44-454: Granville Leveson-Gower may refer to: Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford (1721 – 1803) Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Granville (1773 - 1846) Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville (1815 – 1891) Granville Leveson-Gower, 3rd Earl Granville (1872 – 1939) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with
88-793: A junior Lord of the Treasury on 2 June 1759 during the Pitt–Newcastle ministry (an alliance between the Duke of Newcastle and William Pitt the Elder ). He soon developed a reputation as a good administrator and parliamentarian and was generally liked by his colleagues. Although he initially considered himself a Whig , he did not closely align with any of the Whig factions in Parliament, and it became obvious to many contemporaries that his sympathies were largely Tory . He
132-530: A key figure in bringing about the fall of the Fox-North coalition, and was rewarded with the position of Lord President once again in the new administration of William Pitt the Younger . Although he soon exchanged this office for that of Lord Privy Seal , and gradually began to withdraw from public affairs, he remained a cabinet minister until his retirement later in 1794. In 1786, he was created Marquess of Stafford as
176-520: A reward for his services. He was elected Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries (FSA) on 28 April 1784. In 1799 he (or his immediate family benefit trust) was estimated the fifth-wealthiest small family unit in Britain, owning £2.1 million (equivalent to £260 million in 2023)), having assets in land, mining and arterial canal-toll rights having speculatively invested in the latter projects, much of which
220-568: A savage attack on both the Prime Minister and the king in his newspaper The North Briton , which many thought libellous. North's motion that Wilkes be expelled from the House of Commons passed by 273 votes to 111. Wilkes' expulsion took place in his absence, as he had already fled to France following a duel. When a government headed by the Whig magnate Charles Watson-Wentworth, Lord Rockingham came to power in 1765, North left his post and served for
264-414: A son, John, who died shortly after birth. Stafford married secondly Lady Louisa Egerton , daughter of Scroop Egerton, 1st Duke of Bridgewater , in 1748. She died in 1761. They were parents to four children: Stafford married thirdly Lady Susanna Stewart , daughter of Alexander Stewart, 6th Earl of Galloway , 23 May 1768. They were parents to four children: When Lord Stafford died at the age of 82, he
308-549: A time as a backbench MP . He turned down an offer by Rockingham to rejoin the government, not wanting to be associated with the Whig grandees that dominated the Ministry. He returned to office when Pitt returned to head a second government in 1766. North was appointed Joint Paymaster of the Forces in Pitt's ministry and became a Privy Counsellor . As Pitt was constantly ill, the government
352-615: A wedge between France and Spain and demonstrated the power of the Royal Navy , although it was suggested by critics that this gave Lord North a degree of complacency and an incorrect belief that the European powers would not interfere in British colonial affairs. This was contrasted with the previous administration's failure to prevent France from annexing the Republic of Corsica , a British ally, during
396-470: Is all over!" North was the second British Prime Minister to be forced out of office by a motion of no confidence ; the first was Sir Robert Walpole in 1742. Lord North resigned on 20 March 1782 on account of the British defeat at Yorktown the year before. In an attempt to end the war, he proposed the Conciliation Plan, in which he promised that Great Britain would eliminate all disagreeable acts if
440-662: The Baltic . With severe manpower shortages, North's government passed an act abandoning previous statutes placing restrictions on Catholics serving in the military. This provoked an upsurge of anti-Catholic feelings and the formation of the Protestant Association that led to the Gordon Riots in London in June 1780. For around a week, the city was in the control of the mob until the military
484-767: The Boston Tea Party in 1773, Lord North proposed a number of legislative measures that were supposed to punish the Bostonians. These measures were known as the Coercive Acts in Great Britain, while dubbed the Intolerable Acts in the colonies. By shutting down the Boston government and cutting off trade, he hoped they would keep the peace and dispirit the rebellious colonists. Instead, the acts further inflamed Massachusetts and
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#1732905682637528-679: The Corsican Crisis two years earlier. Using his newly found popularity, North took a chance and appointed Lord Sandwich to the cabinet as First Lord of the Admiralty . Most of North's government was focused first on the growing problems with the American colonies. Later on, it was preoccupied with conducting the American War of Independence that broke out in 1775 with the Battle of Lexington . Following
