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Prime Ministers
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11 February 1806 - 25 March 1807 |
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William Wyndham Grenville |
| Lord Grenville |
| Party - Whig |
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William Grenville was born on 24 October 1759, the third son and sixth of
nine children born to
George Grenville and Elizabeth Wyndham. In 1792, he married Anne Pitt. She
was the daughter of Thomas Pitt, first Baron Camelford. The Grenville and Pitt
families were intertwined, since
Pitt
the Elder (the Earl of Chatham) had married Hester Grenville, sister of
George Grenville. Consequently, Lord Grenville and
Pitt the
Younger were cousins.
Lord Grenville was educated at Eton and Christ Church College Oxford. He
graduated in 1780 having won the Chancellor's prize for Latin verse in 1779.
Grenville was academically very gifted and had a keen interest in and extensive
knowledge of classical literature. He spent a lot of time editing the
correspondence of his uncle, Lord Chatham. He trained for the Bar but was never
called since he entered parliament in 1782 as MP for the family's borough of
Buckingham. He continued to represent the constituency until he was elevated to
the peerage in 1790.
Grenville held continual ministerial office during his parliamentary career.
He was Chief Secretary for
Ireland between August 1782 and May 1783 whilst his brother, Earl Temple,
was Lord Lieutenant; Grenville was offered ministerial positions by his cousin
Pitt the Younger throughout his premiership. Grenville was Paymaster General
between December 1783 and March 1784. For a short time in 1789 he was Speaker of
the House of Commons and then he became Home Secretary; in 1791 took over as
Foreign Secretary. His
ministry lasted from February 1806 to March 1807.
When the
French Revolution broke out, Grenville advocated British neutrality as the
best means of avoiding conflict but when France declared war of Britain,
Grenville supported the
first coalition of European powers. He also supported
repressive domestic legislation to maintain law and order in Britain. In
1790 he was created Baron Grenville and took over the post of leader of the
House of Lords. He resigned along with Pittover the king's attitude towards
Catholic Emancipation in March 1801, following the passing of the
Act of Union with Ireland. However, he did not have confidence in
Addington's abilities to conduct the war and spoke forcefully in opposition
to the
new government. He also abandoned Pitt, who did not respond to Grenville's
proposal for a pact between the political "outs"; Grenville and
Fox worked together in a combined Opposition. In 1804 when Pitt returned to
power, Grenville refused to accept office without Fox. This completed the
separation of the cousins.
When Pitt died, Grenville formed a ministry to continue the government and
the fight against France. Charles James Fox became his Foreign Secretary - the
first time that Fox had held office since 1783. However, Fox died in September
1806, which meant that the ministry had to be reconstructed. Grenville supported
Catholic Emancipation and when the king refused to consider it as a measure,
Grenville resigned. He spent the rest of his political career in opposition.
However, it was his ministry that steered the Abolition of the
Slave Trade legislation through parliament.
After the end of the French Wars, Grenville opposed the passing of the
Corn Laws and supported the principles of free trade. He continued to
support Catholic Emancipation but by 1822 he virtually had retired from
politics. He suffered several strokes and died on 12 January 1834 at the age of
74.
