List of forethanes of Esthursia

• Top left: Neville Salisbury, commonly referred to as the "last aristocratic forethane", served as a Conservative Prime Minister from 1911 to 1922.
• Top right: George Asmont was the longest serving forethane and oversaw a lengthy period of international turmoil and internal reform, between 1926 and 1944, as well as of wartime leadership between 1945 and 1955.
• Bottom left: Edith Newell was the second female forethane, one of the longest serving Liberal Party Forethanes and served between 1963 and 1969; she is accredited with healing the nation after its polarisations of the earlier decades.
• Bottom right: Harold Osborne is the current forethane, having been elected to the Social Democratic leadership in 2015, and then re-elected in 2018.

This article provides a list of first ministers and forethanes of Esthursia. The Forethane of Esthursia, although not an official office until 1957, was by convention the most senior thane within the largest party or coalition of parties able to form a government within the House of Thanes. Until the 1933 general election, the House of Minister served as the senior house, as the House of Thanes was not elected before this date; and as such, the First Minister resided within the Ministry. George Asmont was the final Prime Minister to do this, having moved to the Barony after this election. The first First Minister to officially use this title was Jacob Banbury, in an 1885 treaty, while the first Forethane was George Asmont. The incumbent Forethane is Harold Osborne, who has served since 30 January, 2015.

Living prime ministers

There are now 6 living former or serving Forethanes, following the death of Martha Grantham on 12 April, 2023 at the age of 94.

Living as of April 2024

Forethane	Birthdate	Forethane
David Holmfirth	(1935-09-06) 6 September 1935	1980–1982
Tharbjorn Einarsson	(1940-02-14) 14 February 1940	2009–2011
Mark Willesden	(1948-12-20) 20 December 1948	1999–2002
Isaac Harding	(1957-05-21) 21 May 1957	2002–2009
John Largan	(1961-11-09) 9 November 1961	2011–2015
Harold Osborne	(1968-06-09) 9 June 1968	2015–present

Sortable list of first ministers and forethanes (1794-present)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
First Minister / Forethane of the Union of Esthursia
1		Edward Bourne (1759-1839)	30 March 1794	14 March 1821	26 years, 11 months and 14 days		Conservative Union
2		Alvin Frome (1777-1868)	14 March 1821	4 March 1827	5 years, 11 months and 18 days		Radical-Liberal
3		Frederick John (1782-1859)	4 March 1827	11 January 1835	7 years, 10 months and 7 days		Conservative Union
4		Ellington Melville (1787-1851)	11 January 1835	19 March 1835	0 years, 2 months and 8 days		Liberal Party
5		Howard Turnbrook (1777-1868)	19 March 1835	1 January 1836	0 years, 9 months and 13 days		Radical-Liberal
6		Weldon Osbert (1775-1865)	1 January 1836	3 May 1836	0 years, 4 months and 2 days		Radical-Liberal
7		Philip Bolton (1788-1860)	3 May 1836	11 June 1847	11 years, 1 month and 8 days		Conservative Union
8 10 12		Arwel Marling (1804-1886)	11 June 1847 26 September 1863 15 November 1873	12 March 1853 17 April 1866 26 March 1878	12 years, 8 months and 3 days		Liberal Party
9		Henry Welwyn (1791-1865)	12 March 1853	26 September 1863	10 years, 6 months and 14 days		Liberal Party
11 13		Edward Trent (1815-1884)	17 April 1866 26 March 1878	15 November 1873 28 November 1882	12 years and 3 months		Conservative Union
14		Franklyn Waltham (1826-1904)	28 November 1882	7 August 1883	0 years, 8 months and 10 days		Conservative Union
15		Joseph Abingdon (1822-1897)	7 August 1883	15 January 1884	0 years, 5 months and 8 days		Conservative Union
16		Jacob Banbury (1837-1925)	15 January 1884	20 April 1888	8 years, 3 months and 5 days		Workers' Union
17		Melvin Gower (1815-1891)	20 April 1888	12 August 1891	3 years, 3 months and 23 days		Liberal Party
18		Robert Milnes (1848-1936)	12 August 1891	16 April 1892	8 months and 4 days		Independent
19		Archibald Primrose (1847-1893)	16 April 1892	20 November 1893	1 year, 7 months and 4 days		Conservative Union
20 24		Winthrop Fowler (1835-1916)	20 November 1893 2 June 1902	1 July 1898 4 December 1905	8 years, 1 month and 14 days		Conservative Union
21		Wilber Smith-Jones (1855-1927)	1 July 1898	4 December 1900	2 years, 5 months and 3 days		Liberal Party
22		Stephen Northcote (1848-1917)	4 December 1900	7 May 1902	1 year, 5 months and 3 days		Liberal Party
23		Leith Peregrine (1866-1944)	7 May 1902	2 June 1902	0 years, 0 months and 26 days		Liberal Party
25		Islwyn Torcall (1839-1911)	4 December 1905	11 July 1911	5 years, 7 months and 2 days		Liberal Party
26 28		Neville Salisbury (1855-1927)	11 July 1911 3 April 1915	17 April 1919 15 October 1922	7 years, 2 months and 20 days		Conservative Union
27		Rowan Grey (1864-1946)	3 April 1915	17 April 1919	4 years and 14 days		Liberal Party
29		James Thorne (1858-1933)	15 October 1922	4 May 1926	3 years, 6 months and 19 days		Conservative Union
30		George Asmont (1892-1991)	4 May 1926	29 September 1941	15 years, 4 months and 25 days		Workers' Union
31		Philip Whittaker (1871-1958)	29 September 1941	26 November 1941	0 years, 1 month and 28 days		Workers' Union
32		Tanja Olsen (1904-1994)	26 November 1941	17 July 1952	10 years, 7 months and 21 days		Workers' Union
33		Davydh Marrak (1899-1962)	17 July 1952	3 April 1955	2 years, 8 months and 17 days		Workers' Union
34		Olafn Arbjern (1893-1975)	3 April 1955	2 April 1959	3 years, 11 months and 30 days		National Party
35		Roberta Frost (1899-1974)	2 April 1959	17 November 1961	2 years, 7 months and 15 days		Workers' Union
36		Rickard Warner (1921-2013)	17 November 1961	2 April 1963	1 year, 4 months and 16 days		Workers' Union
37		Edith Newell (1908-2001)	2 April 1963	27 June 1969	6 years, 2 months and 25 days		Liberal Party
38		Alfred Thwaite (1921-2023)	27 June 1969	2 March 1971	1 year, 8 months and 3 days		Liberal Party
39 41		James Seddon (1921-2000)	2 March 1971 2 April 1978	16 April 1975 12 February 1980	6 years and 18 days		Social Democrats
40		Anthony Moore (1911-1988)	16 April 1975	2 April 1978	2 years, 11 months and 17 days		Conservative Union
42		David Holmfirth (1935-present)	12 February 1980	4 April 1982	2 years, 1 month and 23 days		Social Democrats
43		William Greenwood (1919-1998)	4 April 1982	1 April 1990	7 years, 11 months and 28 days		Conservative Union
44		Martha Grantham (1929-2023)	4 April 1990	3 February 1999	8 years, 9 months and 30 days		Social Democrats
45		Mark Willesden (born 1948)	3 February 1999	7 April 2002	3 years, 2 months and 4 days		Social Democrats
46		Isaac Harding (born 1957)	7 April 2002	2 April 2009	6 years, 11 months and 26 days		Conservative Union
47		Tharbjorn Einarsson (born 1940)	2 April 2009	23 January 2011	1 year, 9 months and 21 days		Conservative Union
48		John Largan (born 1961)	23 January 2011	30 January 2015	4 years and 7 days		Social Democrats
49		Harold Osborne (born 1968)	30 January 2015	Incumbent	9 years, 10 months and 21 days		Social Democrats

