F. J. Robinson, 1st Viscount Goderich

The Earl of Ripon
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office
31 August 1827 – 21 January 1828
MonarchGeorge IV
Preceded byGeorge Canning
Succeeded byThe Duke of Wellington
Ministerial offices
President of the Board of Control
In office
17 May 1843 – 30 June 1846
Prime MinisterSir Robert Peel
Preceded byThe Lord FitzGerald and Vesey
Succeeded bySir John Hobhouse
President of the Board of Trade
In office
3 September 1841 – 15 May 1843
Prime MinisterSir Robert Peel
Preceded byHenry Labouchere
Succeeded byWilliam Ewart Gladstone
In office
24 January 1818 – 21 February 1823
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Liverpool
Preceded byThe Earl of Clancarty
Succeeded byWilliam Huskisson
Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal
In office
3 April 1833 – 5 June 1834
Prime MinisterThe Earl Grey
Preceded byThe Lord Durham
Succeeded byThe Earl of Carlisle
Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
In office
22 November 1830 – 3 April 1833
Prime MinisterThe Earl Grey
Preceded bySir George Murray
Succeeded byEdward Stanley
In office
30 April 1827 – 3 September 1827
Prime MinisterGeorge Canning
Preceded byThe Earl Bathurst
Succeeded byWilliam Huskisson
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office
31 January 1823 – 20 April 1827
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Liverpool
Preceded byNicholas Vansittart
Succeeded byGeorge Canning
Treasurer of the Navy
In office
12 February 1818 – 8 February 1823
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Liverpool
Preceded byGeorge Rose
Succeeded byWilliam Huskisson
Paymaster of the Forces
In office
26 November 1813 – 9 August 1817
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Liverpool
Preceded byLord Charles Somerset
Succeeded byThe Lord Farnborough
Vice-President of the Board of Trade
In office
29 September 1812 – 24 January 1818
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Liverpool
Preceded byGeorge Rose
Succeeded byThomas Wallace
Personal details
Born
Frederick John Robinson

(1782-11-01)1 November 1782
Skelton-on-Ure, Yorkshire, England
Died28 January 1859(1859-01-28) (aged 76)
Putney Heath, Surrey, England
Resting placeAll Saints' Church, Nocton
Political party
Spouse
(m. 1814)
Parent
Alma materSt John's College, Cambridge
Signature
Arms of Robinson of Newby: Vert, a chevron between three bucks at gaze or
Newby Hall, Robinson's birthplace

Frederick John Robinson, 1st Earl of Ripon, PC (1 November 1782 – 28 January 1859), styled The Honourable F. J. Robinson until 1827 and known between 1827 and 1833 as The Viscount Goderich (pronounced /ˈɡdrɪ/ GOH-dritch[1]), the name by which he is best known to history, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1827 to 1828.

A member of the rural landowning aristocracy, Robinson entered politics through family connections. In the House of Commons, he rose through junior ministerial ranks, achieving cabinet office in 1818 as President of the Board of Trade. In 1823, he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, a post he held for four years. In 1827, he was raised to the peerage, and in the House of Lords was Leader of the House and Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.

In 1827, Prime Minister George Canning died after only 119 days in office, and Goderich succeeded him. However, he was unable to hold together Canning's fragile coalition of moderate Tories and Whigs, and he himself resigned after only 144 days. Canning and Goderich were the two shortest-ruling Prime Ministers in British history, until Liz Truss in 2022.

After leaving the premiership Goderich served in the cabinets of two of his successors, the Earl Grey and Sir Robert Peel.

  1. ^ Jones, D., p. 207