Sir William Pitt 1759 - 1806
Sir William Pitt , English politician. Entered Parliament (1781); assailed Tory ministry of Lord North but declined office until becoming chancellor of exchequer under Shelburne (1782); declined to form cabinet on fall of Shelburne' s ministry (1783); brought forward scheme for parliamentary reform, only to be defeated, as also upon bill for modifying East India Company' s charter. On dismissal of Fox-North coalition ministry (Dec. 1783), took office as chancellor of exchequer, 1st lord of treasury, and prime minister, the only member of cabinet in House of Commons; despite hostile votes, refused to dissolve Parliament until public feeling was on his side; received huge majority in general election (1784). Undertook ordering of finances by funding and reducing national debt, abating customs duties, instituting sinking fund for paying national debt; established new constitution for East India Company (1784); lost third parliamentary reform bill (1785); first statesman to attempt adoption of teachings of Adam Smith; failed in attempt to effect commercial union of British Isles (1785); negotiated favorable commercial treaty with France (1786); failed to carry House of Commons in favor of Wilberforce' s proposed abolition of slave trade (1792). Formed(1793) First Coalition with Russia, Sardinia, Spain, Naples, Prussia, Austria, Portugal, granting these allies subsidies in struggle against France; suspended Habeas Corpus act, forced to levy income taxes; formed Second Coalition against France (1798), including Portugal, Naples, Russia, the Ottoman empire, and Austria, facilitated by victory of Nile; compelled by George III to withdraw proposal of Catholic emancipation introduced for quieting Irish rebellion of 1798, temporarily allayed by union with Ireland (1800-01) secured through political corruption. Resigned (1801) during Treaty of Amiens negotiations; assisted ministry of Addington until its weakness and declaration of war on France (1803) required him to return to office (1804); formed Third Coalition with Russia, Austria, and Sweden (1805); increased property tax by 25 per cent (1805); raised loan of twenty million pounds; seriously affected in health by charge of misappropriation of public funds against his friend Melville, head of admiralty (1805); broken by news of capitulation at Ulm (Oct. 1805); dealt death blow by defeats of Austria and Russia at Austerlitz (Dec. 1805).| Born: Hayes, Kent, England 28th May 1759 | Baptised: Hayes, Kent, England 3rd Jul 1759
| | Died: London, , , England 23rd Jan 1806 | Buried: Westminster Abbey, London, , , England 22nd Feb 1806
| | Family: Pitt |
Sources
- Family Archivists: see
Pitt
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