Comprehensive list of first ministers and forethanes (1794-present)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Party		Elections	Ministry	Monarch (reign)
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
Prime Minister of the Union of Esthursia
1		Edward Bourne (1759-1839)	30 March 1794	14 March 1821	26 years, 11 months and 14 days		Conservative Union	1794	Bourne I	George VI (1753-1808)
								1800	Bourne II
								1806	Bourne III
								1810	Bourne IV	Margrethe II (1808-1811)
								1814	Bourne V	George VII (1811-1818)
								May 1817	Bourne VI
2		Alvin Frome (1777-1868)	14 March 1821	4 March 1827	5 years, 11 months and 18 days		Radical-Liberal	1821	Frome I	Charles III (1818-1822)
								December 1823	Frome II	Theobald IV (1822-1836)
3		Frederick John (1782-1859)	4 March 1827	11 January 1835	7 years, 10 months and 7 days		Conservative Union	1827	John I
								1831	John II
4		Ellington Melville (1787-1851)	11 January 1835	19 March 1835	2 months and 8 days		Liberal	—	Melville I
5		Howard Turnbrook (1777-1868)	19 March 1835	1 January 1836	9 months and 13 days		Radical-Liberal	1835	Turnbrook I
6		Weldon Osbert (1775-1865)	1 January 1836	3 May 1836	4 months and 2 days		Radical-Liberal	—	Osbert I	George VIII (1836-1879)
7		Philip Bolton (1788-1860)	3 May 1836	11 June 1847	11 years, 1 month and 8 days		Conservative Union	1836	Bolton I
								1842	Bolton II
8		Arwel Marling (1804-1886)	11 June 1847	12 March 1853	5 years, 9 months and 1 day		Liberal Party	1847	Marling I
								1852	Marling II
9		Henry Welwyn (1791-1865)	12 March 1853	26 September 1863	10 years, 6 months and 14 days		Liberal Party	—	Welwyn I
								1857	Welwyn II
								1862	Welwyn III
10		Arwel Marling (1804-1886)	26 September 1863	17 April 1866	2 years, 6 months and 22 days		Liberal Party	—	Marling III
								1864	Marling IV
11		Edward Trent (1815-1884)	17 April 1866	15 November 1873	7 years, 6 months and 29 days		Conservative Union	1866	Trent I
								1870	Trent II
12		Arwel Marling (1804-1886)	15 November 1873	26 March 1878	4 years, 4 months and 11 days		Liberal Party	—	Marling V
								1874	Marling VI
13		Edward Trent (1815-1884)	26 March 1878	28 November 1882	4 years, 8 months and 2 days		Conservative Union	1878	Trent III
								1882	Trent IV	Alexandra III (1879-1888)
14		Franklyn Waltham (1826-1904)	28 November 1882	7 August 1883	8 months and 10 days		Conservative Union	—	Waltham I
15		Joseph Abingdon (1822-1897)	7 August 1883	15 January 1884	5 months and 8 days		Conservative Union	—	Abingdon I
16		Jacob Banbury (1837-1925)	15 January 1884	20 April 1892	4 years, 3 months and 5 days		Workers' Union	1884	Banbury I
17		Melvin Gower (1815-1891)	20 April 1888	12 August 1891	3 years, 3 months and 23 days		Liberal Party	1888	Gower I	Rickard XII (1888-1906)
18		Robert Milnes (1848-1936)	12 August 1891	16 April 1892	8 months and 4 days		Independent	—	Milnes I
19		Archibald Primrose (1847-1893)	16 April 1892	20 November 1893	1 year, 7 months and 4 days		Conservative Union	1892	Primrose I
20		Winthrop Fowler (1835-1916)	20 November 1893	1 July 1898	4 years, 7 months and 11 days		Conservative Union	—	Fowler I
								1894	Fowler II
21		Wilber Smith-Jones (1855-1927)	1 July 1898	4 December 1900	2 years, 5 months and 3 days		Liberal Party	1898	Smith-Jones I
22		Stephen Northcote (1848-1917)	4 December 1900	7 May 1902	1 year, 5 months and 3 days		Liberal Party	—	Northcote I
								1902	Northcote II
23		Leith Peregrine (1866-1944)	7 May 1902	2 June 1902	26 days		Liberal Party	—	Peregrine I
24		Winthrop Fowler (1835-1916)	2 June 1902	4 December 1905	2 years, 6 months and 27 days		Conservative Union	—	Fowler I
								January 1905	Fowler II
