0 | Version | #1.00 | Legacy Historical Time Line File | British Prime Ministers from Sir Robert Walpole who is generally accepted as the first true Prime Minister.{\n}Sources include:{\n}10 Downing Street: http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page123.asp{\n}BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/{\n}The Worker and the Law: By K. W. Wedderburn; published by Pelican Books 1965{\n}The Prime Ministers: George M. Thomson; published by Martin Secker & Warburg Ltd 1980{\n}Additional Information:{\n}J. A. Jaffe (Workers' Arbitration): http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/lhr/18.3/jaffe.php{\n}Marjie Bloy (Working Class in 1844): http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/factmine/childmin.htm {\n}© Compiled by Ron Ferguson July 2006 amended 2007 |
0 | 1721-00-00 | 1742-00-00 | Sir Robert Walpole | Generally accepted as the first real British Prime Minister (his term of office was briefly interrupted by Spencer Crompton){\n}1730 Irish Famine{\n}1732 First Cavalry and Infantry Muster Rolls{\n}1735 Moved into 10 Downing Street (a present from King George II) | 
0 | 1742-00-00 | 1743-00-00 | Spencer Crompton, Earl of Wilmington | died in office | 
0 | 1743-00-00 | 1754-00-00 | Henry Pelham | 1745 Jacobite Rebellion{\n}1752 Implemented the 1751 Calender Act adopting the Gregorian calender, moving the beginning of the year from 25 March to 1 January{\n}1754 Hardwicke Act (1753) Banns to be called and printed registers used{\n}1754 First printed Army Lists | 
0 | 1754-00-00 | 1756-00-00 | Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of Newcastle | Brother of Henry Pelham {\n}1756 Start of Seven Years War | 
0 | 1756-00-00 | 1757-00-00 | William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire. | The Seven Years War continued (1756-1763) | 
0 | 1757-00-00 | 1762-00-00 | Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of Newcastle | Held office for most of the Seven Years War(1756-1763) | 
0 | 1762-00-00 | 1763-00-00 | John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute | Ended Seven Years War | 
0 | 1763-00-00 | 1765-00-00 | George Grenville | 1765 introduced the Stamp Act (which was later to lead to the American war of Independence){\n}Sacked by George III | 
0 | 1765-00-00 | 1766-00-00 | Charles Wentworth, 2nd Marquis of Rockingham | 1766 Repealed the Stamp Act (after protest from the colonies){\n}Sacked by George III | 
0 | 1766-00-00 | 1768-00-00 | William Pitt, Earl of Chatham | AKA "William Pitt The Elder"{\n}Credited with the birth of the British Empire{\n}Died in office | 
0 | 1767-00-00 | 1770-00-00 | Henry Augustus Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of Grafton | Believed in the removal of duties from the colonies - except for tea{\n}1770 Discovery of Australia by Cook | 
0 | 1770-00-00 | 1782-00-00 | Frederick, Lord North | Noted for losing Britain the American colonies{\n}1773 Boston Tea Party{\n}1776 America declared independence{\n}1780 Anti catholic Gordon Riots in London{\n}1781 Surrender at Yorktown | 
0 | 1782-00-00 | 1782-00-00 | Charles Wentworth, 2nd Marquis of Rockingham |  | 
0 | 1782-00-00 | 1783-00-00 | William Fitzmaurice, 2nd Earl of Shelburne | 1782 Gilbert's Act establishes outdoor poor relief {\n}Made peace with America, France and Spain | 
0 | 1783-00-00 | 1783-00-00 | William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland |  | 
0 | 1783-00-00 | 1801-00-00 | William Pitt | AKA "William Pitt, The Younger"{\n}1784 India Act established dual-control of the East India Company{\n}1788 First deportees arrive in New South Wales{\n}1789 French Revolution{\n}1793 Entered war with France{\n}1790's Introduced Income Tax{\n}1799 Combination Act. Amended in 1800 effectively banned Trade Unions and reinforced arbitration as a means of settling disputes{\n}1800 Act of Union with Ireland | 
0 | 1801-00-00 | 1804-00-00 | Henry Addington | 1801 Union Flag adopted as the official British flag {\n}1802 Treaty of Amiens: ill-advised peace treaty with France{\n}Later elevated to the peerage as Viscount Sidmouth | 
