Ministry of the Chits
The Ministry of the Chits[1] was the government of the Kingdom of England from November 1679 to 1688. The administration was led by three young ministers, collectively known as the chits:[2] Laurence Hyde (Earl of Rochester, 1682), Sidney Godolphin (Lord Godolphin, 1684) and the Earl of Sunderland.
Rochester, brother-in-law of King Charles II's brother James, Duke of York, served as First Lord of the Treasury until "kicked upstairs" (term coined by Lord Halifax[3]) as Lord President of the Council in September 1684. On the Duke of York's succession as King James II in February 1685, Rochester returned as Lord High Treasurer. He was troubled by the King's Catholicism, disputed religious matters with the King. James II dismissed Rochester on 4 January 1687 with his brother the Earl of Clarendon, replacing both with Catholic appointees, Lord Belasyse and Lord Arundell.
Sunderland, who served variously as Northern Secretary and Southern Secretary, and additionally as Lord President of the Council from 1685, remained in post until his dismissal by James II in October 1688, when he fled to Rotterdam.
Godolphin, First Lord of the Treasury 1684–85, was retained at the Treasury by William III, returning as First Lord in the Carmarthen Ministry of 1690.
The Chits
The moniker "the chits" stems from a satirical verse on the three ministers, attributed to John Dryden by Johnson's Dictionary:[4]
But Sunderland, Godolphin, Lory,
These will appear such chits in story,
'Twill turn all politics to jests,
To be repeated like John Dory,
While fiddlers sing at feasts.[1]
- ^ Russell, Lord John (1820). "The Life of William Lord Russell, Vol. 1, p.182". Google Books. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
The Ministry
November 1679 to September 1684
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| First Lord of the Treasury | The Earl of Rochester | 1679–1684 |
| Treasury Commissioner Northern Secretary | Sidney Godolphin | 1679–1684 1684 |
| Northern Secretary Southern Secretary Northern Secretary | The Earl of Sunderland | 1679–1680 1680–1681 1683–1684 |
| Lord Chancellor Lord Keeper | The 1st Earl of Nottingham | 1679–1682 |
| The Lord Guilford | 1682–1684 | |
| Lord President of the Council | The Earl of Radnor | 1679–1684 |
| Lord Privy Seal | The Earl of Anglesey | 1679–1682 |
| The Marquess of Halifax | 1682–1684 | |
| Lord Steward | The Duke of Ormonde | 1679–1684 |
| Lord Chamberlain | The Earl of Arlington | 1679–1681 |
| The Earl of Mulgrave | 1681–1684 | |
| Southern Secretary | Henry Coventry | 1679–1680 |
| The Earl of Sunderland | 1680–1681 | |
| Sir Leoline Jenkins | 1681–1684 | |
| Northern Secretary | The Earl of Sunderland | 1679–1680 |
| Sir Leoline Jenkins | 1680–1681 | |
| The Earl of Conway | 1681–1683 | |
| The Earl of Sunderland | 1683–1684 | |
| Sidney Godolphin | 1684 | |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | Sir John Ernle | 1679–1684 |
| First Lord of the Admiralty | Sir Henry Capell | 1679–1681 |
| The 2nd Earl of Nottingham | 1681–1684 | |
- Lord Nottingham was Lord Chancellor until 1682, when Lord Guilford assumed the same position; however, the latter had not yet acceded to the peerage, and was therefore forced to assume the position of Lord Keeper. For all intents and purposes, these positions are identical, and have been formatted as such.
- Additionally, there were two Earls of Nottingham: the elder Nottingham served as Lord Chancellor, and his successor to the earldom served as First Lord of the Admiralty.
September 1684 to February 1685
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| First Lord of the Treasury | The Lord Godolphin | 1684–1685 |
| Southern Secretary | The Earl of Sunderland | 1684–1685 |
| Lord President of the Council | The Earl of Rochester | 1684–1685 |
| Lord Keeper | The Lord Guilford | 1684–1685 |
| Lord Privy Seal | The Marquess of Halifax | 1684–1685 |
| Lord Steward | The Duke of Ormonde | 1684–1685 |
| Lord Chamberlain | The Earl of Mulgrave | 1684–1685 |
| Northern Secretary | The Earl of Middleton | 1684–1685 |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | Sir John Ernle | 1684–1685 |
February 1685 to October 1688
| OFFICE | NAME | TERM |
| Lord High Treasurer | The Earl of Rochester | 1685–1687 |
| Chamberlain to the Queen Treasury Commissioner | The Lord Godolphin | 1685–1687 1687–1689 |
| Lord President of the Council Southern Secretary | The Earl of Sunderland | 1685–1688 |
| First Lord of the Treasury | The Lord Belasyse | 1687–1689 |
| Lord Chancellor | The Lord Jeffreys | 1685–1689 |
| Lord Privy Seal | The Earl of Clarendon | 1685–1687 |
| The Lord Arundell of Wardour | 1687–1688 | |
| Lord Steward | The Duke of Ormonde | 1685–1688 |
| Lord Chamberlain | The Earl of Mulgrave | 1685–1689 |
| Northern Secretary | The Earl of Middleton | 1685–1688 |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | Sir John Ernle | 1685–1688 |
References
- ↑ Treasure, Geoffrey; Dawson, Ian. "Who's Who in British History, Vol.1, A-H: Hyde, Laurence, Earl of Rochester". Google Books. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
- ↑
Ward, Adolphus William (1891). "Hyde, Laurence". In Lee, Sidney. Dictionary of National Biography. 28. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- ↑ Macaulay, Thomas Babington (1889). The History of England from the Accession of James the Second. 1. London: Longmans. p. 136.
- ↑ Johnson, Samuel (1773). "A Dictionnary of the English Language (4th ed.)". Google Books. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
| Preceded by Privy Council Ministry |
Ministry of England 1679–1688 |
Succeeded by Carmarthen/Halifax Ministry |
 Kingdom of England Ministries, 1660–1707 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charles II (1660–1685) and James II (1685–1688) | .svg.png) | |
| William and Mary (1689–1694) | ||
| William III (1694–1702) |
| |
| Anne (1702–1707) | ||
List of British governments (for ministries from 1707 onwards) | ||