Leaders of the British Whig Party

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.

Overall Leaders of the Whig Party, 1830–1859

Name	Portrait	Constituency/Title	Took Office	Left Office	Prime Minister
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
						Earl of Derby 1858-59

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

	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

	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

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