Leaders_of_the_British_Whig_Party Knowpia

This is a list of the Leaders of the British Whig Party. It begins in 1830 as, in the words of J C Sainty, 'it would be misleading to convey the impression that there was in any precise sense a Leader of the Whig Party in the House of Lords before 1830'.^[1] Also, Cook & Stevenson, British Historical Facts 1760–1830 have no section for party leaders in either House of Parliament. The section on 'Overall Leaders' gives details of those who were either the Prime Minister or a former Prime Minister who was still in Parliament and leading the Whig Party in the House in which he sat.

List of leaders of the Whig Party, 1830–1859 edit

Name	Constituency/Title	Took office	Left office
Earl Grey	2nd Earl Grey	22 November 1830	16 July 1834	Earl Grey 1830–34
Viscount Melbourne	2nd Viscount Melbourne	16 July 1834	23 October 1842 ^[2]	Viscount Melbourne 1834
				The Duke of Wellington 1834
				Sir Robert Peel 1834–35
				Viscount Melbourne 1835–41
				Sir Robert Peel 1841–46
VACANT Leader in Lords -The Marquess of Lansdowne Leader in Commons -Lord John Russell		23 October 1842	30 June 1846	Sir Robert Peel 1841–46
Lord John Russell	City of London	30 June 1846	30 January 1855	Lord John Russell 1846–52
				Earl of Derby 1852
				Earl of Aberdeen 1852–55
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston^[3]	Tiverton	6 February 1855	6 June 1859 ^[4]	Viscount Palmerston 1855–1858
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston^[3]	Tiverton	6 February 1855	6 June 1859 ^[4]	Earl of Derby 1858–59

Leaders of the Whig Party in the House of Commons, 1830–1859 edit

Name	Constituency	Took office	Left office
Viscount Althorp	Northamptonshire (1830–1832); South Northamptonshire (1832–1834)	March 1830	November 1834 ^[5]
Lord John Russell	Devonshire South (1834–1835); Stroud (1835–1841); City of London (1841–1855)	November 1834	February 1855 ^[5]
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston	Tiverton	February 1855	June 1859 ^[4]^[5]

Leaders of the Whig Party in the House of Lords, 1830–1859 edit

Name	Took office	Left office
Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey	November 1830	July 1834 ^[1]
Viscount Melbourne	July 1834	October 1842 ^[6]
The Marquess of Lansdowne	October 1842	February 1855 ^[6]
Earl Granville	February 1855	1859 ^[4]^[6]

Notes and references edit

^ ^a ^b J. C. Sainty (1964), Leaders and Whips in the House of Lords, 1783–1964 House of Lords Record Office p. 10
^ Melbourne ceased to be leader when he suffered a stroke on this date.
^ Palmerston was an Irish peer and a member of the House of Commons.
^ ^a ^b ^c This date is given as being the date when the Whig Party came to an end and the Liberal Party began.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cook & Keith, British Historical Facts 1830–1900 p 92
^ ^a ^b ^c J. C. Sainty (1964), Leaders and Whips in the House of Lords, 1783–1964 House of Lords Record Office p 11