Henry Pelham , who served as Secretary at War between 1724 and 1730  The secretary at war  was a political position in the English  and later British government , with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army , but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office . After 1794 it was occasionally a Cabinet-level position , although it was considered of subordinate rank to the secretary of state for war . The position was combined with that of secretary of state for war in 1854 and abolished in 1863.[ 1]   
Notable holders of the position include Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke , Robert Walpole , Henry Pelham , Henry Fox , Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston , William Windham  and Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay . 
 
 Secretaries at war, 1661–1854     Name  Entered office  Left office     Sir William Clarke   1661  1666     Matthew Locke   1666  1683     William Blathwayt   1683  1692     George Clarke   1692  1704     Henry St John   1704  1708     Robert Walpole   1708  1710     George Granville   1710  1712     Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet   1712  1713     Francis Gwyn   1713  1714     William Pulteney   1714  1717     James Craggs the Younger   1717  1718     Christopher Wandesford, 2nd Viscount Castlecomer   1718  1718     Robert Pringle   1718  1718     George Treby   1718  1720     Thomas Trevor   1720  1724     Henry Pelham   1724  1730     Sir William Strickland, 4th Baronet   1730  1735     Sir William Yonge, 4th Baronet   1735  1741     Thomas Winnington   1741  1746     Henry Fox   1746  1755     William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington   1755  1761     Charles Townshend   1761  1762     Welbore Ellis   1762  1765     William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington   1765  1778     Charles Jenkinson   1778  1782     Thomas Townshend   1782  1782     Sir George Yonge, 5th Baronet   1782  1783     Richard FitzPatrick   1783  1783     Sir George Yonge, 5th Baronet  1783  1794     William Windham   1794  1801     Charles Philip Yorke   1801  1803     Charles Bragge   1803  1804     William Dundas   1804  1806     Richard FitzPatrick   1806  1807     Sir James Murray-Pulteney, 7th Baronet   1807  1809     Lord Granville Leveson-Gower   1809  1809     Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston   1809  1828     Sir Henry Hardinge   1828  1830     Lord Francis Leveson-Gower   1830  1830     Charles Williams-Wynn   1830  1831     Sir Henry Parnell, 4th Baronet   1831  1832     Sir John Hobhouse, 2nd Baronet   1832  1833     Edward Ellice   1833  1834     John Charles Herries   1834  1835     Henry Grey, Viscount Howick   1835  1839     Thomas Babington Macaulay   1839  1841     Sir Henry Hardinge  1841  1844     Sir Thomas Fremantle, 1st Baronet   1844  1845     Sidney Herbert   1845  1846     Fox Maule   1846  1852     Robert Vernon Smith   1852  1852     William Beresford   1852  1852     Sidney Herbert   1852  1854   
 
 Secretaries of state for war and secretaries at war, 1854–1863   
References