Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford (
August 26,
1676 -
March 18,
1745) is generally regarded as the first
British Prime Minister and is credited with having the longest term of office. Walpole served from
1721-
42 -- during the reigns of
George I and
George II.
Walpole was born in
Norfolk in
1676, and was educated at
Eton College and
Cambridge University. By the time he entered
Parliament in
1701, as member for
Castle Rising, he had witnessed much political change within the country. Within the
Whig party (modern
Liberal Party) to which he belonged, he was soon recognised as an outstanding talent. Shortly after the accession of King
George I of Great Britain, Walpole became
First Lord of the Treasury (since 1721 and previously between 1715 and 1717) - an office still nominally held by the prime minister in modern times - as well as
Chancellor of the Exchequer.
British monarchs were gradually ceasing to play an active role in politics, and Walpole's position was strengthened by the fact that the new King had little knowledge of British tradition. It is often claimed that the King spoke no English but recent research has cast doubt on this reason often given for Walpole's ascendency. Walpole was soon able to assemble a small group of ministers who effectively ran the country, as whose chairman he came to be seen as the leader of the Parliamentary government. He also developed a good relationship with the future King George II, and particularly with George's wife, the
Princess of Wales,
Caroline of Ansbach, thus ensuring he maintained his position when the succession passed to them in
1727.
As "prime minister" from
1721 to
1742, Walpole held the kind of power that has equalled by very few ordinary politicians, before or since, but, like all politicians, he eventually succumbed to the opposition manoeuverings led by
Lord Carteret - resigning after the government was accused of rigging the Chippenham by-election. He was created
Earl of Orford and was given the house now known as 10
Downing Street, which he presented to the nation to be used as the official residence of future prime ministers. He died in
1745.
Walpole's administration as "first minister" had important consequences. Walpole moved Britain toward a trading economy, where British merchants generated income as shippers and the state from port fees and warehousing. He was also minister during the time of the growth of stock markets, and he saw the personal and political gains to be had from stocks. He was instrumental in getting the
national debt transferred into
South Sea Company stocks, thereby retiring part of the debt and enriching the directors of the South Sea Company. Walpole's "fall" took the form of an elevation to the
House of Lords as Earl of Orford, where he continued to influence the government in the
House of Commons for some time. His influence through giving advice to the King was described as being the "Minister behind the curtain".
Walpole's political dealing, and his political power, led to a unification of opposition forces on a scale that had rarely been seen before. He was perhaps the most
satirized politician in the entire 18th century. Most notably, after the success of
John Gay's
The Beggar's Opera, he was often compared with the master criminal
Jonathan Wild (most notably in
Henry Fielding's work of the same name). Walpole could count
Jonathan Swift,
Alexander Pope, John Gay,
Henry Fielding, and even
Samuel Johnson among his enemies.
{| border=2 align="center"\n|-\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
Henry St John\n|width="40%" align="center"|
Secretary at War1708-1710\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
George Granville\n|-\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
John Howe\n|width="40%" align="center"|
Paymaster of the Forces1714-1715\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
The Earl of Lincoln\n|-\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
The Earl of Carlisle\n|width="40%" align="center"|
First Lord of the Treasury1715-1717\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
James Stanhope\n|-\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
Sir Richard Onslow\n|width="40%" align="center"|
Chancellor of the Exchequer1715-1717\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
The Viscount Stanhope of Mahon\n|-\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
---\n|width="40%" align="center"|
Prime Minister of Great Britain1721-1742\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
The Earl of Wilmington\n|-\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
The Earl of Sunderland\n|width="40%" align="center"|
First Lord of the Treasury1721-1742\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington\n|-\n|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:
Sir John Pratt\n|width="40%" align="center"|
Chancellor of the Exchequer1721-1742\n|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:
Samuel Sandys\n|}
Walpole, Robert\nWalpole, Robert\nOrford, Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of
