England and Great Britain
In the Kingdom of England, before 1660, an officer entitled Secretary of State came into being near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603), the usual title before that having been King's Clerk, King's Secretary, or Principal Secretary. From 1540 there were sometimes two Secretaries.
From 1660 there were two Secretaries of State, between whom oversight of foreign affairs was divided on a geographical basis while domestic affairs were shared: the Northern Secretary and the Southern Secretary. In 1707, England and Scotland were merged into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and there was a third Secretary of State for Scotland until 1746. A third Secretary of State for the Colonies existed from 1768. In 1782 the system was reformed back to two Secretaries of State: a Home Secretary (including colonial affairs) and a Foreign Secretary, with the addition of a third for War from 1794.
In 1801, Great Britain and Ireland were combined into the United Kingdom (see below).
Read more about this topic: Secretary Of State
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