Henry Pelham
(1695?-1754), Prime MinisterEarly Georgian Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter in 6 portraits
A Whig statesman, who served as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1743 and Robert Walpole's successor as Prime Minister from 1743 to 1754. Pelham was in favour of peace, yet the 1740s presented several challenges including the second Jacobite uprising of 1745 led by Prince Charles Stuart and the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-48). Despite these conflicts, Pelham managed to rationalise the nation's finances, won over members of the opposition, and at last earned the confidence of George II who had previously been opposed to Pelham's appointment. In 1746, Pelham's brother, the Duke of Newcastle succeeded him as Prime Minister.
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