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Birth
Henry Pelham Birth, Marriage, Death in the UK Henry Pelham- Henry Pelham
- Henry Pelham
- Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham
For the 18th-century American engraver, see Henry Pelham (engraver).
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The Right Honourable
Henry Pelham
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Prime Minister of Great Britain
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In office
27 August 1743 – 6 March 1754 |
| Monarch |
George II |
| Preceded by |
The Earl of Wilmington |
| Succeeded by |
The Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
Chancellor of the Exchequer
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In office
12 December 1743 – 6 March 1754 |
| Monarch |
George II |
| Preceded by |
Samuel Sandys |
| Succeeded by |
William Lee |
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| Born |
25 September 1694(1694-09-25)
Laughton, Sussex |
| Died |
6 March 1754 (aged 59)
London |
| Political party |
n/a (Whig) |
| Alma mater |
Hart Hall, Oxford |
Henry Pelham (25 September 1694 – 6 March 1754) was a British Whig statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 27 August 1743 until his death in 1754.
Contents
- 1 Career
- 2 Achievements
- 3 Personal life
- 4 Titles from birth to death
- 5 References
- 6 External links
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For the first year of his premiership, real power was held by the Secretary of State for the Northern Department, Lord Carteret, who headed the Carteret Ministry (Pelham was First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons). Thereafter, he shared power with his brother, the Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This period was relatively uneventful in terms of domestic affairs (Great Britain fought in several wars, however). Upon his death, his brother took full control of the ministry.
Pelham, Newcastle's younger brother, was a younger son of the 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton and his wife, the former Lady Grace Holles, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Clare. He was educated at Westminster and at Hart Hall, Oxford. Hertford College Oxford, the present-day incarnation of Hart Hall, still honours him in the title of its most prestigious drinking club, the Sir Henry Pelham Gentlemen's Sporting Society. As a volunteer he served in Dormer's regiment at the Battle of Preston in 1715, spent some time on the Continent, and in 1717 entered Parliament for Seaford in Sussex which he represented until 1722.
Through strong family influence and the recommendation of Robert Walpole he was chosen in 1721 a Lord of the Treasury. The following year he was returned for Sussex county. In 1724 he entered the ministry as Secretary at War, but this office he exchanged in 1730 for the more lucrative one of Paymaster of the Forces. He made himself conspicuous by his support of Walpole on the question of the excise and, like Walpole, he served as a founding governor of the popular charity the Foundling Hospital when it opened its doors in 1739. In 1742 a union of parties resulted in the formation of an administration in which Pelham became Prime Minister the following year, with the additional offices of First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons. The following year Carteret was forced out of the ministry and Pelham was regarded as the leading figure, but rank and influence made his brother very powerful in the Cabinet, and, in spite of a genuine attachment, there were occasional disputes between them, which led to difficulties.
Being strongly in favour of peace, Pelham carried on the War of the Austrian Succession with languor and indifferent success, but the country, wearied of the interminable struggle, was disposed to acquiesce in his foreign policy almost without a murmur. King George II, thwarted in his own favourite schemes, made overtures in 1746 to Lord Bath, but his purpose was upset by the resignation of the two Pelhams (Henry and Newcastle), who, at the King's request, resumed office.
In 1749, the Consolidation Act was passed, reorganising the Royal Navy. On 20 March 1751, the British calendar was reorganised as well (New Year's Day became 1 January); Britain would adopt the Gregorian calendar one year later. One of Pelham's final acts was the Marriage Act 1753, which enumerated the minimum age of consent for marriage. Upon his death, his brother (the aforementioned Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne) took over government.
His very defects were among the chief elements of Pelham's success, for one with a strong personality, moderate self-respect, or high conceptions of statesmanship could not have restrained the discordant elements of the cabinet for any length of time. Moreover, he possessed tact and a thorough acquaintance with the forms of the House of Commons. Whatever quarrels or insubordination might exist within the cabinet, they never broke out into open revolt. Nor can a high degree of praise be denied to his financial policy, especially his plans for the reduction of the national debt and the simplification and consolidation of its different branches.
Pelham had married Lady Catherine Manners, daughter of the 2nd Duke of Rutland, in 1726, and one of his daughters married Henry Clinton, who by this marriage subsequently became the 2nd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne.
Pelham's personal papers were inherited by his son-in-law and now form part of the Newcastle (Clumber) Collection held at the department of Manuscripts and Special Collections, The University of Nottingham
- Mr. Henry Pelham (1694-1706)
- The Hon. Henry Pelham (1706-1717)
- The Hon. Henry Pelham, MP (1717-1725)
- The Rt. Hon. Henry Pelham, MP (1725-1754)
- Some material has been adapted from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
- More about Henry Pelham on the Downing Street website.
