Institution

Colonial Office

1854–1966 · 19th century

The Colonial Office was the British government department that administered most of Britain's colonies, separated from the War Office in 1854. Crown colonies and protectorates were governed by officials who reported to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. It took over territories such as the Straits Settlements and, after company rule ended, Northern Rhodesia, and was merged into the Commonwealth Office in 1966.

Colonial Office
Image: Illustrated London News · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

BarotselandDeclineCape ColonyMilitary

Mentioned in 4 state histories

Straits SettlementsCompany rule in RhodesiaNiger Coast ProtectorateNorthern Rhodesia

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Colonial Office. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/colonial-office
MLA
“Colonial Office.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/colonial-office. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Colonial Office.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/colonial-office.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Colonial Office’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/colonial-office (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