572-639: The Falkland Islands , nearly provoking a war. Both France and Spain had been left unhappy by Great Britain's perceived dominance following the British victory in the Seven Years War . Spanish forces seized the British settlement on the Falklands and expelled the small British garrison. When Britain opposed the seizure, Spain sought backing from her ally France. King Louis XV of France did not believe his country
616-408: The courtesy title of Viscount Trentham until he succeeded his father as Earl Gower in 1754. He built the earlier Lilleshall Hall , converting a 17th-century house located in the village of Lilleshall into a country residence around the late 1750s. Stafford was associated with the faction of John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford , who was his brother-in-law, and as a member of that faction, called
660-469: The " Bloomsbury Gang ", was given many governmental positions. Following Bedford's death in 1771, Gower became leader of the group, and as Lord President of the Council in the administration of Frederick North, Lord North , he was a key supporter of a hard-line policy towards the American colonists. Between 1775 and 1778, Stafford proceeded to make substantial alterations to his home at Trentham Hall based on
704-527: The American colonies. In the early 20th century, a revised view emerged which emphasised his strengths in administering the Treasury, handling the House of Commons , and in defending the Church of England . Historian Herbert Butterfield , however, argued that his indolence was a barrier to efficient crisis management; he neglected his role in supervising the entire war effort. North was born in London on 13 April 1732 at
748-595: The Duke of Grafton resigned as Prime Minister, North formed a government on 28 January 1770. His ministers and supporters tended to be known as Tories, though they were not a formal grouping and many had previously been Whigs. He took over with Great Britain in a triumphant state following the Seven Years' War , which had seen the First British Empire expand to a peak by taking in vast new territories on several continents. Circumstances forced him to keep many members of
792-500: The Earl of Sandwich. The British naval victory at the Battle of the Saintes took place after the government's fall. Despite predictions that Gibraltar 's fall was imminent, that fortress managed to hold out and was relieved . Great Britain was able to make a much more favourable peace in 1783 than had appeared likely at the time when North had been ousted. In spite of this, North was critical of
836-523: The capture of Charleston, South Carolina and its garrison. During 1780 and 1781, the North government gained strength in the House of Commons. In October 1781, British forces under Lord Cornwallis surrendered at the conclusion of the Siege of Yorktown , dealing a crushing blow to British morale. When the news reached North, he took it "as he would have taken a ball in his breast", and exclaimed repeatedly "Oh God! It
880-566: The circumstantial evidence. King George IV remarked that "either his royal grandfather or North's mother must have played her husband false", North's father, Francis North, 1st Earl of Guilford , was from 1730 to 1751 Lord of the Bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales, who stood as godfather to the infant, christened Frederick, possibly in honour of his real father. North was descended from Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester , paternal uncle of Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich and
924-494: The colonies ended the war. The colonies rejected the plan, as their goal had become full independence. In April 1782, it was suggested in cabinet by Lord Shelburne that North should be brought to public trial for his conduct of the American War, but the prospect was soon abandoned. Ironically, the war began to turn in Great Britain's favour again in 1782 through naval victories, owing largely to policies adopted by Lord North and
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#1732905682637968-455: The constitutional scholar Johann Jacob Mascov . They continued through Austria and Italy, staying in Rome from December 1752 to Easter 1753, then through Switzerland to Paris , returning to England in early 1754. On 15 April 1754, North, then 22, was elected unopposed as the member of parliament for the constituency of Banbury . He served as an MP from 1754 to 1790 and joined the government as
1012-586: The designs by Henry Holland . By 1779, Gower resigned from the cabinet being frustrated by what he saw as the North administration's inept handling of the American Revolutionary War . When North resigned in March 1782, Gower was approached to form a ministry, but he refused, and he refused subsequent overtures from both Lord Shelburne and the Fox-North coalition to enter the government. Instead, he became