0 | 1804-00-00 | 1806-00-00 | William Pitt | AKA "William Pitt, The Younger"{\n}1805 Battle of Trafalgar | 
0 | 1806-00-00 | 1807-00-00 | William Wyndham, Lord Grenville | 1807 Abolition of the slave trade | 
0 | 1807-00-00 | 1809-00-00 | William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland |  | 
0 | 1809-00-00 | 1812-00-00 | Spencer Perceval | 1812 Luddite Riots (machine breaking){\n}1812 Shot dead in the lobby of the House of Commons by John Bellingham | \n
0 | 1812-00-00 | 1827-00-00 | Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool | 1815 Battle of Waterloo and ending the Napoleonic Wars{\n}1819 Peterloo Massacre In Manchester where soldiers attacked pro-parliamentary reform protesters{\n}1819 Return to the Gold Standard{\n}1819 Repeal of anti-trade union laws{\n}1825 Opening of the first railway | 
0 | 1827-00-00 | 1827-00-00 | George Canning | Died in office | 
0 | 1827-00-00 | 1828-00-00 | Frederick Robinson, Viscount Goderich | Only held office for four months | 
0 | 1828-00-00 | 1830-00-00 | Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington | 1829 Catholic Emancipation (over which he fought a duel with Lord Winchilsea - both missed!){\n}1829 Creation of the London Metropolitan Police | 
0 | 1830-00-00 | 1834-00-00 | Charles, 2nd Earl Grey | 1831 Reform Bill{\n}1832 Electoral Registers introduced{\n}1833 Factory Act: Banned children under 9 from working in factories{\n}1833 Abolition of slavery in the British Empire | 
0 | 1834-00-00 | 1834-00-00 | William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne |  | 
0 | 1834-00-00 | 1835-00-00 | Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet | In office for only five months | 
0 | 1835-00-00 | 1841-00-00 | William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne | 1835 Municipal Corporations Act gave local power to the growing middle classes{\n}1837 (September) Voluntary registration of births, marriages and deaths introduced{\n}1840 Introduction of the "Penny Post"{\n}1841 First census containing personal details | 
0 | 1841-00-00 | 1846-00-00 | Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet | 1842 Mines Acts forbade the employment of women and children in the mines{\n}1844 Factory Act limited working hours for women and children in factories{\n}1846 Repeal of Corn Laws | 
0 | 1846-00-00 | 1852-00-00 | Lord John Russell | 1847 Ten Hours Act: Cut factory work day to ten hours for women and children {\n}1847 Education Act Improved teachers' pay and provided money for non-conformist schools{\n}He was created Earl Russell in 1861 | 
0 | 1852-00-00 | 1852-00-00 | Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby |  | 
0 | 1852-00-00 | 1855-00-00 | George Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen | 1854 Crimean War | 
0 | 1855-00-00 | 1858-00-00 | Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston | 1856 End of Crimean War {\n}1857 Start of the Indian Mutiny{\n}1858 Introduced the India Bill to transfer the administration of India from the East India Company to the Crown{\n}(Whilst out of office in 1859 helped create the Liberal Party) | 
0 | 1858-00-00 | 1859-00-00 | Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby | 1858 Completed the passage of the India Bill to transfer the administration of India from the East India Company to the Crown | 
0 | 1859-00-00 | 1865-00-00 | Henry Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston | Died in Office | 
0 | 1865-00-00 | 1866-00-00 | Earl Russell | 1866 Age at death entered onto Death Certificates | 
0 | 1866-00-00 | 1868-00-00 | Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby | 1867 Second Reform Bill | 
0 | 1868-00-00 | 1868-00-00 | Benjamin Disraeli | 1868 Last convicts sent to Australia | 
0 | 1868-00-00 | 1874-00-00 | William Ewart Gladstone | 1869 Suez Canal Opened{\n}1871 Trades Unions permitted{\n}Disestablished the Church of Ireland and passed the Irish Land Act to remove unfair practices by landlords | 
