Who was William Pitt the elder

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A.� Prime Minister, 1st Earl of Chatham, know as

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Q.� Early life

A.� William Pitt was born on 15 November 1708, second son of seven children of Robert Pitt and his wife Lady Harriet Villiers. Pitt was educated at Eton and then he went up to Trinity College, Oxford. Afterwards he served with Cobham's Regiment and became Whig MP in 1735 for Old Sarum. He was dismissed from his regiment in 1736 for a sarcastic speech he made in parliament. He became a political enemy of Sir Robert Walpole, the Whig Prime Minister.

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Q. �So that restricted his career

A.� Not much. In 1746 Pitt was appointed Paymaster-General, with a place in the Cabinet, under premier Henry Pelham. In 1756 the Seven Years War broke out. Britain and Prussia fought France and Austria; Pitt was recalled to government at the outbreak of the Seven Years War to form a coalition government with the Duke of Newcastle.

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Q.� Success

A.� Yes. Newcastle looked after domestic affairs; Pitt had sole charge of the war and foreign affairs. Pitt sent a strengthened British fleet to blockade French ports and provided supplies to Frederick the Great of Prussia. His policies resulted in victory over the French in India and Canada and on the seas. He sought to continue the war until France was completely defeated, and broaden the war by declaring against Spain. The new king, George III, was against that, however, and Pitt had to resign - but not after receiving certain inducements, including a pension and an earldom.

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Q.� That wasn't the end of his political career

A.� Oh no. In 1765, the king made overtures to Pitt for the formation of a ministry. Pitt was in poor health and declined, but a year later he succeeded Lord Rockingham and became first minister. However, as the Earl of Chatham he lost all credibility as the Great Commoner and had difficultly controlling the House of Commons.

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Q.� How much difficulty

A.� His budget was overturned by a successful motion to reduce land tax. Pitt collapsed into depression and spent the next 18 months out of touch with politics. While he was away, many of the ministers did as they pleased and introduced laws that would have displeased Pitt. The American Import Duties Act (1767) - an effort to raise money from the colonies to pay for their defence - was totally against Pitt's policy. He resigned in October, 1768, leaving the Duke of Grafton to form a ministry.

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Q.� Was that the end

A.� Nearly. Pitt did not leave the political arena; over the next 10 years he continued to speak out against British policy in the colonies and fight for parliamentary reform, but he gained little following. He tried desperately to avert open conflict with America but every time he failed to get his own way he retired to the country, ill. On 7 April, 1778, he attended the House of Lords for a debate on the colonies with the intention of opposing the Duke of Richmond's motion to give the colonies their independence. He spoke against Richmond, who responded. When Chatham rose again to reply, he opened his mouth, clutched his chest and collapsed on the Duke of Portland. He died a month later. Pittsburgh, a port in south-west Pennsylvania, is named after him.

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Steve Cunningham

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