1056-476: The family house at Albemarle Street , just off Piccadilly . He spent much of his youth at Wroxton Abbey in Oxfordshire . North's strong resemblance to King George III suggested to contemporaries that George III's father, Frederick, Prince of Wales , might have been North's real father, making North the king's half-brother, a theory compatible with the prince's reputation but supported by little else other than
1100-526: The ministry fell in December 1783. One of the major achievements of the coalition was the signing of the Treaty of Paris , which formally ended the American War of Independence . The new Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger , was not expected to last long, and North, a vocal critic, still entertained hopes of regaining high office. In this, he was to be frustrated, as Pitt dominated the British political scene for
1144-519: The next twenty years, leaving both North and Fox in the political wilderness. North was an active speaker until he began to go blind in 1786. He succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Guilford on 4 August 1790 and entered the House of Lords , by which time he had entirely lost his sight. Lord Guilford died in Mayfair , England (now part of London), and was buried at All Saints' Church, Wroxton (Oxfordshire), near his family home of Wroxton Abbey . His memorial
1188-527: The other colonies, eventually resulting in open war during the Boston campaign of 1775–76. North delegated the overall strategy of the war to his key subordinates Lord George Germain and the Earl of Sandwich. Despite a series of victories and the capture of New York and Philadelphia , the British were unable to secure a decisive victory. In 1778, the French allied themselves with the American rebels, and Spain joined
1232-460: The previous cabinet in their jobs, despite their lack of agreement with him. In contrast to many of his predecessors, North enjoyed a good relationship with George III, partly based on their shared patriotism and desire for decency in their private lives . North's ministry had an early success during the Falklands Crisis in 1770, in which Great Britain faced down a Spanish attempt to seize
1276-528: The prospect of a major Franco-Spanish invasion, but the Armada of 1779 was ultimately a failure. Several peace initiatives fell through, and an attempt by Richard Cumberland to negotiate a separate peace with Spain ended in frustration. The country's problems were augmented by the First League of Armed Neutrality , which was formed to counter the British blockade strategy, and threatened British naval supplies from
1320-706: The same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Granville_Leveson-Gower&oldid=541216354 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford , KG PC (4 August 1721 – 26 October 1803), known as Viscount Trentham from 1746 to 1754 and as The Earl Gower from 1754 to 1786,
1364-655: The terms agreed by the Shelburne government which he felt undervalued the strength of the British negotiating position. In April 1783, North returned to power as Home Secretary in an unlikely coalition with the radical Whig leader Charles James Fox known as the Fox–North Coalition under the nominal leadership of the Duke of Portland . King George III , who detested the radical and republican Fox, never forgave this supposed betrayal, and North never again served in government after
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1408-575: The war in 1779 as an ally of France, followed by the Dutch Republic in 1780. The British found themselves fighting a global war on four continents without a single ally. After 1778, the British switched the focus of their efforts to the defence of the West Indies , as their sugar wealth made them much more valuable to Great Britain than the Thirteen Colonies . In 1779, Great Britain was faced with
1452-473: Was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American Revolutionary War . He also held a number of other cabinet posts, including Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer . North's reputation among historians has varied wildly, reaching its lowest point in the late 19th century, when he was depicted as a creature of the king and an incompetent who lost
1496-574: Was a British politician from the Leveson-Gower family . Sitting in the House of Lords , he spent a quarter of a century in the Cabinet . Stafford was a son of John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower (1694–1754) and his wife Lady Evelyn Pierrepont. His maternal grandparents were Evelyn Pierrepont, 1st Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull and his first wife Lady Mary Feilding. Mary was a daughter of William Feilding, 3rd Earl of Denbigh and his wife Mary King. His father
