Secretary of State for the Colonies

{{Infobox official post

| post = Secretary

| body = State for the Colonies

| native_name =

| insignia = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government, 1952-2022).svg

| insigniasize =

| insigniacaption = Royal arms of His Majesty's Government

| insigniaalt =

| flag =

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| flagalt =

| flagborder =

| flagcaption =

| image = Joseph Chamberlain in colour.jpg

| imagesize =

| alt =

| imagecaption = Longest serving
Joseph Chamberlain
29 June

1895–16 September 1903

| department = Colonial Office

| style = The Right Honourable

| type = Secretary of state

| status =

| abbreviation =

| member_of = {{ubl|Cabinet|Privy Council}}

| reports_to = Prime Minister

| residence =

| seat =

| nominator = Prime Minister

| appointer = The Monarch

| appointer_qualified = {{small|(on the advice of the Prime Minister)}}

| termlength = At His Majesty's pleasure

| termlength_qualified =

| constituting_instrument =

| precursor =

| formation = {{ubl|27 February 1768 {{small|(1st time)}}|12 June 1854 {{small|(2nd time)}}}}

| first = {{ubl|The Earl of Hillsborough {{small|(1st time)}}|Sir George Grey {{small|(2nd time)}}}}

| last = {{ubl|Welbore Ellis {{small|(1st time)}}|Frederick Lee {{small|(2nd time)}}}}

| abolished = {{ubl|8 March 1782 {{small|(1st time)}}|1 August 1966 {{small|(2nd time)}}}}

| superseded_by = Foreign Secretary

| succession =

| unofficial_names =

| deputy = Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies

| salary =

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the Cabinet of the United Kingdom's minister in charge of managing certain parts of the British Empire.

The colonial secretary never had responsibility for the provinces and princely states of India, which had its own secretary of state.

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.

History

Colonial responsibilities were previously held jointly by the lords of trade and plantations (board) and the secretary of state for the Southern Department,[http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/research-guides/american-west-indian-colonies.htm American and West Indian colonies before 1782], National Archives

who was responsible for Ireland, the American colonies, and relations with the Catholic and Muslim states of Europe, as well as being jointly responsible for domestic affairs with the Secretary of State for the Northern Department.{{cite book |title=The Secretaries of State: 1681–1782 |first=Mark A. |last=Thomson |url=https://archive.org/details/secretariesofsta00thom_0/page/2/mode/2up |publisher=Frank Cass |location=London |year=1932 |page=2}}

=Colonial Secretary 1768–1782=

The Colonial Secretary position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increasingly troublesome North American colonies, following passage of the Townsend Acts.

Joint responsibility between the secretary and board first continued at this time, but subsequent diminution of the board's status led it to became an adjunct to the new secretary's department.[http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100915133842/http://nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=1&CATID=38&SearchInit=4&SearchType=6&CATREF=BT Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies], Department code BT, The National Archives

Following the loss of the American colonies, both the board and the short-lived secretaryship were dismissed by the king on 2 May 1782; both were abolished later by the Civil List and Secret Service Money Act 1782 (22 Geo. 3, c 82).[http://www.british-history.ac.uk/office-holders/vol3/pp28-37#fnn3 Council of trade and plantations 1696–1782], in Office-Holders in Modern Britain: Volume 3, Officials of the Boards of Trade 1660–1870, pp. 28–37. University of London, London, 1974.

Following this, colonial duties were given to the Home Secretary, then Lord Sydney.

=1782–1854=

Responsibility for the Colonies in the years between 1782 and 1854 included:

Home Secretary 1782–1801
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 1801–1854
Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1854

Following the Treaty of Paris 1783, a new board, named the Committee of Council on Trade and Plantations (later known as 'the First Committee') was established under William Pitt the Younger, by an Order in Council in 1784. In 1794, a new office was created for Henry Dundas – the secretary of state for war, which now took responsibility for the Colonies. The office was renamed the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in 1801.

