Broad Bottom ministry

For other uses of "Broad Bottom", see broad bottom government.

"Pelham ministry" redirects here. For Pelham's first administration as First Lord of the Treasury, see Carteret ministry.

Pelham brothers

Henry Pelham, Prime Minister of Great Britain

Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of State

The Broad Bottom ministry was the factional coalition government of Great Britain between 1744 and 1754.[1] It was led by the two Pelham brothers in Parliament, Prime Minister Henry Pelham in the House of Commons and the Duke of Newcastle in the House of Lords.

Early in 1746 the King wished a change of prime minister, and Pelham lost power, but only briefly. On returning to office he put in place a strengthened broad coalition of Whigs. The second Broad Bottom administration lasted from Pelham's resumption of power until his death in 1754.[3]

Ministry

Portfolio	Minister	Took office	Left office
First Lord of the Treasury[4] Chancellor of the Exchequer[5]	Henry Pelham (head of ministry)	Continued	1754 (1754)
Lord Chancellor[6]	The Lord Hardwicke	Continued	1754 (1754)
Lord President of the Council[7]	The Earl of Harrington	Continued	1745 (1745)
	The Duke of Dorset	1745 (1745)	1751 (1751)
	The Earl Granville	1751 (1751)	1754 (1754)
Lord Privy Seal[8]	The Lord Gower	1744 (1744)	1754 (1754)
Secretary of State for the Southern Department[9]	The Duke of Newcastle (head of ministry)	Continued	1748 (1748)
	The Duke of Bedford	1748 (1748)	1751 (1751)
	The Earl of Holderness	1751 (1751)	1754 (1754)
Secretary of State for the Northern Department[9]	The Earl of Harrington	1744 (1744)	1746 (1746)
	The Earl of Chesterfield	1746 (1746)	1748 (1748)
	The Duke of Newcastle (head of ministry)	1748 (1748)	1754 (1754)
Master-General of the Ordnance[10]	The Duke of Montagu	Continued	1749 (1749)
	Vacant	1749 (1749)	1754 (1754)
First Lord of the Admiralty[11]	The Duke of Bedford	1744 (1744)	1748 (1748)
	The Earl of Sandwich	1748 (1748)	1751 (1751)
	The Lord Anson	1751 (1751)	1754 (1754)
Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland[12]	The Duke of Argyll	1744 (1744)	1754 (1754)
Secretary of State for Scotland[13]	The Marquess of Tweeddale	1744 (1744)	1746 (1746)
Lord Chamberlain of the Household[14]	The Duke of Grafton	1744 (1744)	1754 (1754)
Master of the Horse[15]	The Duke of Richmond	1744 (1744)	1750 (1750)
	Vacant	1750 (1750)	1751 (1751)
	Marquess of Hartington	1751 (1751)	1754 (1754)

See also

• 1747 British general election

Notes

1. Colley 1985, p. 243
2. Kulisheck 2004
3. Beyond the more senior ministers listed (see below), other significant figures in the ministry from 1746 include Henry Fox as Secretary at War and William Pitt as Paymaster of the Forces.[2]
4. Haydn 1851, p. 112
5. Haydn 1851, p. 168
6. Haydn 1851, p. 105
7. Haydn 1851, p. 119
8. Haydn 1851, p. 147
9. Haydn 1851, p. 172
10. Haydn 1851, p. 192
11. Haydn 1851, p. 160
12. Haydn 1851, p. 401
13. Haydn 1851, p. 409
14. Haydn 1851, p. 206
15. Haydn 1851, p. 209

Works cited

• Colley, Linda (1985), In Defiance of Oligarchy: The Tory Party 1714–60, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-5213-1311-7
• Haydn, Joseph (1851), The Book of Dignities, London: Longmans, Brown, Green, and Longmans
• Kulisheck, P. J. (2004), "Pelham, Henry (1694–1754)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.), Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/21789 (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

Further reading

• Cook, Chris; John Stevenson (1988), British Historical Facts: 1688–1760, Palgrave Macmillan UK, p. 42, ISBN 978-1-3490-2369-1
• Kilburn, Matthew (2007), "Broad-bottom ministry (act. 1744–1746)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.), Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/95199

Preceded by Carteret ministry	Government of Great Britain 24 November 1744 – 10 February 1746 (1744-11-24 – 1746-02-10)	Succeeded by Short-lived ministry
Preceded by Short-lived ministry	Government of Great Britain 14 February 1746 – 6 March 1754 (1746-02-14 – 1754-03-06)	Succeeded by First Newcastle ministry