Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Henry Pelham by William Hoare, 1751 | |
| Prime Minister of Great Britain | |
| In office 27 August 1743 – 6 March 1754 | |
| Monarch | George II |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Wilmington |
| Succeeded by | The Duke of Newcastle |
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | |
| In office 12 December 1743 – 6 March 1754 | |
| Monarch | George II |
| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Samuel Sandys |
| Succeeded by | William Lee |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 September 1694 Laughton, Sussex, England |
| Died | 6 March 1754 (aged 59) Westminster, England |
| Resting place | All Saints' Church, Laughton, East Sussex, England |
| Party | Whig |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent |
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| Alma mater | |
| Signature | |
Henry Pelham (25 September 1694 – 6 March 1754) was a British Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1743 until his death in 1754. He was the younger brother of Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle, who served in Pelham's government and succeeded him as prime minister. Pelham is generally considered to have been Britain's third prime minister, after Robert Walpole and the Earl of Wilmington.
Pelham's premiership was relatively uneventful in terms of domestic affairs, although it was during his premiership that Great Britain experienced the tumult of the 1745 Jacobite uprising. In foreign affairs, Britain fought in several wars. Two of Pelham's final acts were the Jewish Naturalization Act 1753, which allowed Jews to become naturalized by application to Parliament, and the Marriage Act 1753, which enumerated the minimum age of consent for marriage. On Pelham's death, his brother Newcastle took full control of the British government.