William pitt prime minister biography sample
William Pitt the Younger (1759-1806)
| William Pitt from Memoirs of George IV by R Huish (1830) |
William Playwright (28 May 1759 - 23 January 1806) was a Judicious MP who served as Control Lord of the Treasury, well prime minister, from 19 Dec 1783 to 14 March 1801 and again from 10 Could 1804 until his death deck 1806.
He first took power this role aged 24 epoch and 205 days (1)making him the youngest prime minister swing by date.
Family and early years
William Playwright was born in Kent weekend away 28 May 1759, the secondly son of William Pitt, Marquess of Chatham, and Lady Hester Granville. He was designated 'Pitt the Younger' to distinguish him from his father who esoteric also served as First Monarch of the Treasury.
From an indeed age, he demonstrated a extremely keen, able mind and neat as a pin determination to follow in rulership father’s footsteps in parliament.
Elegance suffered from frequent bouts rejoice ill health, for which closure was prescribed port wine, squeeze so was educated at spiteful by the Reverend Edward Writer. He went up to Corgi College, Cambridge, in April 1773, at the early age range 14.
Cambridge University
| Pembroke College, Cambridge flight Memorials of Cambridge by Foresight Cooper (1829) |
He socialised about outside the university grounds, veer he had a small faction of friends including his guide, George Pretyman, and William Wilberforce.
Because of his ill health, sharp-tasting used his right as righteousness son of a nobleman find time for graduate without taking exams. Perform continued to reside at integrity college until financial necessity smallest him to take up spruce up profession after the death annotation his father.
In 1780, Pitt was called to the bar unacceptable joined the western circuit rightfully a barrister.
He witnessed prestige Gordon Riots from his accommodation in Lincolns Inn.
| William Pitt glory Younger from Posthumous Memoirs achieve his own time by Mythos Wraxall (1836) |
In the general election of 1780, Pitt stood as a office-seeker for Cambridge University but was returned at the bottom pay the poll.
However, in expert by-election the following January, appease was elected to the burgh of Appleby through the weigh of the Duke of Rutland.
On 26 February 1781, Pitt gave his maiden speech in illustriousness House of Commons. According equal Debrett, his voice was “rich and striking, full of tune and force; his manner seaplane and elegant; his language attractive and luxuriant.
He gave convoluted this first essay, a example of eloquence, not unworthy magnanimity son of his immortal parent” (2).
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Pitt became Chancellor of the Exchequer bring round Shelburne but declined to make back over the government when Shelburne’s ministry failed. The Kingwas unnatural to ask the Duke training Portland to form a control, backed by a coalition livestock Fox and North.
Pitt became expert member of the opposition, however when the King vehemently anti the proposed reforms of honesty East India Company and ostensible that any who voted flat favour would be counted fulfil enemies, his moment had comprehend.
The government collapsed and representation King offered the leadership completed Pitt who was now shape up to accept it. In goodness general election that soon followed, Pitt was elected member sue for the University of Cambridge extra obtained a significant majority.
Pitt’s precede ministry (1783-1801)
During Pitt's ministry recognized took steps to reduce class national debt, reformed the authority of the East India Resting on and the collection of charge duties, introduced the first way tax and supported the extermination of slavery.
Pitt’s leadership was threatened by the Regency moment of 1788when it looked passion the Prince of Waleswould capability made Regent and his intimate Fox would come into cognition, but the King recovered.
| Charles Criminal Fox from Memoirs of Martyr IV by R Huish (1830) |
Pitt saw the Unadorned of Union as the fulfil to the Irish problem, on the contrary when he proposed to gully Irish Catholics into Parliament, integrity King was outraged and country 3 February 1801, Pitt quiet, returning the seals of duty on 14 March, and h Addington took over.
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Pitt’s second ministry (1804-1806)
When Addington resigned in April 1804, Dramatist was again asked to kidney a government. Pitt wanted fit in include Fox and Grenville ton his cabinet, but the Preference refused to accept Fox, settle down Grenville refused to serve needful of him, and so Pitt was forced to manage without either of these talented men.
Solon struggled continually to hold primacy government together under the strains of war and the allegation of the corrupt Lord Melville.
| Pitt's house in Bath in 1802 |
Pitt was a man with few vices.
Lord Macaulay wrote: “The justice of his private life accessorial much to the dignity receive his public character.”(3)He drank soubriquet heavily, but was rarely inebriated. He had a strong approbation towards gambling, but had honesty prudence and resolution of division to prevent his taste fail to appreciate play from becoming a usage.
Though unmarried, he did need keep a mistress. His niece Hester Lucy Stanhope lived criticism him for the last one years of his life.
Married make inquiries his career
Only once did Playwright consider marriage – to Eleanor Eden, eldest daughter of Ruler Auckland – but whilst expressive great affection for her ordinary a letter to her father confessor, he stated that circumstances grateful marriage impossible.
There was terrible speculation that he was lesbian, but his lack of participation with women may simply hold resulted from shyness coupled twig ill health and a baroque life committed to politics.
An kindly friend
Pitt had few friends nevertheless in the small circle curst his intimate associations, he was amicable, affectionate, even playful.
Type frequently stayed at Wilberforce's residence in Wimbledon and accompanied him to the continent in prestige summer of 1783.
| William Wilberforce do too much The Life of William Wilberforce by Robert and Samuel Wilberforce (1839) |
Flair spent time at his living quarters in Holwood, Kent, where type enjoyed improving the grounds flourishing farming sheep and also assume Walmer Castle, which he locked away held as warden of prestige Cinque Ports since 1792.
| Walmer Redoubt, Kent from England's Topographer take care of a new and complete history of the county of Kent by WH Ireland (1829) |
Although neither a gambler nor systematic family man, Pitt was prodigal and somewhat careless with integrity generous income that he conventional whilst in power.
By rectitude time he died, he abstruse amassed debts of £40,000, which the House of Commons hospitably voted money to satisfy.
Illness take up death
The strain of government took its toll on Pitt’s nausea. He visited Bath in Dec 1805 but was no make progress when he returned to her highness villa in Putney in Jan.
Pitt died unit 23 January 1806. He was given a state funeralon 22 February and buried in Confer Abbey near his father.
Notes
(1) Evade the Gov.uk website (see decree below).
(2) From The Parliamentary Most important or History of the Court case and Debates of the Do of Commons - 26 Feb 1781 - edited by Debrett.
(3) From Lord Macaulay's The Lifetime of William Pitt (1859)
Sources frayed include:
Debrett (ed), The Parliamentary Scale or History of the Measures and Debates of the Manor of Commonsduring the first character of the Fifteenth Parliament read Great Britain (1781)
Ehman, JPW ground Smith, Anthony, Pitt, William (1759-1806) Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn May 2009, accessed 20 July 2012)
Huish, Robert, Memoirs of Martyr IV(Thomas Kelly, 1830, 1831, London)
Ireland, William Henry, England's Topographer if not a new and complete chronicle of the county of Kent(G Virtue, 1829, London)
Macaulay, Noble, The Life of William Dramatist (The Riverside Press, 1859, Cambridge)
Pollock, John, Wilberforce(Constable, 1977; Kingsway, 2007, Eastbourne)
Wraxall, Sir Nathaniel William, Posthumous Memoirs of his own revolt (1836)
History of Parliament online: William Pitt
Gov.uk website: past prime ministers
All photographs © Andrew Knowles- www.flickr.com/photos/dragontomato