Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle
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His Grace The Duke of Newcastle KG PC FRS |
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|---|---|
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| Prime Minister of Great Britain | |
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In office 2 July 1757 – 26 May 1762 |
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| Monarch |
George II George III |
| Preceded by | The Duke of Devonshire |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Bute |
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In office 16 March 1754 – 16 November 1756 |
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| Monarch | George II |
| Preceded by | Henry Pelham |
| Succeeded by | The Duke of Devonshire |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
21 July 1693 London |
| Died | 17 November 1768 (aged 75) Lincoln's Inn Fields, Middlesex, England |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Lady Harriet Godolphin (m. 1717) |
| Children | None |
| Alma mater | Clare College, Cambridge |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Signature |  |
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne, KG, PC, FRS (21 July 1693 – 17 November 1768) was a British Whig statesman, whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. He is commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle.
A protégé of Sir Robert Walpole, he served under him for more than twenty years, until 1742. He held power with his brother, Prime Minister Henry Pelham until 1754. He had at this point served as a Secretary of State continuously for thirty years—dominating British foreign policy.
After Henry's death the Duke was prime minister six years, in two separate periods. While his first premiership was not particularly notable, Newcastle precipitated the Seven Years' War; his weak diplomacy cost him the premiership. After his second term as Prime Minister, he served for a short while in Lord Rockingham's ministry, before retiring from government. He was most effective as a deputy to a leader of greater ability, such as Walpole, his brother, or Pitt. Few politicians in British history matched his skills and industry in using patronage to maintain power over long stretches of time. His genius appeared as the chief party manager for the Whigs, 1715-1761. He used his energy and his money to select candidates, distribute patronage, and win elections. He was especially influential in the counties of Sussex, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. His greatest triumph came in the 1734 election.
Outside the electoral realm, his reputation has suffered. Historian Harry Dickinson says that he became:
Thomas Pelham was born in London on 21 July 1693 the eldest son of Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham, by his second wife, the former Lady Grace Holles, younger sister of the John Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He studied at Westminster School and was admitted a fellow-commoner at Clare College, Cambridge in 1710. Pelham's uncle died in 1711, and his father the next year, both leaving their large estates to their nephew and son. When he came of age in 1714, Lord Pelham was one of the greatest landowners in the kingdom, enjoying enormous patronage in the county of Sussex. One stipulation of his uncle's will was that his nephew add Holles to his name, which he faithfully did, thereafter styling himself as Thomas Pelham-Holles. A long-standing legal dispute over the estate with his Aunt was finally settled in 1714.
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