Henry Pelham

Henry Pelham (September 25th 1694 - March 6th 1754) was a British statesman , member of the left whig and which was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of 1743 with its death, in 1754.

Youth and studies

Pelham receives initially the education of a tutor then studies with the Université of Oxford. He is volunteer at the time of the battles of Preston in 1715, spends some time to continental Europe, then enters to the Parlement in 1717 like representative of Seaford, in the Sussex, which he represents until 1722.

Political career

Thanks to the strong influence of its family and with the recommendations of Robert Walpole, it is named, in 1721, Lord with the Treasury. The following year, it turns over to the Parliament for the county of Sussex. In 1724, it enters to the government like Secrétaire to the war, but it exchanges this load in 1730 for that more lucrative of Trésorier of the armies. It is pointed out for its support for Walpole on the question of the Excise duty then, like Walpole, it occupies the post of governor of the foundation of the charity work of the Foundling Hospital when it opens his doors in 1739. In 1742, a coalition with the room carries it the following year to the post of Prime Minister.

At the time of the first year of its government, the capacity is in fact held by the Secretary off State for the Northern Department (Secretary of State to the businesses of North), Lord Carteret, which is with the head of the Carteret Ministry , in which Pelham is First Lord with the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer and chief of the majority to the House of Commons. It shares then the capacity with his brother, Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duc of Newcastle. This period is relatively calm in the field of the interior policy, although Great Britain at the time is implied in several Guerre S.

Fervent supporter of peace, Pelham carries out the War of succession of Austria with languor and mitigated successes, but the country, tired of this interminable fight, agrees to accept its foreign politics. The king George II, thwarted in its own projects, appealed, in 1746, with William Pulteney, but its operation is demolished by the resignation of the two Pelhams (Henry and Newcastle), which, at the request of the king withdraw then their resignation.

In 1749, the Consolidation Act is voted, reorganizing the Royal Navy. The March 20th 1751, the British calendar is him also reorganized (New year becomes on January 1st); Great Britain adopts the Gregorian Calendrier the following year. One of the last laws of Pelham is the Marriage Act 1753 (" Bridal law of 1753"), which defines the minimum age of assent in the marriage. With his death, his/her brother (the above-mentioned duke of Newcastle) takes again the government.

See too

Random links: