List of British governments

Updated: 11/4/2025, 4:28:39 PM Wikipedia source

This article lists successive British governments, also referred to as ministries, from the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707, continuing through the duration of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1801 to 1922, and since then dealing with those of the present-day United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Tables

· Ministries

mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- Whig Tory Conservative Peelite Liberal Labour National Labour Liberal Democrats

Colour key

mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- Whig Tory Conservative Peelite Liberal Labour National Labour Liberal Democrats

Colour key

mw- Whig Tory Conservative Peelite Liberal Labour National Labour Liberal Democrats

· Ministries

Start date		Government	Event	Head		Governing party		Monarch
1707		Godolphin–Marlborough ministry	Acts of Union		Duke of Marlborough	Tory	Whig	Anne
1708			General election
Aug	1710		Dismissal	Marlborough dismissed
Nov		Harley ministry	General election		Robert Harley	Tory
1713			General election
Aug	1714		Accession					George I
Sep		Townshend ministry	—		Viscount Townshend	Whig
1715			General election
1717		First Stanhope–Sunderland ministry	—		Earl Stanhope
1718		Second Stanhope–Sunderland ministry
Feb	1721		Death	Stanhope dies
Apr		Walpole–Townshend ministry	—		Robert Walpole
1722			General election
Jun	1727		Accession					George II
Aug			General election
1730		Walpole ministry	Townshend resigns
1734			General election
1741			General election
11 Feb	1742		No confidence	Walpole resigns
12 Feb		Carteret ministry	—		Lord Carteret (acting)
16 Feb					Earl of Wilmington
Jul	1743		Death	Wilmington dies
Aug			—		Henry Pelham
1744		First Broad Bottom ministry
10 Feb	1746		Dismissal	Pelham dismissed
14 Feb		Second Broad Bottom ministry	—		Henry Pelham
1747			General election
6 Mar	1754		Death	Pelham dies
16 Mar		First Newcastle ministry	—		Duke of Newcastle
Apr			General election
11 Nov	1756		Resignation	Newcastle resigns
16 Nov		Pitt–Devonshire ministry	—		Duke of Devonshire
Apr	1757	1757 caretaker ministry	Pitt dismissed			Whig (caretaker)
Jun		Pitt–Newcastle ministry	—		Duke of Newcastle	Whig
1760			Accession					George III
Mar	1761		General election
Oct			Pitt resigns
		Bute–Newcastle coalition	—			Tory	Whig
1762			Dismissal	Newcastle dismissed
		Bute ministry	—		Earl of Bute
8 Apr	1763		Resignation	Bute resigns
16 Apr		Grenville ministry	—		George Grenville		GrenvilleWhig
10 Jul	1765		Dismissal	Grenville dismissed
13 Jul		First Rockingham ministry	—		Marquess of Rockingham	Rockingham Whig
1766		Chatham ministry			Earl of Chatham	ChathamiteWhig	Tory
Mar	1768		General election
Oct		Grafton ministry	—		Duke of Grafton
1770		North ministry			Lord North	Northite Tory	Whig
1774			General election			Northite Tory

References

General elections, successful votes of no confidence, etc.
From 1711 Harley was Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.
De facto leader as Northern Secretary.
From 1742 Walpole was Earl of Orford.
In 1746 William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, formed a short-lived ministry. He was ultimately unsuccessful and is not gen
From 1876 Disraeli was Earl of Beaconsfield.
Typically, as in these instances when an election produces a hung parliament, an incumbent government briefly continues
For the first five days of his ministry, until he had renounced his peerage, Douglas-Home was known as the Earl of Home.
Wilding & Laundy nd
Part 6 – Historical information on the Australian Parliament
http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/handbook/newhandbook/2014-10-31/toc_pdf_repeat/Part%206%20-%20Historical%20information%20on%20the%20Australian%20Parliament.pdf
Ministers of the Crown
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/FederalGovernment/MinisterProvincial.aspx?Language=E
gov.uk
https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/first-lord-of-the-treasury