0 | 1874-00-00 | 1880-00-00 | Benjamin Disraeli | 1874 Compulsory registration of births and deaths introduced{\n}1875 Climbing Boys Act prohibited the use of children as chimney sweeps{\n}1875 Artisans Dwelling Act entitled Local Authorities to demolish slums{\n}1875 Public Heath Act provided running water and refuse disposal{\n}1878 Berlin Congress (Peace with honour in the Balkans){\n}1879 First Telephone Exchanges opened in Manchester and London{\n}1879 created Earl of Beaconsfield | 
0 | 1880-00-00 | 1885-00-00 | William Ewart Gladstone | 1880 Education Act: Made schooling compulsory for 5-10 year olds{\n}1881 British defeat by the Boers at Mujaba{\n}1883 Married Womens Property Act (1898) became effective{\n}Lost British control of Sudan after having failed to rescue Gordon in Khartoum | 
0 | 1885-00-00 | 1885-00-00 | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquis of Salisbury |  | 
0 | 1886-00-00 | 1886-00-00 | William Ewart Gladstone | Introduced and lost an Irish Home Rule Bill | 
0 | 1886-00-00 | 1892-00-00 | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquis of Salisbury | 1888 Local Government Act transferring the administration of counties to elected county councils{\n}1891 Free Education Act: Primary education made free and compulsory {\n}Established Rhodesia as a colony | 
0 | 1892-00-00 | 1894-00-00 | William Ewart Gladstone | 1894 Opening of the Manchester Ship Canal{\n}1894 Local Government Act creating civil parish councils etc.{\n}Re-introduced his Irish Home Rule Bill which was rejected by the Lords. He resigned | 
0 | 1894-00-00 | 1895-00-00 | Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery |  | 
0 | 1895-00-00 | 1902-00-00 | Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquis of Salisbury | 1896 First permanent wireless installation{\n}1897 Workmen's Compensation Act made employers liable for accidents to employees{\n}1899 Boer War started{\n}1900 School leaving age raised to 14 | 
0 | 1902-00-00 | 1905-00-00 | Arthur James Balfour | 1902 Education Act provided for secondary education | 
0 | 1905-00-00 | 1908-00-00 | Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman | 1906 Labour Party founded{\n}Restored autonomy to the Transvaal and the Orange Free State (both part of South Africa) | 
0 | 1908-00-00 | 1916-00-00 | Herbert Henry Asquith | 1911 The Parliament Act removed the power to vote against money bills and public legislation from the Lords{\n}1912 Foundation of Royal Flying Corps (later the RAF){\n}1912 Titanic sinks{\n}1914 First World War (1914 - 1918){\n}1925 Was created Earl of Oxford | 
0 | 1916-00-00 | 1922-00-00 | David Lloyd George | 1918 End of First World War (1914 - 1918){\n}1918 Signed The Treaty of Versailles founding the League of Nations{\n}1918 Votes for women 30+ and men 21+{\n}1921 Irish Free State and Northern Ireland formed {\n}1944 Was made Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor | 
0 | 1922-00-00 | 1923-00-00 | Andrew Bonar Law | 1922 Law of Property Act abolishing the Manorial System | 
0 | 1923-00-00 | 1924-00-00 | Stanley Baldwin |  | 
0 | 1924-00-00 | 1924-00-00 | James Ramsey MacDonald | Britains first Labour Party Prime Minister | 
0 | 1924-00-00 | 1929-00-00 | Stanley Baldwin | 1925 Return to the Gold Standard{\n}1925 Contributory State Pensions introduced{\n}1926 General Strike{\n}1927 Registration of still-births commenced{\n}1928 Extended the franchise to women aged over 21{\n}1929 Minimum age of marriage increased to 16 (from 14 boys and 12 girls) | 
0 | 1929-00-00 | 1935-00-00 | James Ramsey MacDonald | Due to being a member of a minority party in The Commons he entered into a National Government with Stanley Baldwin which eventually caused his downfall | 
0 | 1935-00-00 | 1937-00-00 | Stanley Baldwin | 1936 Germany Started to re-arm{\n}1936 Achieved a European non-intervention pact in the Spanish Civil War{\n}1937 Abdication of Edward V111{\n}1937 Became Earl Baldwin of Bewdley | 
0 | 1937-00-00 | 1940-00-00 | Arthur Neville Chamberlain | 1938 Munich Peace in our time Meeting with Hitler{\n}1939 Germany invaded Poland and he declared war{\n}1939 Second World War (1939 - 1945) | 
