The secretary of state for the Northern Department was a position in the Cabinet of the government of Great Britain up to 1782. Following this, the Northern Department became the Foreign Office, and the position evolved into the foreign secretary.
History
Before the Act of Union, 1707, the secretary of state's responsibilities were in relation to the English government. Even after the Union, there was still a separate secretary of state for Scotland until 1746, though the post was sometimes vacant. This continued the previous Scottish government post of Secretary of State.
Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two secretaries of state for the Northern and the Southern Departments were not divided up in terms of area of authority, but rather geographically. The secretary of state for the Northern Department was responsible for relations with the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, and the Holy Roman Empire. The secretary of state for the Southern Department was responsible for Ireland, the Channel Islands, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, the Italian states, and the Ottoman 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.
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. During the reign of George III, the two departments were of approximately equal importance.
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.
During the 18th century, secretaries of state for the Northern Department, if peers, were often Leaders of the House of Lords as well.
Secretaries of state for the Northern Department, 1660–1782
Included:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:Center"
! Portrait
! Name<br /><small>Constituency</small>
! colspan=2 | Term of office
! Notes
|-
| 75px
| Sir William Morice<br /><small>MP for Plymouth</small>
| <small>27 May</small><br />1660
| <small>29 September</small><br />1668
|
|-
| 75px
| Sir John Trevor<br /><small>MP for Arundel</small> <small>until 1661</small><br />MP for Great Bedwyn <small>after 1661</small>
| <small>29 September</small><br />1668
| <small>8 July</small><br />1672
|
|-
| 75px
| Henry Coventry<br /><small>MP for Droitwich</small>
| <small>3 July</small><br />1672
| <small>11 September</small><br />1674
|
|-
| 75px
| Sir Joseph Williamson<br /><small>MP for Thetford</small>
| <small>11 September</small><br />1674
| <small>20 February</small><br />1679
|
|-
| 75px
| Robert Spencer<br />2nd Earl of Sunderland
| <small>10 February</small><br />1679
| <small>26 April</small><br />1680
|
|-
| 75px
| Sir Leoline Jenkins<br /><small>MP for Oxford University</small>
| <small>26 April</small><br />1680
| <small>2 February</small><br />1681
|
|-
| 75px
| Edward Conway<br />1st Earl of Conway
| <small>2 February</small><br />1681
| <small>January</small><br />1683
|
|-
| 75px
| Robert Spencer<br />2nd Earl of Sunderland
| <small>28 January</small><br />1683
| 1684
|
|-
| 75px
| Sidney Godolphin<br /><small>MP for Helston</small>
| <small>17 April</small><br />1684
| <small>24 August</small><br />1684
|
|-
| 75px
| Charles Middleton<br />2nd Earl of Middleton<br /><small>MP for Winchelsea</small> <small>after 1685</small>
| <small>24 August</small><br />1684
| <small>28 October</small><br />1688
|
|-
| 75px
| Richard Graham<br />1st Viscount Preston<br /><small>MP for Cumberland</small>
| <small>29 October</small><br />1688
| <small>2 December</small><br />1688
|
|-
| 75px
| Daniel Finch<br />2nd Earl of Nottingham
| <small>5 March</small><br />1689
| <small>26 December</small><br />1690
|
|-
| 75px
| Henry Sydney<br />1st Viscount Sydney
| <small>26 December</small><br />1690
| <small>3 March</small><br />1692
|
|-
| 75px
| Daniel Finch<br />2nd Earl of Nottingham
| <small>3 March</small><br />1692
| <small>23 March</small><br />1693
|
|-
| 75px
| Sir John Trenchard<br /><small>MP for Poole</small>
| <small>23 March</small><br />1693
| <small>2 March</small><br />1694
|
|-
| 75px
| Charles Talbot<br />1st Duke of Shrewsbury
| <small>2 March</small><br />1694
| <small>3 May</small><br />1695
|
|-
| 75px
| Sir William Trumbull<br /><small>MP for Oxford University</small>
| <small>3 May</small><br />1695
| <small>2 December</small><br />1697
|
|-
| 75px
| James Vernon<br /><small>MP for Penryn</small> <small>until 1699</small><br />MP for Westminster <small>after 1699</small>
| <small>2 December</small><br />1697
| <small>5 November</small><br />1700
|
|-
| 75px
| Sir Charles Hedges<br /><small>MP for Malmesbury</small>
| <small>5 November</small><br />1700
| <small>29 December</small><br />1701
|
|-
| 75px
| James Vernon<br /><small>MP for Westminster</small>
