715; thereafter returned as MP for Cockermouth from 1715 to 1717.
  8. Acting Secretary of State for the Southern Department from May to December 1723; official appointment from 12 December 1716.
  9. In February 1746 John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville held office for two days, however as the formalities of his appointment were not completed sources typically do not include him as a Southern Secretary.
  10. Served as sole Secretary of State.
  11. Served as sole Secretary of State from March to October 1799.
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Citations

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