Secretary of State for the Southern Department Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Great Britain Secretary of State for the Southern Department
Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Great Britain Government
The Southern Department
Style	The Right Honourable (Formal prefix)
Member of	British Cabinet
Seat	Westminster, London
Appointer	The British monarch on advice of the prime minister
Term length	No fixed term
Formation	1660-1782
First holder	Edward Nicholas
Final holder	Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough

The Secretary of State for the Southern Department was an important government job in the Kingdom of Great Britain a long time ago. This person was a member of the king's main group of advisors, called the cabinet. The position existed from 1660 until 1782. After 1782, the job's duties were given to a new role that later became the modern Home Office.

History of the Role
- A Job Split by Geography
- A New System in 1782
Notable Secretaries of State
Images for kids
See also

History of the Role

Before 1782, the British government had two main secretaries of state. Their jobs were not split by topic, like today, but by location. This created two groups: the Southern Department and the Northern Department.

A Job Split by Geography

The Secretary of State for the Southern Department was in charge of Great Britain's relationship with countries in Southern Europe. This included:

Ireland and the Channel Islands
France
Spain and Portugal
The states in what is now Italy and Switzerland
The Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey and surrounding areas)

This secretary was also in charge of the American colonies until 1768. After that, a new position was created just for the colonies.

The other secretary, for the Northern Department, handled relations with countries like the Dutch Republic, Scandinavian countries, Russia, and the German states. Both secretaries shared the job of managing things at home in England and Wales.

At first, the Southern Department was seen as the more senior job. But when kings from a German state called Hanover began to rule Britain, the Northern Department became more important because it handled relations with the king's original home.

A New System in 1782

In 1782, the government decided that splitting the world by geography was confusing and not very efficient. They got rid of the Northern and Southern Departments and created two new, more modern roles:

The Home Secretary, to manage issues inside Great Britain.
The Foreign Secretary, to manage relationships with all other countries.

This basic system, with a Home Secretary for domestic issues and a Foreign Secretary for international ones, is still used by the British government today.

Notable Secretaries of State

Over the 122 years that the Southern Department existed, many different people held the job. Here are a few of the most well-known:

Edward Nicholas was the very first Secretary of State for the Southern Department, starting in 1660.
William Pitt the Elder was a very famous and powerful politician who held the position from 1756 to 1761. He later became Prime Minister of Great Britain.
Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire was the last person to hold the title. His term ended in 1782 when the department was reorganized.