| William Pitt (1759—1806) statesman, second son of William Pitt, first
Earl of Chatham, and of Hester Grenville. He was taught by a private tutor,
Edmund Wilson and at the age of fourteen went to Pembrooke College, Cambridge.
Pitt was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1780 and became MP for Appleby
a year later. He joined Shelbourne's section of the Whig Party and was therefore
opposed to Lord North. A gifted orator, he was made Prime Minister in his
twenty-fifth year, the announcement being greeted with laughter in the House
of Commons. Nevertheless, under his administration and by prudent use of
loans and taxes England was able to withstand the tremendous burdens of
the Napoleonic wars. Pitt's position was imperilled by the King's insanity
in 1788, since he would have been dismissed in favour of Fox and his followers
had George, Prince of Wales, become Regent. Pitt maintained that the Regent
ought to be appointed by Parliament and was engaged in passing a bill limiting
the powers of his office when the necessity was removed by George III's
recovery. |