0 | 1940-00-00 | 1945-00-00 | Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill | Noted as a great war leader who could stir the resolve of his countrymen{\n}1945 End Second World War (1939 -1945) | 
0 | 1945-00-00 | 1951-00-00 | Clement Richard Attlee | Nationalisation of the Bank of England{\n}Nationalisation of heavy industry{\n}Dismantled the British Empire{\n}1948 Foundation the National Health Service{\n}1949 NATO formed | 
0 | 1951-00-00 | 1955-00-00 | Sir Winston Churchill | 1952 Bonn Convention ending British, French and USA's occupation of Germany{\n}1953 First ascent of Everest{\n}1953 End of Korean War{\n}1954 End of food rationing | 
0 | 1955-00-00 | 1957-00-00 | Sir Anthony Eden | 1956 Suez Crisis leading to loss of Office | 
0 | 1957-00-00 | 1963-00-00 | Maurice Harold Macmillan | 1959 Empire day became Commonwealth Day{\n}1962 Consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral{\n}Presided over the easing of the cold war with Russia and a long period of prosperity.{\n}Applied for membership of the EEC but rejected mainly because of General De Gaulle | 
0 | 1963-00-00 | 1964-00-00 | Sir Alex Douglas Home | The first person to resign a peerage (14th Earl of Home) in order to become a member of parliament and Prime Minister | 
0 | 1964-00-00 | 1970-00-00 | James Harold Wilson | 1965 Rhodesia declared unilateral independence under Ian Smith{\n}1966 Pound Sterling devalued{\n}1969 Capital punishment abolished{\n}1969 Minimum voting age reduced to 16{\n}1969 Founded the Open University{\n}1969 Maiden flight of Concorde{\n}1969 Troops sent into Northern Ireland{\n}1969 Date, place of birth and maiden names added to Death Certificates{\n}Laws on homosexuals and obscene publications liberalised | 
0 | 1970-00-00 | 1974-00-00 | Edward Heath | 1971 Decimalisation coinage{\n}1972 Direct rule imposed on Northern Ireland{\n}1973 Britain joined the EC{\n}1973 Miners' strike and the "3 day working week" | 
0 | 1974-00-00 | 1976-00-00 | James Harold Wilson | 1983 Became Baron Wilson of Rievaulx | 
0 | 1976-00-00 | 1979-00-00 | Leonard James Callaghan | Presided over a monetary crisis which needed a rescue by the IMF with a strict incomes policy{\n}1978 The "Winter of Discontent" widespread strikes mainly in public services | 
0 | 1979-00-00 | 1990-00-00 | Margaret Thatcher | Britain's first woman Prime Minister{\n}1979 Resolved the Rhodesian crisis leading to the foundation of Zimbabwe{\n}1982 Falklands War{\n}1990 Introduced the unpopular "Poll Tax" in England and Wales (Scotland in 1989){\n}Reversed the policy of state ownership and presided over a period of denationalisation, deregulation, reform of Trade Unions, tax cuts and the move towards a market economy in the public sector{\n}1994 became Baroness Thatcher | 
0 | 1990-00-00 | 1997-00-00 | John Major | 1991 Abolished the "Poll Tax"{\n}Devised the Citizens Charter{\n}1991 Invasion of Iraq following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait{\n}1992 Sterling crisis led to leaving the ERM{\n}1993 Established the Northern Ireland Peace Process{\n}1994 Created the National Lottery with the proceeds going to charity{\n}1994 Channel Tunnel opens | 
0 | 1997-00-00 | 2007-00-00 | Anthony Charles Lynton Blair | 1997 Bank of England made independent of Government{\n}1998 Good Friday Peace Agreement in Northern Ireland{\n}1999 NATO attacks on Kosovo and Serbia{\n}2001 Terrorists attack the New York Trade Centre{\n}2001 Afghanistan War{\n}2002 Euro introduced (but not in the UK){\n}2003 Invasion of Iraq{\n}2005 Suicide bombers attack London{\n}2005 Civil Partnerships recognised{\n}2007 Stormont, the Northern Ireland Parliament, restored{\n}2007 Signed the Brussels Reform Treaty extending EU powers | 
0 | 2007-00-00 | 2010-00-00 | Gordon Brown | 2007 Signed the Lisbon Treaty {\n}2008 Collapse of Banking System{\n}2008 Withdrawal of active British troops from Iraq{\n}2008 MP's expenses scandal, leading to the enforced resignation of the Speaker{\n}2010 Restoration of policing adminstration to Northern Ireland  |
0 | 2010-00-00 | 2010-00-00 | David Cameron | 2010 Coalition with the Liberal Democrats{\n}Current Prime Minister |