The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increasingly troublesome North American colonies. Previously those responsibilities had fallen to the Secretary of State for the Southern Department, who was responsible for Southern England, Wales, Ireland, the American colonies, and relations with the Catholic and Muslim states of Europe.
In 1782, following the loss of the American colonies, the office was abolished, and its duties given to the Home Secretary, then Lord Sydney. In 1794 a new office was created for Henry Dundas — the Secretary of State for War, which now took responsibility for the Colonies, and was renamed the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in 1801. In 1854, military reforms led to the Colonial and Military responsibilities of this secretary of state being split into two separate offices, with Sir George Grey becoming the first Secretary of State for the Colonies under the new arrangement.
Until 1925, when the office of Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was created, the Colonial Office had responsibility for all British colonies and dominions besides India, which had its own Secretary of State. In 1966, with most of the colonies gone, the office was merged with that of the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations to create the new office of Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs. In 1968 the Commonwealth Office was subsumed into the Foreign Office, which became known as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
From 1768 until 1966 the Secretary of State was supported by an Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (at times an Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies), and latterly by a Minister of State.
| Name | Portrait | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Earl of Hillsborough |  |
27 February 1768 | 27 August 1772 | |
| The Earl of Dartmouth |  |
27 August, 1772 | 10 November 1775 | |
| Lord George Germain |  |
10 November 1775 | February 1782 | |
| Welbore Ellis |  |
February 1782 | 8 March 1782 | |
Responsibility for the Colonies held by:
Responsibility for the colonies held by:
Following the British Nationality Act 1981 the term "colony" ceased to be used; Britain's rule over the last significant former colony, Hong Kong, ceased in 1997. Britain retains certain overseas territories.
| History of UK Government Departments with Responsibility for Foreign Affairs | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Office 1768 – 1782 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
Home Office 1782 – 1794 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
War Office 1794 – 1801 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
War and Colonial Office 1801 – 1854 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
Colonial Office 1854 – 1925 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
Colonial Office 1925 – 1966 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries |
Commonwealth Office 1966 – 1968 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries |
Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1968 – Present Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries |
|
| Dominions Office 1925 – 1947 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
Commonwealth Relations Office 1947 – 1966 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries |
|||||||
| . | India Office 1858 – 1937 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
India and Burma Office 1937 – 1947 Secretaries Undersecretaries |
||||||
| Foreign Office 1782 – 1968 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries |
||||||||
The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increasingly troublesome North American colonies. Previously those responsibilities had fallen to the Secretary of State for the Southern Department, who was responsible for Southern England, Wales, Ireland, the American colonies, and relations with the Catholic and Muslim states of Europe.
In 1782, following the loss of the American colonies, the office was abolished, and its duties given to the Home Secretary, then Lord Sydney. In 1794 a new office was created for Henry Dundas — the Secretary of State for War, which now took responsibility for the Colonies, and was renamed the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in 1801. In 1854, military reforms led to the Colonial and Military responsibilities of this secretary of state being split into two separate offices, with Sir George Grey becoming the first Secretary of State for the Colonies under the new arrangement.
Until 1925, when the office of Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was created, the Colonial Office had responsibility for all British colonies and dominions besides India, which had its own Secretary of State. In 1966, with most of the colonies gone, the office was merged with that of the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations to create the new office of Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs. In 1968 the Commonwealth Office was subsumed into the Foreign Office, which became known as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
From 1768 until 1966 the Secretary of State was supported by an Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies (at times an Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies), and latterly by a Minister of State.
