Name
|
Portrait
|
Entered office
|
Left office
|
Political party
|
Other ministerial offices held
|
Notes and key events
|
|
Henry Addington
|
|
17 March 1801
|
10 May 1804
|
Tory
|
First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons
|
Negotiated the Treaty of Amiens with France in 1802.
|
|
William Pitt the Younger (2nd term)
|
|
10 May 1804
|
23 January 1806
|
Tory
|
First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons
|
Alliance with Russia, Austria and Sweden against France (Third Coalition); Battle of Trafalgar; Battle of Ulm; Battle of Austerlitz.
|
|
The Lord Grenville
|
|
11 February 1806
|
31 March 1807
|
Whig
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Abolition of the slave trade.
|
|
The Duke of Portland (2nd term)
|
|
31 March 1807
|
4 October 1809
|
Tory
|
First Lord of the Treasury
|
Headed a Tory government; was old and ill, leaving the Cabinet to their own devices (largely headed by Spencer Perceval).
|
|
Spencer Perceval
|
|
4 October 1809
|
11 May 1812
|
Tory
|
First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster & Leader of the House of Commons
|
Industrial revolution; descent of George III into madness; his administration was notable for the lack of senior statesmen (Perceval also served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer); Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars; as of 2007, the only Prime Minister to have been assassinated.
|
|
The Earl of Liverpool
|
|
8 June 1812
|
9 April 1827
|
Tory
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Oversaw the United Kingdom's victory in the Napoleonic Wars; the Congress of Vienna; an economic recession in 1817; The War of 1812 (in Britain, the American War of 1812 to 1815); Peterloo Massacre in 1819; return to the gold standard in 1819; the Cato Street Conspiracy to assassinate Liverpool in 1820.
|
|
George Canning
|
|
10 April 1827
|
8 August 1827
|
Tory
|
First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons
|
Died shortly after taking office.
|
|
The Viscount Goderich
|
|
31 August 1827
|
21 January 1828
|
Tory
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Lacked support amongst colleagues; resigned.
|
|
The Duke of Wellington (1st term)
|
|
22 January 1828
|
16 November 1830
|
Tory
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Catholic Emancipation Bill (over which he fought a duel).
|
|
The Earl Grey
|
|
22 November 1830
|
9 July 1834
|
Whig
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Reform Act 1832; restriction of employment of children; abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire.
|
|
The Viscount Melbourne (1st term)
|
|
16 July 1834
|
14 November 1834
|
Whig
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
William IV's opposition forced him to resign.
|
|
The Duke of Wellington (2nd term)
|
|
14 November 1834
|
10 December 1834
|
Tory
|
First Lord of the Treasury, Secretary of State for the Home Department, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Caretaker government while Sir Robert Peel was located and returned to London. Held many of the major posts himself.
|
|
Sir Robert Peel (1st term)
|
|
10 December 1834
|
8 April 1835
|
Conservative
|
First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons
|
Unable to form a majority in Parliament so resigned.
|
|
The Viscount Melbourne (2nd term)
|
|
18 April 1835
|
30 August 1841
|
Whig
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
A father figure to Queen Victoria; Municipal Corporations Act 1835.
|
|
Sir Robert Peel (2nd term)
|
|
30 August 1841
|
29 June 1846
|
Conservative
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons
|
Mines Act 1842; Factory Act 1844; Railway Act 1844; repeal of the Corn Laws (triggered by the Irish potato famine);
|
|
The Lord John Russell (1st term) (afterwards PM as Earl Russell)
|
|
30 June 1846
|
21 February 1852
|
Whig
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons
|
Education Act 1847; Australian Colonies Act 1850; improved the Poor Law; .
|
|
The Earl of Derby (1st term)
|
|
23 February 1852
|
17 December 1852
|
Conservative
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Government collapsed when his Chancellor's Budget was defeated.
|
|
The Earl of Aberdeen
|
|
19 December 1852
|
30 January 1855
|
Peelite
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Entered the country into the Crimean War; resigned due to the formation of an enquiry into the conduct of the war. First and last Peelite Prime Minister.
|
|
The Viscount Palmerston (1st term)
|
|
6 February 1855
|
19 February 1858
|
Whig
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons
|
Responded to the Indian mutiny of 1857; introduced the India Bill 1858.
