James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl Waldegrave, (4 March 1715 – 13 April 1763) was an English politician and peer who is sometimes regarded as one of the shortest-serving prime ministers in British history. His brief tenure as

First Lord of the Treasury The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom. Traditional convention holds that the office of First Lord is held by the Prime Mi ...

is lent a more lasting significance by his memoirs, which are regarded as significant in the development of

Whig history Whig history (or Whig historiography) is an approach to historiography that presents history as a journey from an oppressive and benighted past to a "glorious present". The present described is generally one with modern forms of liberal democracy ...

Sir Joshua Reynolds - The Ladies Waldegrave - Google Art Project

Early life

Waldegrave was born the eldest son of

James Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldegrave James Waldegrave, 1st Earl Waldegrave, (168411 April 1741) was an English diplomat and peer who served as the British ambassador to France from 1730 to 1740. Life Waldegrave was the son of the 1st Baron Waldegrave and Henrietta FitzJames ...

, and his wife, Mary Webb, a daughter of Sir John Webb, 3rd Baronet. Waldegrave was educated at

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

and Eton and he inherited his father's titles in 1741.

Career

He was a

Lord of the Bedchamber Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the Royal Household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Household, the term being fir ...

from 1743 to 1752, appointed to the Privy Council in 1752 and Governor to

The Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...

(the future George III) and Prince Edward from 1752 to 1756. After the resignation of

the Duke of Newcastle Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne (21 July 1693 – 17 November 1768) was an English Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain, and whose official life extended througho ...

as Prime Minister in November 1756, George II dismissed William Pitt (the driving force of the new government) in April 1757 and invited Lord Waldegrave to take over from Newcastle's successor, the Duke of Devonshire, as

. Accordingly, Devonshire was briefly dismissed and Lord Waldegrave tried to form a government from 8 to 12 June that year but failed to do so and stepped down, partly because he feared that as Prime Minister, he would fall out with his close friend, the King (as his predecessors had done). Devonshire then continued as First Lord and Prime Minister for almost another two weeks, and Newcastle returned a week later. Waldegrave was made a

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

on 30 June. Lord Waldegrave retired from public life upon the accession of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

in 1760.

Personal life

On 15 May 1759, he married Maria Walpole, the illegitimate daughter of Sir Edward Walpole, at Sir Edward's house in Pall Mall by special licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury. The ceremony was performed by Frederick Keppel, the future

Bishop of Exeter The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary (officer), ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The current bishop is Mike Harrison (bishop), Mike Harrison, since 2024. From the first bishop until the sixteent ...

, and the official witnesses were Sir Edward and his brother,

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (; 24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English Whig politician, writer, historian and antiquarian. He had Strawberry Hill House built in Twickenham, southwest London ...

. The couple had three daughters: * Lady Elizabeth Laura Waldegrave (1760–1816), married her cousin, the 4th Earl Waldegrave. Three sons became Earls Waldegrave and all succeeding earls are descended from this marriage. * Lady Charlotte Maria Waldegrave (1761–1808), married George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton. All succeeding Dukes of Grafton are descended from this marriage. * Lady (Anne) Horatia Waldegrave (1762–1801), married

Lord Hugh Seymour Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour (29 April 1759 – 11 September 1801) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who served in the American Revolutionary War, American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. The fifth son of Francis Seymo ...

, son of the 1st Marquess of Hertford. Prior to her marriage, she was perhaps secretly engaged to be married to Robert Bertie, 4th Duke of Ancaster (1756–1779), as she is said by her uncle

and others to have put on mourning for the dissolute young Duke."To Lady Horatia Waldegrave, on the death of the Duke of Ancaster"
published by Strawberry Hill Press 1779. He died of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

on 13 April 1763 and, lacking male heirs, his titles passed to his younger brother,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

.''Burke's Peerage & Gentry''
/Ref> After his death, his widow Maria married into the

British Royal Family The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...

becoming the wife of

Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (25 November 1743 – 25 August 1805), was a grandson of George II of Great Britain, George II and a younger brother of George III, George III of the United Kingdom. Life Youth Prince Wi ...

, King George III's brother. Waldegrave's memoirs were published in 1821.

Descendants

His daughter, Lady Anne, and her husband were the great-grandparents of

Charles Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer Charles Robert Spencer, 6th Earl Spencer, (30 October 185726 September 1922), styled The Honourable Charles Spencer until 1905 and known as Viscount Althorp between 1905 and 1910, was a British courtier and Liberal politician from the Spencer ...

, who was the great-grandfather of

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William, ...

and by her they were the ancestors of

and The Duke of Sussex.

References

Notes Sources

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Waldegrave, James Waldegrave, 2nd Earl 1715 births 1763 deaths People from Mendip District Deaths from smallpox Earls Waldegrave Fellows of the Royal Society Knights of the Garter Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain People educated at Eton College People educated at Westminster School, London