George Grenville

George Grenville (1712-1770), British statesman, prime minister of Great Britain (1763-1765). Born in London, he was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. In 1741 he was elected to the House of Commons for Buckingham, a rotten borough belonging to Lord Cobham, where he served the rest of his life. Part of the “boy patriot” opposition to Robert Walpole that also included his brother-in-law William Pitt, Grenville was appointed to the Admiralty Board in the government of Henry Pelham, before being appointed to the Treasury Board in 1747. Except for a brief period in 1757, he held office as treasurer of the navy from 1754 to 1762, initiating a number of reforms, including attempts to better regulate the payment of seamen, thus encouraging naval service during the Seven Years’ War.

Grenville became leader of the House of Commons in 1761, and in 1762 was appointed Secretary of State for the Northern Department (Home Affairs) in the government of Lord Bute, whom he had supported against Pitt in his attempt to bring the war to an end. Bute recommended Grenville as his successor on his resignation as prime minister. Soon after his appointment, libel proceedings under a general warrant were started against John Wilkes for his criticism of George III in Wilkes’ weekly publication, the North Briton. The government lost the case, during which general warrants were ruled illegal, and Wilkes became a popular champion.

As part of a new colonial policy Grenville was looking to reduce the national debt while reducing the tax burden on Britain. This led to a number of pieces of legislation to spread the burden of taxation to the colonies, most notorious of which was the Stamp Act. These provoked huge resentment, becoming one of the chief causes of friction between Britain and the American colonies that resulted in the War of Independence.

Grenville fell out with George III by failing to name the Queen mother, who had become scandalously linked with Bute, in the Regency Act. He was sacked, to be replaced by the Marquess of Rockingham. In opposition after 1765, Grenville continued to support the taxation of the colonies, including the Townshend Duties of 1767.