William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham

The Right Honourable William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (15 November 1708–11 May 1778) was a British Whig statesman who achieved his greatest fame as war minister during the French and Indian War and who was later Prime Minister of Great Britain. He is often known as William Pitt the Elder to distinguish him from his son William Pitt the Younger who served as Prime Minister from 1783-1801 and from 1804 to his death in 1806.

Early life

Pitt was born at Westminster. He was the younger son of Robert Pitt of Boconnoc, Cornwall, and grandson of Thomas Pitt (1653-1726), governor of Madras, who was known as "Diamond" Pitt, from the fact of his having sold a diamond of extraordinary size to the Regent Orléans for around £135,000. It was mainly by this fortunate transaction that the governor was enabled to raise his family, which was one of old standing, to a position of wealth and political influence. The latter he acquired by purchasing the burgage tenures of Old Sarum.

Related Topics:
Westminster - Robert Pitt - Boconnoc - Cornwall - Thomas Pitt - 1653 - 1726 - Madras - Diamond - Regent Orléans - Old Sarum

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

William Pitt was educated at Eton, and in January 1727 was entered as a gentleman commoner at Trinity College, Oxford. There is evidence that he was an extensively read, if not a minutely accurate classical scholar; and it is interesting to know that Demosthenes was his favourite author, and that he diligently cultivated the faculty of expression by the practice of translation and re-translation.

Related Topics:
Eton - January - 1727 - Gentleman commoner - Trinity College, Oxford - Classical - Demosthenes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

An hereditary gout, from which he had suffered even during his school-days, compelled him to leave the university without taking his degree, in order to travel abroad. He spent some time in France and Italy; but the disease proved intractable, and he continued subject to attacks of growing intensity at frequent intervals till the close of his life. In 1727 his father had died, and on his return home it was necessary for him, as the younger son, to choose a profession. Having chosen the army, he obtained through the interest of his friends a cornet's commission in the dragoons.

Related Topics:
Gout - France - Italy - 1727 - Army - Cornet - Dragoons

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

But his military career was destined to be short. His elder brother Thomas having been returned at the general election of 1734 both for Oakhampton and for Old Sarum, and having preferred to sit for the former, the family borough fell to the younger brother by the sort of natural right usually recognized in such cases. Accordingly, in February 1735, William Pitt entered parliament as member for Old Sarum. Attaching himself at once to the formidable band of discontented Whigs known as the Patriots, whom Walpole's love of exclusive power had forced into opposition under Pulteney; Pitt became in a very short time one of its most prominent members.

Related Topics:
General election of 1734 - Oakhampton - Borough - February - 1735 - Parliament - Whigs - Walpole - Pulteney

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~