Name
Portrait
Entered office
Left office
Political party
Other ministerial offices held
Notes and key events
Henry Addington
17 March 1801
10 May 1804
Tory
First Lord of the Treasury , Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons
Negotiated the Treaty of Amiens with France in 1802.
William Pitt the Younger (2nd term)
10 May 1804
23 January 1806
Tory
First Lord of the Treasury , Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons
Alliance with Russia , Austria and Sweden against France (Third Coalition ); Battle of Trafalgar ; Battle of Ulm ; Battle of Austerlitz .
The Lord Grenville
11 February 1806
31 March 1807
Whig
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
Abolition of the slave trade .
The Duke of Portland (2nd term)
31 March 1807
4 October 1809
Tory
First Lord of the Treasury
Headed a Tory government; was old and ill, leaving the Cabinet to their own devices (largely headed by Spencer Perceval ).
Spencer Perceval
4 October 1809
11 May 1812
Tory
First Lord of the Treasury , Chancellor of the Exchequer , Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster & Leader of the House of Commons
Industrial revolution ; descent of George III into madness; his administration was notable for the lack of senior statesmen (Perceval also served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer ); Peninsular War , part of the Napoleonic Wars ; as of 2007 , the only Prime Minister to have been assassinated .
The Earl of Liverpool
8 June 1812
9 April 1827
Tory
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
Oversaw the United Kingdom's victory in the Napoleonic Wars ; the Congress of Vienna ; an economic recession in 1817; The War of 1812 (in Britain, the American War of 1812 to 1815); Peterloo Massacre in 1819; return to the gold standard in 1819; the Cato Street Conspiracy to assassinate Liverpool in 1820.
George Canning
10 April 1827
8 August 1827
Tory
First Lord of the Treasury , Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons
Died shortly after taking office.
The Viscount Goderich
31 August 1827
21 January 1828
Tory
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
Lacked support amongst colleagues; resigned.
The Duke of Wellington (1st term)
22 January 1828
16 November 1830
Tory
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
Catholic Emancipation Bill (over which he fought a duel ).
The Earl Grey
22 November 1830
9 July 1834
Whig
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
Reform Act 1832 ; restriction of employment of children; abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire .
The Viscount Melbourne (1st term)
16 July 1834
14 November 1834
Whig
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
William IV 's opposition forced him to resign.
The Duke of Wellington (2nd term)
14 November 1834
10 December 1834
Tory
First Lord of the Treasury , Secretary of State for the Home Department , Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs , Secretary of State for War and the Colonies & Leader of the House of Lords
Caretaker government while Sir Robert Peel was located and returned to London. Held many of the major posts himself.
Sir Robert Peel (1st term)
10 December 1834
8 April 1835
Conservative
First Lord of the Treasury , Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons
Unable to form a majority in Parliament so resigned.
The Viscount Melbourne (2nd term)
18 April 1835
30 August 1841
Whig
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
A father figure to Queen Victoria ; Municipal Corporations Act 1835 .
Sir Robert Peel (2nd term)
30 August 1841
29 June 1846
Conservative
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons
Mines Act 1842 ; Factory Act 1844 ; Railway Act 1844 ; repeal of the Corn Laws (triggered by the Irish potato famine );
The Lord John Russell (1st term) (afterwards PM as Earl Russell)
30 June 1846
21 February 1852
Whig
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons
Education Act 1847 ; Australian Colonies Act 1850 ; improved the Poor Law ; .
The Earl of Derby (1st term)
23 February 1852
17 December 1852
Conservative
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
Government collapsed when his Chancellor's Budget was defeated.
The Earl of Aberdeen
19 December 1852
30 January 1855
Peelite
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
Entered the country into the Crimean War ; resigned due to the formation of an enquiry into the conduct of the war. First and last Peelite Prime Minister.
The Viscount Palmerston (1st term)
6 February 1855
19 February 1858
Whig
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons
Responded to the Indian mutiny of 1857 ; introduced the India Bill 1858 .
The Earl of Derby (2nd term)
20 February 1858
11 June 1859
Conservative
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
India Bill 1858 , transferring ownership of the East India Company to the Crown; Jews Relief Act , allowing Jews to become MPs.