1540-400: Was a prominent Tory politician who became the first major Tory to enter government since the succession of George I of Great Britain , joining the administration of John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville in 1742. Gower was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford . Stafford was elected to Parliament in 1744. With the death of his elder brother in 1746, he became known by
1584-542: Was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the 1st Somerset Militia on 23 June 1759 when it was embodied for fulltime service, and commanded it in the West Country for Earl Poulett , the colonel, who was also Lord Lieutenant of Somerset . However, North resigned in November 1761 and concentrated on his political career. In November 1763, he was chosen to speak for the government concerning radical MP John Wilkes . Wilkes had made
1628-466: Was called out and martial law imposed. Public opinion, especially in middle-class and elite circles, repudiated anti-Catholicism and violence, and rallied behind the North government. Demands were made for a London police force. Britain's fortunes in the war in America had temporarily improved following the failure of a Franco-American attack on Newport and the prosecution of a Southern strategy that saw
1672-505: Was effectively run by Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton , with North as one of its most senior members. In December 1767, he succeeded Charles Townshend as Chancellor of the Exchequer . With the resignation of the secretary of state Henry Seymour Conway in early 1768, North became Leader of the Commons as well. He continued to serve when Pitt was succeeded by Grafton in October. When
1716-541: Was in Staffordshire's Black Country . He died at Trentham Hall, Staffordshire, on 26 October 1803. He was the last surviving member of the Bloomsbury Gang . Stafford married three times. On 23 December 1744, he married firstly Elizabeth Fazakerley , daughter of Nicholas Fazakerley , with a dowry of £16,000 (equivalent to £3,441,000 in 2023). She died on 19 May 1745 of smallpox , the day after giving birth to
1760-518: Was ready for war, however, and in the face of a strong mobilisation of the British fleet, the French compelled the Spanish to back down. Louis also dismissed the Duc de Choiseul , the hawkish Chief Minister of France, who had advocated war and a large invasion of Great Britain by the French. The British government's prestige and popularity were enormously boosted by the incident. It had successfully managed to drive
1804-734: Was related to Samuel Pepys and the 3rd Earl of Bute . He at times had a slightly turbulent relationship with his father Francis North, yet they were very close. In his early years, the family was not wealthy, though their situation improved in 1735 when his father inherited property from his cousin. Frederick's mother, Lady Lucy Montagu, a daughter of George Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax and his first wife, Ricarda Posthuma Staltonstall, died in 1734. His father remarried, but his stepmother, Elizabeth Kaye, widow of George Legge, Viscount Lewisham, eldest son of William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth and his wife, Lady Anne Finch, third daughter of Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Aylesford , died in 1745, when Frederick
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1848-773: Was sculpted by John Flaxman RA. His son George North, Lord North , took over the constituency of Banbury, and in 1792 acceded to his father's title. Wroxton Abbey is now owned by Fairleigh Dickinson University , ironically an American college, and the modernised abbey serves as a location for American students to study abroad in England. Lord North is today predominantly remembered as the Prime Minister "who lost America". Both Lord North Street and Guilford Street in London are named after him. On 20 May 1756 Lord North married Anne Speke (before 1741 – 1797), daughter of George Speke MP, of Whitelackington in Somerset. She
1892-715: Was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son Lord George, who was created Duke of Sutherland in 1833. The Marchioness of Stafford died in August 1805. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Barker, George Fisher Russell (1893). " Leveson-Gower, Granville (1721-1803) ". In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography . Vol. 33. London: Smith, Elder & Co. Frederick North, Lord North Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford , (13 April 1732 – 5 August 1792), better known by his courtesy title Lord North , which he used from 1752 to 1790,
1936-498: Was thirteen. One of his stepbrothers was William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth , who remained a close friend for life. He was educated at Eton College between 1742 and 1748 and at Trinity College, Oxford , where in 1750 he was awarded an MA . After leaving Oxford , he travelled in Europe on a Grand Tour with Lord Dartmouth. They stayed in Leipzig for nearly nine months, studying under
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