Harley ministry

The Harley (or Oxford–Bolingbroke) ministry was the British government that existed between 1710 and 1714 in the reign of Queen Anne. It was headed by Robert Harley (from 1711, Earl of Oxford) and composed largely of Tories. Harley was a former Whig who had changed sides, bringing down the seemingly powerful Whig Junto. The ministry vigorously pushed for a peace to end the War of the Spanish Succession, leading to the Treaty of Utrecht. Foreign affairs were largely conducted by Viscount Bolingbroke. They were fiercely pressed by the Whig opposition, who used the rallying cry of No Peace Without Spain. The ministry successfully prosecuted Robert Walpole over charges of profiteering and had him imprisoned in the Tower of London.

The government fell following Anne's death in 1714. The new king, George I, was not comfortable with Harley or Bolingbroke, who he believed had opposed the Hanoverian Succession and instead supported the Jacobite pretenders. They were replaced by the Townshend ministry, beginning the Whig Ascendancy, and it would be nearly fifty years before a Tory ministry gained office again in 1762. Both Harley and Bolingbroke were forced into exile, along with many of their followers after being accused of treason.

Principal ministers[1]

Office	Name	Term
Lord Treasurer	The Earl Poulett (First Lord of commission)	1710–1711
	The Earl of Oxford	1711–1714
	The Duke of Shrewsbury	1714–1714
Chancellor of the Exchequer	Robert Harley	1710–1711
	Robert Benson	1711–1714
Lord President of the Council	The Earl of Rochester	1710–1711
	The Duke of Buckingham	1711–1714
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster	The Lord Berkeley	1710–1714
Master-General of the Ordnance	The Duke of Marlborough	1702–1712
	The Earl Rivers	1712–1712
	The Duke of Hamilton	1712–1712
	Vacant	1712–1714
Secretary of State for the Southern Department	The Lord Dartmouth (Earl of Dartmouth from 1711)	1710–1713
	The Viscount Bolingbroke	1713–1714
Secretary of State for the Northern Department	The Viscount Bolingbroke	1710–1713
	William Bromley	1713–1714
Lord Privy Seal	The Duke of Newcastle	1705–1711
	The Bishop of Bristol	1711–1713
	The Earl of Dartmouth	1713–1714
First Lord of Trade	The Earl of Stamford	1707–1711
	The Earl of Winchilsea	1711–1713
	The Lord Guilford	1713–1714
First Lord of the Admiralty	The Earl of Orford	1709–1710
	Sir John Leake	1710–1712
	The Earl of Strafford	1712–1714
Secretary at War	George Granville	1710–1712
	Sir William Wyndham	1712–1713
	Francis Gwyn	1713–1714
Treasurer of the Navy	Robert Walpole	1710–1711
	Charles Caesar	1711–1714
Paymaster-General of the Forces[n 1]	James Brydges	1707–1713
	Thomas Moore	1713–1714
Secretary of State for Scotland	The Duke of Queensberry	1710–1711
	John Erskine, Earl of Mar|The Earl of Mar	1713–1714

1. Cook and Stevenson also list Edward Nicholas as Paymaster-General in 1713, but his office was that of Paymaster of Pensions.[2]

References

1. Chris Cook and John Stevenson, British Historical Facts 1688–1760, Macmillan 1988, pp. 35–36.
2. J. C. Sainty, Paymaster of Pensions 1703-1782. Accessed 9 December 2018.

See also

• 3rd Parliament of Great Britain
• 4th Parliament of Great Britain