|
|
The Earl of Derby (2nd term)
|
|
20 February 1858
|
11 June 1859
|
Conservative
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
India Bill 1858, transferring ownership of the East India Company to the Crown; Jews Relief Act, allowing Jews to become MPs.
|
|
The Viscount Palmerston (2nd term)
|
|
12 June 1859
|
18 October 1865
|
Liberal
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons
|
Between periods in office he founded the Liberal Party; died in office.
|
|
The Earl Russell (2nd term) (previously PM as Lord John Russell)
|
|
29 October 1865
|
26 June 1866
|
Liberal
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Attempted to introduce a further Reform Bill, but was opposed by his Cabinet.
|
|
The Earl of Derby (3rd term)
|
|
28 June 1866
|
25 February 1868
|
Conservative
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Reform Act 1867; considered by some to be the father of the modern Conservative Party.
|
|
Benjamin Disraeli (1st term)
|
|
27 February 1868
|
1 December 1868
|
Conservative
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons
|
The UK's first and, as of 2007, only, Prime Minister from Jewish ancestry; dissolved Parliament as the Conservatives did not have a majority.
|
|
William Ewart Gladstone (1st term)
|
|
3 December 1868
|
17 February 1874
|
Liberal
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons 3 December 1868 - 17 February 1874; Chancellor of the Exchequer 11 August 1873 - 17 February 1874
|
Introduced reforms to the British Army, Civil Service and local government; made peacetime flogging illegal; Ballot Act 1872; failed to prevent the Franco-Prussian War.
|
|
Benjamin Disraeli (2nd term) (from 1876 as Earl of Beaconsfield)
|
|
20 February 1874
|
21 April 1880
|
Conservative
|
First Lord of the Treasury 20 February 1874 - 21 April 1880; Leader of the House of Commons 20 February 1874 - 21 August 1876; Leader of the House of Lords 21 August 1876 - 21 April 1880; Lord Privy Seal 21 August 1876 - 2 April 1878
|
Various reforms including the Climbing Boys Act 1875, the Public Health Act 1875 and the Employers and Workmen Act 1878; Congress of Berlin; breaking up of the League of the Three Emperors, the Zulu War.
|
|
William Ewart Gladstone (2nd term)
|
|
23 April 1880
|
9 June 1885
|
Liberal
|
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons 23 April 1880 - 9 June 1885; Chancellor of the Exchequer 23 April 1880 - 16 December 1882
|
First Boer War; Irish Coercion Act; Redistribution of Seats Act 1885; Reform Act, 1884; failure to rescue General Gordon in Khartoum, Sudan.
|
|
The Marquess of Salisbury (1st term)
|
|
23 June 1885
|
28 January 1886
|
Conservative
|
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Legislation providing for housing the working class.
|
|
William Ewart Gladstone (3rd term)
|
|
1 February 1886
|
20 July 1886
|
Liberal
|
First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Privy Seal & Leader of the House of Commons
|
First introduction of the Home Rule Bill for Ireland, which split the Liberal Party, resulting in the end of Gladstone's government.
|
|
The Marquess of Salisbury (2nd term)
|
|
25 July 1886
|
11 August 1892
|
Conservative
|
Leader of the House of Lords 25 July 1886 - 11 August 1892; First Lord of the Treasury 25 July 1886 - January 14 1887; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs January 14 1887 - 11 August 1892
|
Opposed Irish home rule; Local Government Act 1888; Partition of Africa; Free Education Act 1891; creation of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
|
|
William Ewart Gladstone (4th term)
|
|
15 August 1892
|
2 March 1894
|
Liberal
|
First Lord of the Treasury, Lord Privy Seal & Leader of the House of Commons
|
Reintroduction of the Home Rule Bill, which was passed by the House of Commons but rejected by the House of Lords leading to his resignation.
|
|
The Earl of Rosebery
|
|
5 March 1894
|
22 June 1895
|
Liberal
|
First Lord of the Treasury, Lord President of the Council & Leader of the House of Lords
|
Imperialist; plans for expanding the Royal Navy caused disagreement within the Liberal Party; resigned following a vote of censure over military supplies.
|
|
The Marquess of Salisbury (3rd term)
|
|
25 June 1895
|
11 July 1902
|
Conservative
|
Leader of the House of Lords 25 June 1895 - 11 July 1902; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 25 June 1895 - November 12 1900; Lord Privy Seal November 12 1900 - 11 July 1902
|
Workmen's Compensation Act 1897; Second Boer War; Anglo-Japanese Alliance.
|