Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
Encyclopedia
The position of Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was a British ministerial position, subordinate to that of Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
, created in 1925 to deal with British relations with the Dominions — Canada
, Australia
, New Zealand
, South Africa
, Newfoundland
, and the Irish Free State
.
In 1947 the office was replaced by the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
.
.
Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
The position of Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs was a British cabinet level position created in 1925 responsible for British relations with the Dominions — Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Newfoundland, and the Irish Free State, as well as the self-governing colony of...
, created in 1925 to deal with British relations with the Dominions — Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Newfoundland
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
, and the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
.
In 1947 the office was replaced by the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations
The Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations was a junior ministerial post in the United Kingdom Government from 1947 until 1966. The holder was responsible for assisting the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations in dealing with British relationship with members of the...
.
Under-Secretaries of State for Dominion Affairs, 1925-1947
- 1925: Earl of ClarendonGeorge Villiers, 6th Earl of ClarendonGeorge Herbert Hyde Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon KG, PC , known as Lord Hyde from 1877 to 1914, was a British Conservative politician...
- 1927: Lord Lovat
- 1929: Earl of PlymouthIvor Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of PlymouthIvor Miles Windsor-Clive, 2nd Earl of Plymouth PC was an English nobleman and Conservative politician....
- 1929: Arthur PonsonbyArthur Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of ShulbredeArthur Augustus William Harry Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede was a British politician, writer, and social activist. He was the third son of Sir Henry Ponsonby, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria, and the great-grandson of Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough...
- 1929: William LunnWilliam LunnWilliam Lunn was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom.He was elected at the 1918 general election as Member of Parliament for the newly-created Rothwell constituency in West Yorkshire, and held the seat until he died in office in 1942, aged 69.In 1924, Lunn served in Ramsay...
- 1931: Malcolm MacDonaldMalcolm MacDonaldMalcolm John MacDonald OM, PC was a British politician and diplomat.-Background:MacDonald was the son of Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and Margaret MacDonald. Like his father he was born in Lossiemouth, Moray...
- 1935: Lord StanleyEdward Stanley, Lord Stanley (1894-1938)Edward Montagu Cavendish Stanley, Lord Stanley PC, MC was a British Conservative politician. The eldest son of the 17th Earl of Derby, he held minor political office before being appointed Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs in 1938, sitting in the cabinet alongside his brother Oliver Stanley...
- 1935: Douglas Hacking
- 1936: Marquess of HartingtonEdward Cavendish, 10th Duke of DevonshireEdward William Spencer Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire, KG, MBE, TD , known as Marquess of Hartington , was the head of the Devonshire branch of the Cavendish family...
- 1940: Geoffrey Shakespeare
- 1942: Paul Emrys-EvansPaul Emrys-EvansPaul Vychan Emrys-Evans was a British Conservative Party politician.He was elected as Member of Parliament for South Derbyshire at the 1931 general election, and served as the constituency's MP until his defeat at the 1945 general election by Labour's Arthur Champion.He was Under-Secretary of...
- 1945: John ParkerJohn Parker (UK politician)Herbert John Harvey Parker , normally known as John Parker, was a long-serving British Labour politician....
- 1946: Arthur BottomleyArthur BottomleyArthur George Bottomley, Baron Bottomley, OBE, PC was a British Labour politician, Member of Parliament and minister....
Permanent Under-Secretaries of State for Dominion Affairs, 1925-1947
The post lasted as long as the office itself, from 1925 to 1947 with the last Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, Sir Eric Machtig, transferring in 1947 to become the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, jointly with A. Carter formerly of the India OfficeIndia Office
The India Office was a British government department created in 1858 to oversee the colonial administration of India, i.e. the modern-day nations of Bangladesh, Burma, India, and Pakistan, as well as territories in South-east and Central Asia, the Middle East, and parts of the east coast of Africa...
.
| Name | Entered office | Left office |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Charles Davis | 1925 | 1930 |
| Sir Edward Harding Edward John Harding Sir Edward John Harding GCMG, KCB, MA was a prominent British civil servant and diplomat and former High Commissioner to South Africa.-Early life:... |
1930 | 1939 |
| Sir Eric Machtig (acting) | 1939 | 1940 |
| Sir Cosmo Parkinson | 1940 | 1940 |
| Sir Eric Machtig | 1940 | 1947 |