Secretary at War - Definition and Overview

The Secretary at War was a position with some responsibility over the administration of the British military. 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 1855 and abolished in 1863.

Secretaries at War, 1661-1863

• Sir William Clarke 1661-1666
• Matthew Locke 1666-1683
• William Blathwayte 1683-1692
• George Clarke 1692-1704
• Henry St John 1704-1708
• Robert Walpole 1708-1710
• George Granville 1710-1712
• Sir William Wyndham 1712-1713
• Francis Gwyn 1713-1714
• William Pulteney 1714-1717
• James Craggs the Younger 1717-1718
• Christopher Wandesford, 1st Viscount Castlecomer 1718
• Robert Pringle 1718
• George Treby 1718-1720
• Thomas Trevor 1720-1724
• Henry Pelham 1724-1730
• Sir William Strickland 1730-1735
• Sir William Yonge 1735-1741
• Thomas Winnington 1741-1746
• Henry Fox 1746-1755
• William Wildman Shute Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington 1755-1761
• Charles Townshend 1761-1762
• Welbore Ellis 1762-1765
• William Wildman Shute Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington 1765-1778
• Charles Jenkinson 1778-1782
• Thomas Townshend 1782
• Sir George Yonge 1782-1783
• Richard Fitzpatrick 1783
• Sir George Yonge 1783-1794
• William Windham 1794-1801
• Charles Philip Yorke 1801-1803
• Charles Bragge 1803-1804
• William Dundas 1804-1806
• Richard Fitzpatrick 1806-1807
• James Murray Pulteney 1807-1809
• Lord Granville Leveson-Gower 1809
• Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston 1809-1828
• Sir Henry Hardinge 1828-1830
• Lord Francis Leveson-Gower 1830
• Charles Watkin Williams Wynn 1830-1831
• Sir Henry Brooke Parnell 1831-1832
• Sir John Cam Hobhouse 1832-1833
• Edward Ellice 1833-1834
• John Charles Herries 1834-1835
• Henry Grey, Viscount Howick 1835-1839
• Thomas Babington Macaulay 1839-1841
• Sir Henry Hardinge 1841-1844
• Sir Thomas Francis Fremantle 1844-1845
• Sidney Herbert 1845-1846
• Fox Maule 1846-1852
• Robert Vernon Smith 1852
• William Beresford 1852
• Sidney Herbert 1852-1854
• Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle 1854-1855
• Fox Maule-Ramsay, 1st Baron Panmure 1855-1858
• Jonathan Peel 1858-1859
• Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea 1859-1861
• Sir George Cornewall Lewis 1861-1863