- Biography of Henry Pelham, with links to online catalogues
| Political offices |
Preceded by
The Earl of Radnor |
Treasurer of the Chamber
1720 – 1722 |
Succeeded by
Charles Stanhope |
Preceded by
Thomas Trevor |
Secretary at War
1724 – 1730 |
Succeeded by
Sir William Strickland |
Preceded by
The Lord Wilmington |
Paymaster of the Forces
1730 – 1743 |
Succeeded by
Thomas Winnington |
Preceded by
The Earl of Wilmington |
Prime Minister of Great Britain
27 August 1743 – 6 March 1754 |
Succeeded by
The Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
Preceded by
Samuel Sandys |
Chancellor of the Exchequer
1743 – 1754 |
Succeeded by
William Lee |
Leader of the House of Commons
1743 – 1754 |
Succeeded by
Thomas Robinson |
| Parliament of Great Britain |
Preceded by
George Naylor
William Ashburnham |
Member of Parliament for Seaford
with George Naylor
1717 – 1722 |
Succeeded by
Sir William Gage, Bt
Sir Philip Yorke |
Preceded by
Spencer Compton
James Butler |
Member of Parliament for Sussex
with Spencer Compton 1722–1728
James Butler 1728–1741
Earl of Middlesex 1742–1747
John Butler 1747–1754
1722 – 1754 |
Succeeded by
John Butler
Thomas Pelham |
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Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom |
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Kingdom of Great Britain
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Walpole · Wilmington · Pelham · Newcastle · Devonshire · Newcastle · Bute · G Grenville · Rockingham · Chatham (Pitt the Elder) · Grafton · North · Rockingham · Shelburne · Portland · Pitt the Younger
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United Kingdom
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Pitt the Younger · Addington · Pitt the Younger · W Grenville · Portland · Perceval · Liverpool · Canning · Goderich · Wellington · Grey · Melbourne · Wellington · Peel · Melbourne · Peel · Russell · Derby · Aberdeen · Palmerston · Derby · Palmerston · Russell · Derby · Disraeli · Gladstone · Disraeli · Gladstone · Salisbury · Gladstone · Salisbury · Gladstone · Rosebery · Salisbury · Balfour · Campbell-Bannerman · Asquith · Lloyd George · Bonar Law · Baldwin · MacDonald · Baldwin · MacDonald · Baldwin · Chamberlain · Churchill · Attlee · Churchill · Eden · Macmillan · Douglas-Home · Wilson · Heath · Wilson · Callaghan · Thatcher · Major · Blair · Brown
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Chancellors of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom |
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| of England |
Giffard · Stanton · Catesby · Berners · Baker · Mildmay · Fortescue · Home · Caesar · Greville · Portland · Newburgh · Cottington · Colepeper · Clarendon · Shaftesbury · Duncombe · Ernle · Booth · Hampden · Montagu · Smith · Boyle
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| of Great Britain |
Boyle · Smith · Harley · Benson · Wyndham · Onslow · Walpole · Stanhope · Aislabie · Pratt · Walpole · Sandys · Pelham · Lee · Bilson Legge · Lyttelton · Bilson Legge · Mansfield · Bilson Legge · Barrington · Dashwood · Grenville · Dowdeswell · Townshend · North · Cavendish · Pitt · Cavendish · Pitt · Addington · Pitt · Petty · Perceval · Vansittart
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of the
United Kingdom |
Vansittart · Robinson · Canning · Abbott · Herries · Goulburn · Althorp · Denman · Peel · Monteagle · Baring · Goulburn · C Wood · Disraeli · Gladstone · Lewis · Disraeli · Gladstone · Disraeli · Hunt · Lowe · Gladstone · Northcote · Gladstone · Childers · Hicks Beach · Harcourt · R Churchill · Goschen · Harcourt · Hicks Beach · Ritchie · A. Chamberlain · Asquith · Lloyd George · McKenna · Bonar Law · A. Chamberlain · Horne · Baldwin · N. Chamberlain · Snowden · W. Churchill · Snowden · N. Chamberlain · Simon · K. Wood · Anderson · Dalton · Cripps · Gaitskell · Butler · Macmillan · Thorneycroft · Heathcoat-Amory · Lloyd · Maudling · Callaghan · Jenkins · Macleod · Barber · Healey · Howe · Lawson · Major · Lamont · Clarke · Brown · Darling
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| Persondata |
| NAME |
Pelham, Henry |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION |
Prime Minister of Great Britain (1743 - 1754) |
| DATE OF BIRTH |
25 September 1694 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH |
Laughton, Sussex, England |
| DATE OF DEATH |
6 March 1754 |
| PLACE OF DEATH |
London, England |
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