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William Pitt

Born on November 15^th 1709, Pitt was the Grandson of Diamond Pitt, who had made his fortune in India, working for the East India Company. He attended school at Eton from 1719 to 1726 and then went up to Trinity College Oxford. He finished his education at the University of Utrecht. He took up a commission in the King’s own Regiment of Horse but was dismissed in 1736 for a speech he had made in Parliament. His father was an MP so Pitt was given a good grounding in the politics of the nation as he grew up.

He first entered Parliament in 1735 when he was elected form the rotten borough of Old Sarum, his family seat, and fell in with a group led by his uncle named Cohham’s Cubs who were opposed to Walpole’s administration. In the 1740’s his opposition to the Royal position of the war earned him the dislike of the King. His ability was recognized and in 1746 the Pelham brothers forced the King to accept  

Pitt as a part of their ministry in the position of Paymaster General. He held this position until 1755 when he resigned and attacked Newcastle but was not able to gather enough support to form his own Ministry.

In 1754, Pitt married Hester Grenville, sister of Earl Temple and George Grenville. He was forced to govern in coalition form 1757. He was appointed Secretary of the South which was the position responsible for the execution of the 7 years war.

He was able to view this first truly global struggle in grand strategic terms and step by step planned and carried out the strangling of the French forces throughout the world. He brought the war to an extremely successful conclusion but resigned when his plans to extend the war to Spain were rejected in 1761. In 1766 George III, in search of an outstanding first minister supported Pitt by naming him Lord Chatham and First Lord of the Treasury. His hold on power was troubled due to his health and by 1768 Pitt was forced to resign.

He could not stay away from politics for long and soon returned to oppose the trend towards confrontation with the colonies and he openly opposed Lord North’s policies. Pitt continued as one of the greatest politicians of his age but in 1778 with the colonies in full fledged rebellion, he died.