| Name | Portrait | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Earl of Hillsborough | 27 February 1768 | 27 August 1772 | ||
| The Earl of Dartmouth | 27 August, 1772 | 10 November 1775 | ||
| Lord George Germain | 10 November 1775 | February 1782 | ||
| Welbore Ellis | February 1782 | 8 March 1782 | ||
Responsibility for the Colonies held by:
| Name | Portrait | Took office | Left office | Political party | Prime Minister | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred Lyttelton | 11 October 1903 | 4 December 1905 | Liberal Unionist | Arthur Balfour | ||
| The Earl of Elgin | 10 December 1905 | 12 April 1908 | Liberal | Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman | ||
| The Earl of Crewe | 12 April 1908 | 3 November 1910 | Liberal | H. H. Asquith | ||
| Lewis Vernon Harcourt | 3 November 1910 | 25 May 1915 | Liberal | |||
| Andrew Bonar Law | 25 May 1915 | 10 December 1916 | Conservative (Coalition) | |||
| Walter Long | 10 December 1916 | 10 January 1919 | Conservative (Coalition) | David Lloyd George | ||
| The Viscount Milner | 10 January 1919 | 13 February 1921 | Liberal (Coalition) | |||
| Winston Churchill | 13 February 1921 | 19 October 1922 | Liberal (Coalition) | |||
| The Duke of Devonshire | 24 October 1922 | 22 January 1924 | Conservative | Andrew Bonar Law | ||
| Stanley Baldwin | ||||||
| James Henry Thomas | 22 January 1924 | 3 November 1924 | Labour | Ramsay MacDonald | ||
| Leo Amery | 6 November 1924 | 4 June 1929 | Conservative | Stanley Baldwin | ||
| The Lord Passfield | 7 June 1929 | 24 August 1931 | Labour | Ramsay MacDonald | ||
| James Henry Thomas | 25 August 1931 | 5 November 1931 | National Labour (National Govt) | |||
| Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister | 5 November 1931 | 7 June, 1935 | Conservative (National Govt) | |||
| Malcolm MacDonald | 7 June 1935 | 22 November 1935 | National Labour (National Govt) | Stanley Baldwin | ||
| James Henry Thomas | 22 November 1935 | 22 May 1936 | National Labour (National Govt) | |||
| William Ormsby-Gore | 28 May 1936 | 16 May 1938 | Conservative (National Govt) | |||
| Neville Chamberlain | ||||||
| Malcolm MacDonald | 16 May 1938 | 12 May 1940 | National Labour (National Govt; War Govt) | |||
| The Lord Lloyd | 12 May 1940 | 8 February 1941 | Conservative (Coalition) | Winston Churchill | ||
| The Lord Moyne | 8 February 1941 | 22 February 1942 | Conservative (Coalition) | |||
| Viscount Cranborne | 22 February 1942 | 22 November 1942 | Conservative (Coalition) | |||
| Oliver Stanley | 22 November 1942 | 26 July 1945 | Conservative (Coalition) | |||
| George Hall | 3 August 1945 | 4 October 1946 | Labour | Clement Attlee | ||
| Arthur Creech Jones | 4 October 1946 | 28 February 1950 | Labour | |||
| Jim Griffiths | 28 February 1950 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | |||
| Oliver Lyttelton | 28 October 1951 | 28 July 1954 | Conservative | Sir Winston Churchill | ||
| Alan Lennox-Boyd | 28 July 1954 | 14 October 1959 | Conservative | |||
| Sir Anthony Eden | ||||||
| Harold Macmillan | ||||||
| Iain Macleod | 14 October 1959 | 9 October 1961 | Conservative | |||
| Reginald Maudling | 9 October 1961 | 13 July 1962 | Conservative | |||
| Duncan Sandys | 13 July 1962 | 16 October 1964 | Conservative | |||
| Sir Alec Douglas-Home | ||||||
| Anthony Greenwood | 18 October 1964 | 23 December 1965 | Labour | Harold Wilson | ||
| The Earl of Longford | 23 December 1965 | 6 April 1966 | Labour | |||
| Frederick Lee | 6 April 1966 | 1 August 1966 | Labour | |||
Responsibility for the colonies held by:
Following the British Nationality Act 1981 the term "colony" ceased to be used; Britain's rule over the last significant former colony, Hong Kong, ceased in 1997. Britain retains certain overseas territories.
| History of UK Government Departments with Responsibility for Foreign Affairs | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Office 1768 – 1782 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Home Office 1782 – 1794 Secretaries Undersecretaries | War Office 1794 – 1801 Secretaries Undersecretaries | War and Colonial Office 1801 – 1854 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Colonial Office 1854 – 1925 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Colonial Office 1925 – 1966 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries | Commonwealth Office 1966 – 1968 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries | Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1968 – Present Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries | |
| Dominions Office 1925 – 1947 Secretaries Undersecretaries | Commonwealth Relations Office 1947 – 1966 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries | |||||||
| . | India Office 1858 – 1937 Secretaries Undersecretaries | India and Burma Office 1937 – 1947 Secretaries Undersecretaries | ||||||
| Foreign Office 1782 – 1968 Secretaries Ministers Undersecretaries | ||||||||
|
|
Wikis
Quiz
Facts
Map
Search
