Augustus Henry Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (
1735–
1811), was a British
politician of the Georgian era.
The grandson of the 2nd Duke, he was educated at
Westminster School and at the
University of Cambridge. He first became known in politics as an opponent of
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute, a favourite of King
George III. In 1765, Grafton was secretary of state under the
Marquess of Rockingham; but he retired next year, and the
Earl of Chatham formed a ministry in which Grafton was
First Lord of the Treasury (
1766) but not
Prime Minister.
Chatham's illness at the end of
1767 resulted in Grafton becoming the government's effective leader, but political differences and the attacks of "
Junius" led to his resignation in January
1770. He became
Lord Privy Seal in
Lord North's ministry (
1771) but resigned in
1775, being in favour of conciliatory action towards the American colonists. In the Rockingham ministry of
1782 he was again lord privy seal. In later years he was a prominent
Unitarian.
Besides his successor, the 4th Duke (1760–1844), and numerous other children, Grafton was the father of General Lord Charles Fitzroy (1764–1829), whose sons Sir
Charles Fitzroy (1798–1858), governor of
New South Wales, and
Robert Fitzroy, the hydrographer, were notable for their achievements.
The Duke of Grafton's Government
{| border=2 align="center"\n|-\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
The Earl of Sandwich\n|width="40%" align="center"|Secretary of State for the Northern Department
1765–1766\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
Henry Seymour Conway\n|-\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
The Marquess of Rockingham\n|width="40%" align="center"|First Lord of the Treasury
1766–1770\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
Lord North\n|-\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
The Earl of Chatham\n|width="40%" align="center"|Prime Minister of Great Britain
1768–70\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
Lord North\n|}
{| border=2 align="center"\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
Charles Fitzroy\n|width="40%" align="center"|Duke of Grafton\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
George Henry Fitzroy\n|}
\nGrafton, Augustus Henry Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of\nGrafton, Augustus Henry Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of\nGrafton, Augustus Henry Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of\nGrafton, Augustus Henry Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of