25		Islwyn Torcall (1839-1911)	4 December 1905	11 July 1911	5 years, 7 months and 2 days		Liberal Party	December 1905	Torcall I
								1909	Torcall II	Edward V (1906-1947)
26		Neville Salisbury (1855-1927)	11 July 1911	3 April 1915	3 years, 8 months and 23 days		Conservative Union	1911	Salisbury I
27		Rowan Grey (1864-1946)	3 April 1915	17 April 1919	4 years and 14 days		Liberal Party	1915	Grey I
28		Neville Salisbury (1855-1927)	17 April 1919	15 October 1922	3 years, 5 months and 28 days		Conservative Union	1919	Salisbury II
29		James Thorne (1858-1933)	15 October 1922	4 May 1926	3 years, 6 months and 19 days		Conservative Union	—	Thorne I
								1923	Thorne I
30		George Asmont (1892-1991)	4 May 1926	29 September 1941	15 years, 4 months and 25 days		Workers' Union	May 1926	Asmont I
								1929	Asmont II
								1933	Asmont III
								1937	Asmont IV
31		Philip Whittaker (1871-1958)	29 September 1941	26 November 1941	1 month and 28 days		Workers' Union	—	Whittaker I
32		Tanja Olsen (1904-1994)	26 November 1941	17 July 1952	10 years, 7 months and 21 days		Workers' Union	—	Olsen I
								1941	Olsen II
								1945	Olsen III	George IX (1947)
										Arthur VI (1947-present)
								1949	Olsen IV
								1951	Olsen V
33		Davydh Marrak (1899-1962)	17 July 1952	3 April 1955	2 years, 8 months and 17 days		Workers' Union	—	Marrak I
34		Olafn Arbjern (1893-1975)	3 April 1955	2 April 1959	3 years, 11 months and 30 days		National Party	1955	Arbjern I
35		Roberta Frost (1899-1974)	2 April 1959	17 November 1961	2 years, 7 months and 15 days		Workers' Union	1959	Frost I
36		Rickard Warner (1921-2013)	17 November 1961	2 April 1963	1 year, 4 months and 16 days		Workers' Union	—	Warner I
37		Edith Newell (1918-2001)	2 April 1963	27 June 1969	6 years, 2 months and 25 days		Liberal Party	1963	Newell III
								1967	Newell IV
38		Alfred Thwaite (1921-2009)	27 June 1969	2 March 1971	1 year, 8 months and 3 days		Liberal Party	—	Thwaite I
39		James Seddon (1921-2000)	2 March 1971	16 April 1975	4 years, 1 month and 14 days		Social Democrats	1971	Seddon I
40		Anthony Moore (1911-1988)	16 April 1975	8 March 1978	2 years, 10 months and 20 days		Conservative Union	1975	Moore I
41		James Seddon (1921-2000)	8 March 1978	12 February 1980	1 year, 11 months and 4 days		Social Democrats	March 1978	Seddon II
42		David Holmfirth (1935-present)	12 February 1980	4 April 1982	2 years, 1 month and 23 days		Social Democrats	—	Holmfirth I
43		William Greenwood (1919-1998)	4 April 1982	1 April 1990	7 years, 11 months and 28 days		Conservative Union	April 1982	Greenwood I
								November 1982	Greenwood I
								1986	Greenwood II
44		Martha Grantham (1929-2023)	4 April 1990	3 February 1999	8 years, 9 months and 30 days		Social Democrats	1990	Grantham I
								1994	Grantham II
								1998	Grantham III
45		Mark Willesden (born 1948)	3 February 1999	7 April 2002	3 years, 2 months and 4 days		Social Democrats	—	Willesden I
46		Isaac Harding (born 1957)	7 April 2002	2 April 2009	6 years, 11 months and 26 days		Conservative Union	2002	Harding I
								2006	Harding II
47		Tharbjorn Einarsson (born 1940)	2 April 2009	23 January 2011	1 year, 9 months and 21 days		Conservative Union	—	Einarsson I
								2010	Einarsson II
									Einarsson III
48		John Largan (born 1961)	23 January 2011	30 January 2015	4 years and 7 days		Social Democrats	January 2011	Largan I
								2014	Largan II
49		Harold Osborne (born 1968)	30 January 2015	Incumbent	9 years, 10 months and 21 days		Social Democrats	—	Osborne I
								2018	Osborne II
								April 2022	Osborne III
								September 2022	Osborne IV
								—	Osborne V

Timeline of Esthursian prime ministers