Harley ministry

Amongst those writers supportive of Harley's government were Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe, Delarivier Manley, John Arbuthnot and Alexander Pope who clashed with members of the rival Kit-Kat Club.

Ormonde took the field as commander of the British forces in Flanders in 1712, but received "restraining orders" from Harley forbidding him from committing troops to fight the French.

Ormonde marched his troops away from the Allies, now commanded by Eugene of Savoy, who suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Denain without the assistance of the British.

Marlborough was also dismissed from his post in the cabinet Master General of the Ordnance, a position that was handed to the Scottish Tory Duke of Hamilton.

The new king, George I, was not comfortable with Harley or Bolingbroke, who he believed had opposed the Hanoverian Succession and instead supported the Jacobite pretenders.

Robert Harley headed the government and has been described as Britain's first Prime Minister .
As well as commanding Allied forces as Captain General the Duke of Marlborough , served in the cabinet as Master-General of the Ordnance until his controversial dismissal.
Henry St John served as Northern and then Southern Secretary and oversaw the negotiations that led to the Peace of Utrecht . He unsuccessfully tried to secure a Jacobite succession of Queen Anne 's death.
The youngest member of the government William Wyndham served briefly as Secretary at War . He then led the Tories in opposition in the House of Commons for many years after 1714.
Floral Badge of Great Britain
Floral Badge of Great Britain