Southern Department (Great Britain)

The Southern Department was a department of the government of the Kingdom of England and later the Kingdom of Great Britain from 1660 until 1782 when its functions (and the functions of the Northern Department) were reorganised into the new Home Office and Foreign Office.[1] The department was tasked with home affairs, foreign affairs in parts of Southern Europe, and with governing the English and later British colonies, among other matters.

Southern Department
Department overview
Formed1660
Dissolved1782
Superseding agency
JurisdictionKingdom of England,
Kingdom of Great Britain
Minister responsible

History

The department was initially established in 1660. It had a variety of responsibilities, including Irish policy, the Channel Islands, and foreign affairs concerning southern European powers such as France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Italian states, Greece and the Ottoman Empire.[2] Colonial policy was also the responsibility of the Southern Department until 1768, at which time it was assigned to the newly created Secretary of State for the Colonies. Domestic affairs in England and Wales were shared indifferently between the Southern and Northern Departments. Scotland, which joined with England into the Kingdom of Great Britain after 1707, was at times represented by a separate Secretary of State for Scotland, though at others (1725–1741 and 1746–1782) it too was represented by the Northern and Southern Departments.[3]

It was administered by the Secretary of State for the Southern Department. The Southern Department's opposite number within government was the Northern Department, responsible for government dealings in northern Europe. In 1782, the Northern and Southern Departments were reorganised, with the Foreign Office taking over their foreign affairs responsibilities and Home Office taking over their domestic, military affairs, and colonial responsibilities. (Military and colonial affairs were later transferred to a new offices).

History of English and British government departments with responsibility for foreign affairs and those with responsibility for the colonies, dominions and the Commonwealth
Northern Department
1660–1782
Secretaries — Undersecretaries		 Southern Department
1660–1768
Secretaries — Undersecretaries		 —
Colonial Office
1768–1782
Secretaries — Undersecretaries		 Southern Department
1768–1782
Secretaries — Undersecretaries
Foreign Office
1782–1968
Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries		 Home Office
1782–1794
Secretaries — Undersecretaries
War Office
1794–1801
Secretaries — Undersecretaries
War and Colonial Office
1801–1854
Secretaries — Undersecretaries
Colonial Office
1854–1925
Secretaries — Undersecretaries		 India Office
1858–1937
Secretaries — Undersecretaries
Colonial Office
1925–1966
Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries		 Dominions Office
1925–1947
Secretaries — Undersecretaries
India Office and Burma Office
1937–1947
Secretaries — Undersecretaries
Commonwealth Relations Office
1947–1966
Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries
Commonwealth Office
1966–1968
Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
1968–2020
Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Since 2020
Secretaries — Ministers — Undersecretaries

See also

References
  1. Sainty, J. C. "Lists of appointments British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Originally published by University of London, London, 1973. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  2. Thompson (1932), p. 2
  3. Thompson (1932), pp. 37ff

Bibliography


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