=1854–present=

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.

In the latter part of the nineteenth century, Britain gained control over a number of territories with the status of "protectorate". The ministerial responsibility for these territories was initially held by the Foreign Secretary.

File:1944-12-30 Secretary-of-State for the Colonies Oliver Stanley & Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps at Imperial Fortress of Bermuda.jpg inspects the Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps at the Imperial Fortress of Bermuda, 30th December, 1944.{{cite news |author= |date=1945-01-01 |title=SECRETARY FOR COLONIES VISITS TRAINING CENTRE |page=2 |work=The Royal Gazette |location=City of Hamilton, Pembroke, Bermuda |quote=Colonel the Right Hon. Oliver Stanley, Secretary of State for the Colonies, visited Warwick Battery on Saturday morning where he inspected the Vocational Training Centre. Accompanied by Mr T.I.K. Lloyd, an Assistant Under-Secretary of State at the Colonial Office, by his private secretary, Mr. C. H. Thornley, and by Brigadier the Hon. H. D. Maconochie, Officer Commanding British Troops, Colonel Stanley inspected a guard of honour commanded by Captain A. L. Flitcroft, Adjutant, Bermuda Militia. Shortly after 1 o'clock. Colonel Stanley and his entourage arrived at Prospect where they were greeted by Brigadier Maconochie and Lieut.-Col. J. C. Astwood, O.C, B.V.R.C Colonel Stanley inspected a guard of honour provided by the B.V.R.C. under the command of Captain W. J. Williams, following which he visited the Garrison Officers' Mess where he was introduced to the Officers of the Bermuda Command and refreshments wen served. The Colonial Secretary's visit to Prospect marked the first formal parade attended by the newly reorganised B.V.R.C. Band.}}]]

By the early years of the twentieth century the responsibility for each of the protectorate territories had been transferred to the colonial secretary as well. The League of Nations mandated territories acquired as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 became a further responsibility of the Colonial Office in the aftermath of the First World War.

In 1925, part of the Colonial Office was separated out as the Dominions Office, with its own secretary of state. The new office was responsible for dealing with the Dominions together with a small number of other territories (most notably Southern Rhodesia).

In the twenty years following the end of the Second World War, much of the British Empire was dismantled as its various territories gained independence. In consequence, the Colonial Office was merged in 1966 with the Commonwealth Relations Office (which until 1947 had been the Dominions Office) to form the Commonwealth Office, while ministerial responsibility was transferred to the secretary of state for Commonwealth affairs (previously known as the secretary of state for Commonwealth relations). In 1968, the Commonwealth Office was subsumed into the Foreign Office, which was renamed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

List of secretaries of state for the colonies

=Secretaries of State for the Colonies (1768–1782)=

Sometimes referred to as Secretary of State for the American Colonies.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Secretary of State for the ColoniesChris Cook and John Stevenson, British Historical Facts 1830–1900 (Macmillan Press 1980) 29.

! colspan=3 | Secretary

! colspan=2 | Term of office

! Ministry

! Monarch
{{Small|(Reign)}}

rowspan=2 style="background-color: {{Party color|Independent (politician)}}" |

| rowspan=2 | 75px

| rowspan=2 | Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire

| rowspan=2 | {{Small|27 February}}
1768

| rowspan=2 | {{Small|27 August}}
1772

| {{Party shading/Whigs}} |
Grafton

| rowspan=5 style="background:#EAECF0" | George III
60px
{{Small|(1760–1820)}}

rowspan=4 {{Party shading/Tories}} | North

style="background-color: {{Party color|Independent (politician)}}" |

Secretary of State for the Colonies

History

=Colonial Secretary 1768–1782=

=1782–1854=

=1854–present=

List of secretaries of state for the colonies

=Secretaries of State for the Colonies (1768–1782)=

=Secretaries of State for the Colonies (1854–1966)=

Secretaries from the Colonies

See also

References