| <small>4 January</small><br />1702
| <small>1 May</small><br />1702
|
|-
| 75px
| Sir Charles Hedges<br /><small>MP for Malmesbury</small> <small>until 1702</small><br />MP for Calne <small>after 1702</small>
| <small>2 May</small><br />1702
| <small>18 May</small><br />1704
|
|-
| 75px
| Robert Harley<br /><small>MP for Radnor</small>
| <small>16 May</small><br />1704
| <small>13 February</small><br />1708
|
|-
| 75px
| Henry Boyle<br /><small>MP for Westminster</small>
| <small>13 February</small><br />1708
| <small>21 September</small><br />1710
|
|-
| 75px
| Henry St John<br />1st Viscount Bolingbroke<br /><small>MP for Berkshire</small> <small>until 1712</small><br />Viscount Bolingbroke <small>after 1712</small>
| <small>21 September</small><br />1710
| <small>17 August</small><br />1713
|
|-
| 75px
| Sir William Bromley<br /><small>MP for Oxford University</small>
| <small>17 August</small><br />1713
| <small>17 September</small><br />1714
|
|-
| 75px
| Charles Townshend<br />2nd Viscount Townshend
| <small>17 September</small><br />1714
| <small>12 December</small><br />1716
|
|-
| 75px
| James Stanhope
| <small>12 December</small><br />1716
| <small>12 April</small><br />1717
|
|-
| 75px
| Charles Spencer<br />3rd Earl of Sunderland
| <small>12 April</small><br />1717
| <small>2 March</small><br />1718
|
|-
| 75px
| James Stanhope<br />1st Earl Stanhope
| <small>19 March</small><br />1718
| <small>4 February</small><br />1721
|
|-
| 75px
| John Carteret<br />Baron Carteret
| <small>5 February</small><br />1721
| <small>21 February</small><br />1721
|
|-
| 75px
| Charles Townshend<br />2nd Viscount Townshend
| <small>21 February</small><br />1721
| <small>16 May</small><br />1730
|
|-
| 75px
| William Stanhope<br />1st Baron Harrington
| <small>19 June</small><br />1730
| <small>12 February</small><br />1742
|
|-
| 75px
| John Carteret<br />Baron Carteret
| <small>12 February</small><br />1742
| <small>24 November</small><br />1744
|
|-
| 75px
| William Stanhope<br />1st Earl of Harrington
| <small>24 November</small><br />1744
| <small>January</small><br />1746
|
|-
| 75px
| John Carteret<br />2nd Earl Granville
| <small>12 February</small><br />1746
| <small>March</small><br />1746
| as sole Secretary
|-
| 75px
| William Stanhope<br />1st Earl of Harrington
| <small>March</small><br />1746
| <small>19 October</small><br />1746
|
|-
| 75px
| Philip Dormer Stanhope<br />4th Earl of Chesterfield
| <small>29 October</small><br />1746
| <small>6 February</small><br />1748
|
|-
| 75px
| Thomas Pelham-Holles<br />1st Duke of Newcastle
| <small>6 February</small><br />1748
| <small>23 March</small><br />1754
|
|-
| 75px
| Robert Darcy<br />4th Earl of Holderness
| <small>April</small><br />1757
| <small>June</small><br />1757
| as sole Secretary
|-
| 75px
| John Stuart<br />3rd Earl of Bute
| <small>25 March</small><br />1761
| <small>27 May</small><br />1762
|
|-
| 75px
| George Grenville<br /><small>MP for Buckingham</small>
| <small>5 June</small><br />1762
| <small>9 October</small><br />1762
|
|-
| 75px
| George Montagu-Dunk<br />2nd Earl of Halifax
| <small>14 October</small><br />1762
| <small>9 September</small><br />1763
|
|
|-
| 75px
| John Montagu<br />4th Earl of Sandwich
| <small>9 September</small><br />1763
| <small>10 July</small><br />1765
|
|-
| 75px
| George Montagu-Dunk<br />2nd Earl of Halifax
| <small>September</small><br />1763
| <small>July</small><br />1765
|
|-
| 75px
| Augustus Henry Fitzroy<br />3rd Duke of Grafton
| <small>12 July</small><br />1765
| <small>14 May</small><br />1766
|
|-
| 75px
| Henry Seymour Conway<br /><small>MP for Thetford</small>
| <small>23 May</small><br />1766
| <small>20 January</small><br />1768
|
|-
| 75px
| Thomas Thynne<br />3rd Viscount Weymouth
| <small>20 January</small><br />1768
| <small>21 October</small><br />1768
|
|-
| 75px
| William Nassau de Zuylestein<br />4th Earl of Rochford
| <small>21 October</small><br />1768
| <small>19 December</small><br />1770
|
|-
| 75px
| John Montagu<br />4th Earl of Sandwich
| <small>19 December</small><br />1770
| <small>12 January</small><br />1771
|
|-
| 75px
| George Montagu-Dunk<br />2nd Earl of Halifax
| <small>22 January</small><br />1771
| <small>6 June</small><br />1771
|
|-
| 75px
| Henry Howard<br />12th Earl of Suffolk
| <small>12 June</small><br />1771
| <small>7 March</small><br />1779
|
|-
| 75px
| David Murray<br />Viscount Stormont
| <small>27 October</small><br />1779
| <small>27 March</small><br />1782
|
|-
|}
See also
- Secretary of State of England
- Secretary of State for the Southern Department
- Home Secretary