Secretary at War
The Hon. Henry Pelham, who served as Secretary at War between 1724 and 1730
The Secretary at War was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. After 1794 it was occasionally a cabinet-level position, although it was considered of subordinate rank to the Secretaries of State. The position was combined with that of Secretary of State for War in 1854 and abolished in 1863.
Notable holders of the position include Robert Walpole, the Hon. Henry Pelham, Henry Fox, Lord Palmerston and Lord Macaulay.
Secretaries at War, 1661–1854
| Name | Entered office | Left office |
|---|---|---|
| Sir William Clarke | 1661 | 1666 |
| Matthew Locke | 1666 | 1683 |
| William Blathwayt | 1683 | 1692 |
| George Clarke | 1692 | 1704 |
| Henry St John | 1704 | 1708 |
| Robert Walpole | 1708 | 1710 |
| George Granville | 1710 | 1712 |
| Sir William Wyndham, Bt | 1712 | 1713 |
| Francis Gwyn | 1713 | 1714 |
| William Pulteney | 1714 | 1717 |
| James Craggs the Younger | 1717 | 1718 |
| The Viscount Castlecomer | 1718 | 1718 |
| Robert Pringle | 1718 | 1718 |
| George Treby | 1718 | 1720 |
| Thomas Trevor | 1720 | 1724 |
| Hon. Henry Pelham | 1724 | 1730 |
| Sir William Strickland, Bt | 1730 | 1735 |
| Sir William Yonge, Bt | 1735 | 1741 |
| Thomas Winnington | 1741 | 1746 |
| Henry Fox | 1746 | 1755 |
| The Viscount Barrington | 1755 | 1761 |
| Hon. Charles Townshend | 1761 | 1762 |
| Welbore Ellis | 1762 | 1765 |
| The Viscount Barrington | 1765 | 1778 |
| Charles Jenkinson | 1778 | 1782 |
| Thomas Townshend | 1782 | 1782 |
| Sir George Yonge, Bt | 1782 | 1783 |
| Richard FitzPatrick | 1783 | 1783 |
| Sir George Yonge, Bt | 1783 | 1794 |
| William Windham | 1794 | 1801 |
| Charles Philip Yorke | 1801 | 1803 |
| Charles Bragge | 1803 | 1804 |
| William Dundas | 1804 | 1806 |
| Richard FitzPatrick | 1806 | 1807 |
| Sir James Murray-Pulteney, Bt | 1807 | 1809 |
| Lord Granville Leveson-Gower | 1809 | 1809 |
| The Viscount Palmerston | 1809 | 1828 |
| Sir Henry Hardinge | 1828 | 1830 |
| Lord Francis Leveson-Gower | 1830 | 1830 |
| Charles Williams-Wynn | 1830 | 1831 |
| Sir Henry Parnell, Bt | 1831 | 1832 |
| Sir John Hobhouse, Bt | 1832 | 1833 |
| Edward Ellice | 1833 | 1834 |
| John Charles Herries | 1834 | 1835 |
| Viscount Howick | 1835 | 1839 |
| Thomas Babington Macaulay | 1839 | 1841 |
| Sir Henry Hardinge | 1841 | 1844 |
| Sir Thomas Fremantle, Bt | 1844 | 1845 |
| Hon. Sidney Herbert | 1845 | 1846 |
| Hon. Fox Maule | 1846 | 1852 |
| Robert Vernon Smith | 1852 | 1852 |
| William Beresford | 1852 | 1852 |
| Hon. Sidney Herbert | 1852 | 1854 |
Secretaries of State for War and Secretaries at War, 1854–1863
| Name | Entered office | Left office |
|---|---|---|
| The Duke of Newcastle | 1854 | 1855 |
| The Lord Panmure | 1855 | 1858 |
| Jonathan Peel | 1858 | 1859 |
| The Lord Herbert of Lea | 1859 | 1861 |
| Sir George Cornewall Lewis, Bt | 1861 | 1863 |
