William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham

The Earl of Chatham
Pitt the Elder, after Richard Brompton
Prime Minister of Great Britain
In office
30 July 1766 – 14 October 1768
MonarchGeorge III
Preceded byThe Marquess of Rockingham
Succeeded byThe Duke of Grafton
Lord Privy Seal
In office
30 July 1766 – 14 October 1768
Preceded byThe Duke of Newcastle
Succeeded byThe Earl of Bristol
Leader of the House of Commons
In office
27 June 1757 – 6 October 1761
Preceded byHimself
Succeeded byGeorge Grenville
In office
4 December 1756 – 6 April 1757
Preceded byHenry Fox
Succeeded byHimself
Secretary of State for the Southern Department
In office
27 June 1757 – 5 October 1761
Preceded byThe Earl of Holderness
Succeeded byThe Earl of Egremont
In office
4 December 1756 – 6 April 1757
Preceded byHenry Fox
Succeeded byThe Earl of Holderness
Paymaster of the Forces
In office
29 October 1746 – 25 November 1755
Preceded byThomas Winnington
Succeeded by
Member of Parliament
In office
18 February 1735 – 4 August 1766
Constituency
Personal details
Born
William Pitt

(1708-11-15)15 November 1708
Westminster, London, Great Britain
Died11 May 1778(1778-05-11) (aged 69)
Hayes, Kent now Bromley South London, Great Britain
Resting placeWestminster Abbey, England
Political partyWhig
Spouse
(m. 1754)
Children5; including Hester, John, and William
Parent(s)Robert Pitt (father)
Harriet Villiers (mother)
EducationEton College
Alma mater
Signature
Military service
Allegiance Kingdom of Great Britain
Branch/serviceBritish Army
UnitKing's Own Regiment of Horse

William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, PC, FRS (15 November 1708 – 11 May 1778) was a British Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him "Chatham" or "Pitt the Elder" to distinguish him from his son William Pitt the Younger, who also served as prime minister. Pitt was also known as "the Great Commoner" because of his long-standing refusal to accept a title until 1766.

Pitt was a member of the British cabinet and with a brief interlude in 1757, its informal leader from 1756 to 1761, during the Seven Years' War (including the French and Indian War in the American colonies). He again led the ministry, holding the official title of Lord Privy Seal, between 1766 and 1768. Much of his power came from his brilliant oratory.[1] He was out of power for most of his career and became well-known for his attacks on the government, such as those on Walpole's corruption in the 1730s, Hanoverian subsidies in the 1740s, peace with France in the 1760s, and the policy toward the American colonies during the 1770s.[2]

Pitt is best known as the wartime political leader of Britain during the Seven Years' War, especially for his single-minded devotion to victory over France, a victory that ultimately solidified Britain's dominance over world affairs. He is also known for his popular appeal, his opposition to corruption in government, his support for the American position in the run-up to the American Revolutionary War, his advocacy of British greatness, expansionism, and empire, and his antagonism toward Britain's chief enemies and rivals for colonial power, Spain and France.[3] Marie Peters argues his statesmanship was based on a clear, consistent, and distinct appreciation of the value of the Empire.[4]

The British parliamentary historian P. D. G. Thomas argued that Pitt's power was based not on his family connections, but on the extraordinary parliamentary skills by which he dominated the House of Commons. He displayed a commanding manner, brilliant rhetoric, and sharp debating skills that cleverly used his broad literary and historical knowledge.[5] Scholars rank him highly among all British prime ministers.[6]

  1. ^ Henry Fairlie (Jan 1960), "Oratory in Political Life", History Today 10#1 pp. 3-13, covers Chatham.
  2. ^ Jeremy Black, "William Pitt the Elder" (1998)
  3. ^ Black (1992)
  4. ^ Marie Peters, "The Myth of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, Great Imperialist: Part One, Pitt and Imperial Expansion 1738–1763", Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, January 1993, vol. 21, issue 1, pp. 31–74
  5. ^ Peter D.G. Thomas, "'The Great Commoner': The Elder William Pitt as Parliamentarian", Parliamentary History, July 2003, vol. 22, issue 2, pp. 145–63
  6. ^ Paul Strangio; Paul 't Hart; James Walter (2013). Understanding Prime-Ministerial Performance: Comparative Perspectives. Oxford UP. p. 225. ISBN 9780199666423.