Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies


The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a [|Minister of State].

Under-Secretaries of State for the Colonies, 1768–1782

NameEntered officeLeft office
Richard Phelps17681768
John Pownall17681770
John Pownall and William Knox17701776
William Knox and Christopher D'Oyly17761778
William Knox and Thomas De Grey17781780
William Knox and Benjamin Thompson17801781
William Knox and John Fisher17811782

In 1782, following the loss of the American colonies, the office was abolished, and its duties given to the Home Secretary. From there it passed to the War Office, which was later renamed the War and Colonial Office. In 1854 this office was split, and the Colonial Office reestablished.

Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State for the Colonies, 1854–1966

For earlier office-holders see Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.
NameEntered officeLeft office
Frederick Peel18541855
John Ball18551857
Chichester Fortescue18571858
The Earl of Carnarvon18581859
Chichester Fortescue18591865
William Edward Forster18651866
Charles Adderley18661868
William Monsell18681871
Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen18711874
James Lowther18741878
The Earl Cadogan18781880
M. E. Grant Duff18801881
Leonard Courtney18811882
Hon. Evelyn Ashley18821885
The Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl18851886
George Osborne Morgan18861886
The Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl18861887
The Earl of Onslow18871888
Baron Henry de Worms18881892
Sydney Buxton18921895
The Earl of Selborne18951900
The Earl of Onslow19001903
The Duke of Marlborough19031905
Winston Churchill19051908
J. E. B. Seely19081911
The Lord Lucas of Crudwell19111911
The Lord Emmott19111914
The Lord Islington19141915
Arthur Steel-Maitland19151917
William Hewins19171919
Leo Amery19191921
Hon. E. F. L. Wood19211922
Hon. William Ormsby-Gore19221924
The Lord Arnold19241924
Hon. William Ormsby-Gore19241929
William Lunn19291929
Drummond Shiels19291931
Robert William Hamilton19311932
The Earl of Plymouth19321936
The Earl De La Warr19361937
The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava19371940
George Hall19401942
Harold Macmillan19421943
The Duke of Devonshire19431945
Arthur Creech Jones19451946
Ivor Thomas19461947
David Rees-Williams19471950
Thomas Fotheringham-Cook19501951
The Earl of Munster19511951
The Lord Lloyd19511957
John Profumo19571958
Julian Amery19581960
Hon. Hugh Fraser19601962
Nigel Fisher16 July 196224 October 1963
Nigel Fisher
and Richard Hornby		24 October 196316 October 1964
Eirene White
and The Lord Taylor		20 October 196411 October 1965
The Lord Taylor
and The Lord Beswick		11 October 196511 April 1966
The Lord Beswick11 April 19661 August 1966

''Abolished 1966. Thereafter, see Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs.

Minister of State for the Colonies (1948–1964)

NameEntered officeLeft office
The Earl of Listowel19481950
John Dugdale19501951
Alan Lennox-Boyd19511952
Henry Hopkinson19521955
Hon. John Hare19551956
Hon. John Maclay19561957
The Earl of Perth19571962
The Marquess of Lansdowne19621964

Abolished 1964. Thereafter, see Minister of State for Commonwealth Affairs.

Permanent Under-Secretaries of State for the Colonies, 1825 and 1854–1966

NameEntered officeLeft office
Sir Robert Hay18251836
Sir James Stephen18361847
Herman Merivale18481859
Sir Frederic Rogers18591871
Sir Robert Wyndham Herbert18711892
Sir Robert Henry Meade18921897
Edward Wingfield18971900
Montagu Ommanney19001907
Sir Francis Hopwood19071911
Sir John Anderson19111916
Sir George Fiddes19161921
Sir James Masterton-Smith19211925
Sir Samuel Wilson19251933
Sir John Maffey19331937
Sir Cosmo Parkinson19371940
Sir George Gater19401940
Sir Cosmo Parkinson19401942
Sir George Gater19421947
Sir Thomas Lloyd19471956
Sir John Macpherson19561959
Sir Hilton Poynton19591966