The Viscount Palmerston (2nd term)
12 June 1859
18 October 1865
Liberal
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons
Between periods in office he founded the Liberal Party ; died in office.
The Earl Russell (2nd term) (previously PM as Lord John Russell)
29 October 1865
26 June 1866
Liberal
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
Attempted to introduce a further Reform Bill, but was opposed by his Cabinet.
The Earl of Derby (3rd term)
28 June 1866
25 February 1868
Conservative
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Lords
Reform Act 1867 ; considered by some to be the father of the modern Conservative Party.
Benjamin Disraeli (1st term)
27 February 1868
1 December 1868
Conservative
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons
The UK's first and, as of 2007 , only, Prime Minister from Jewish ancestry; dissolved Parliament as the Conservatives did not have a majority.
William Ewart Gladstone (1st term)
3 December 1868
17 February 1874
Liberal
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons 3 December 1868 - 17 February 1874 ; Chancellor of the Exchequer 11 August 1873 - 17 February 1874
Introduced reforms to the British Army , Civil Service and local government; made peacetime flogging illegal; Ballot Act 1872 ; failed to prevent the Franco-Prussian War .
Benjamin Disraeli (2nd term) (from 1876 as Earl of Beaconsfield)
20 February 1874
21 April 1880
Conservative
First Lord of the Treasury 20 February 1874 - 21 April 1880 ; Leader of the House of Commons 20 February 1874 - 21 August 1876 ; Leader of the House of Lords 21 August 1876 - 21 April 1880 ; Lord Privy Seal 21 August 1876 - 2 April 1878
Various reforms including the Climbing Boys Act 1875 , the Public Health Act 1875 and the Employers and Workmen Act 1878 ; Congress of Berlin ; breaking up of the League of the Three Emperors , the Zulu War .
William Ewart Gladstone (2nd term)
23 April 1880
9 June 1885
Liberal
First Lord of the Treasury & Leader of the House of Commons 23 April 1880 - 9 June 1885 ; Chancellor of the Exchequer 23 April 1880 - 16 December 1882
First Boer War ; Irish Coercion Act ; Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 ; Reform Act, 1884 ; failure to rescue General Gordon in Khartoum , Sudan .
The Marquess of Salisbury (1st term)
23 June 1885
28 January 1886
Conservative
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs & Leader of the House of Lords
Legislation providing for housing the working class .
William Ewart Gladstone (3rd term)
1 February 1886
20 July 1886
Liberal
First Lord of the Treasury , Lord Privy Seal & Leader of the House of Commons
First introduction of the Home Rule Bill for Ireland , which split the Liberal Party, resulting in the end of Gladstone's government.
The Marquess of Salisbury (2nd term)
25 July 1886
11 August 1892
Conservative
Leader of the House of Lords 25 July 1886 - 11 August 1892 ; First Lord of the Treasury 25 July 1886 - January 14 1887 ; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs January 14 1887 - 11 August 1892
Opposed Irish home rule ; Local Government Act 1888 ; Partition of Africa ; Free Education Act 1891 ; creation of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe ).
William Ewart Gladstone (4th term)
15 August 1892
2 March 1894
Liberal
First Lord of the Treasury , Lord Privy Seal & Leader of the House of Commons
Reintroduction of the Home Rule Bill, which was passed by the House of Commons but rejected by the House of Lords leading to his resignation.
The Earl of Rosebery
5 March 1894
22 June 1895
Liberal
First Lord of the Treasury , Lord President of the Council & Leader of the House of Lords
Imperialist; plans for expanding the Royal Navy caused disagreement within the Liberal Party; resigned following a vote of censure over military supplies.
The Marquess of Salisbury (3rd term)
25 June 1895
11 July 1902
Conservative
Leader of the House of Lords 25 June 1895 - 11 July 1902 ; Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 25 June 1895 - November 12 1900 ; Lord Privy Seal November 12 1900 - 11 July 1902
Workmen's Compensation Act 1897 ; Second Boer War ; Anglo-Japanese Alliance .