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Frederick, Lord North, Earl of Guildford |
Lord North
In 1770 Frederick North became First Lord of the Treasury and Prime Minister. He was a Tory. During his 12 years as Prime Minister Britain would lose the War of American Independence. In 1770 there was a move to reform Parliament - The Bill of Rights Society was formed which said that Parliament should sit every year, that placemen (those in Parliament to maintain the government's majority) should be abolished and that MPs should have mandates from the electorate. Debates in the House were still, officially, secret affairs.
In Lord North, George III finally found a leader who would be the King's most loyal subject. George III held Parliament, Cabinet and policy in his hand.
FREDERICK NORTH (1732-1792)- Eighth Baron North, Earl of Guildford
- Whig MP and Prime Minister 1770-1782
- Son of a courtier
- Elected MP for Banbury in 1754 - his family's pocket borough
- Paymaster of the forces under Pitt the Elder
- Chancellor of the Exchequer and Leader in the Commons in 1767
- Became Prime Minister in 1770
- Resigned in 1782 over the loss of America
- Too often given in to George III, his judgement over the ways to forestall the war was impaired
- Briefly retained power with Fox
- Resigned over the India Bill
William Pitt the Elder was first MP for Old Sarum in Wiltshire, then for Seaford in Sussex, Aldborough in Yorkshire and Okehampton in Devon all of which were Pocket Boroughs. Finally he became member for Bath elected by the City fathers.
SIR HORACE WALPOLE'S DESCRIPTION OF SOME FIGURES IN THE CHAMBER
- Northey saw clearly, but it was for a little way.
- Lord Strange was the most absurd man that ever existed.
- Nugent's assertions would have made everybody angry, if they had not made everybody laugh.
- Lord Granville was novelty itself.
- Doctor Hay seldom said anything new; his speeches were fair editions of the thoughts of other men.
- Doddington was always searching for wit; and what was surprising, generally found it.
- Lord Dulphin aimed at nothing but understanding business and explaining it.
- George Grenville and Hume Campbell were tragic speakers of very different kinds; the latter far superior.
- Charles Townshend neither caring whether himself or others were in the right, only spoke to show how well he could adorn a bad cause, or demolish a good one. It was frequent with him, as soon as he had done speaking, to run to the opposite side of the House, and laugh with those he had attacked, at those who had defended.
- Townshend had such openness in all his behaviour, that he seemed to think duplicity the simplest conduct.
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1760 | George II dies George III becomes king Wolfe dies at Quebec
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1761 | Pitt the Elder falls from power
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1762 | Newcastle resigns Bute becomes Prime Minister
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1763 | Bute resigns Grenville becomes Prime Minister
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1765 | Rockingham becomes Prime Minister Hargreaves invents the spinning jenny
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1766 | Grafton becomes nominal Prime Minister
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1768 | Royal Academy of Arts founded
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1769 | Captain Cook lands at Tahiti
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1770 | Lord North becomes Prime Minister
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1773 | Boston Tea Party
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1775 | American Revolution begins
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1776 | American Declaration of Independence
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1778 | Death of Pitt the Elder France joins America against Britain
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1782 | North resigns Rockingham becomes Prime Minister Rockingham dies Shelburne becomes Prime Minister
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