Secretary of State for the Southern Department
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The secretary of state for the Southern Department<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> was a position in the cabinet of the government of the Kingdom of Great Britain up to 1782, when the Southern Department became the Home Office.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two British secretaries of state for the Northern and the Southern departments were divided not based on the principles of modern ministerial divisions, but geographically. The secretary of state for the Southern Department was responsible for Ireland, the Channel Islands, France, Spain, Portugal, the Old Swiss Confederacy, the states of Italy, and the Ottoman Empire. He was also responsible for the American colonies until 1768, when the charge was given to the secretary of state for the colonies. The secretary of state for the Northern Department was responsible for relations with the Dutch Republic, Scandinavia, Poland, Russia, and the Holy Roman Empire. Domestic responsibilities in England and Wales were shared between the two Secretaries. After the union with Scotland in 1707, the two secretaries also took responsibility for Scotland when there was no secretary of state for Scotland in office.<ref name=thomson_2_3>Template:Cite book</ref>
Until 1706, the practice was generally for the senior official to lead the Southern Department, and the junior the Northern Department, with the Northern Secretary being transferred to the Southern Department when a vacancy arose at the latter.<ref name=thomson_2_3/> During the reigns of George I and George II, however, the Northern Department began to be seen as the more important, since its responsibilities included the monarchs' ancestral home of Hanover.<ref>Cass (1932), pp. 21-22</ref> During the reign of George III, the two departments were of approximately equal importance.<ref>Cass (1932), p. 4</ref>
In 1782, the two secretaries of state were reformed as the secretary of state for the Home Department and the secretary of state for foreign affairs.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite book</ref>
List of southern secretaries
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See also
Notes
Citations
- Pages with broken file links
- Secretaries of state for the Southern Department
- Defunct ministerial offices in the United Kingdom
- Lists of English politicians
- Lists of government ministers of the United Kingdom
- Great Britain politics-related lists
- Secretaries of state of the Kingdom of England
- Kingdom of Great Britain
- History of the Thirteen Colonies
- Politics of Ireland
- 17th century in the British Empire
- 18th century in the British Empire
- 17th century in England
- 18th century in England
- Southern England
- 1660 establishments in England
- 1782 disestablishments in Great Britain
- 1660 establishments in the British Empire
- 1782 disestablishments in the British Empire
- Foreign relations of Great Britain