James Grenville, 1st Baron Glastonbury facts for kids
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James Grenville, 1st Baron Glastonbury (born July 6, 1742 – died April 26, 1825) was an important British politician. He lived at Butleigh Court in Somerset, England. During his career, he was a member of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, which are parts of the British Parliament. He was also a member of the Privy Council, a group of advisors to the King.
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Who Was James Grenville?
James Grenville was the oldest son of another politician, also named James Grenville. His family was very well-known and powerful. He was also a cousin of George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham. James went to famous schools like Eton College and Christ Church, Oxford to get his education.
The Powerful Grenville Family
The Grenville family was one of the most important noble families in Buckinghamshire, a county in south-eastern England. This was especially true in the 1700s and early 1800s. For many years, they often held one or both of the parliamentary seats for Buckinghamshire and the town of Buckingham. This meant they had a lot of influence in the government.
Some members of the Grenville family became very famous national politicians. Two of them even became Prime Ministers: George Grenville and William Wyndham Grenville. The family was also related to other important political figures like William Pitt the Elder and William Pitt the Younger.
James Grenville's Political Journey
James Grenville had a long career in politics. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for several different areas. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the House of Commons.
Serving as a Member of Parliament
- From 1766 to 1768, he was an MP for the area of Thirsk in Yorkshire.
- From 1770 to 1790, he represented his family's home area of Buckingham. For part of this time (1774 to 1780), he worked alongside his twin brother, Richard, as an MP.
- Later, from 1790 to 1797, he represented the larger county area of Buckinghamshire.
James Grenville took over his father's responsibilities in 1783. In politics, he usually followed his family's views until 1801. After 1806, he again aligned with his family. However, between those years, he chose to support William Pitt the Younger instead of Charles James Fox. Most of his politically active relatives supported Fox during that time.
Important Government Roles
James Grenville also held some important positions in the government:
- He worked as a Lord of the Treasury from March 1782 to March 1783. This role involved managing the country's money.
- He was offered even bigger jobs, like Chancellor of the Exchequer (the main finance minister) or Secretary at War (in charge of military matters), by William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne. However, James Grenville chose not to take these positions.
- On December 26, 1783, he became a member of the Privy Council. This is a group of trusted advisors to the King or Queen.
- He was also a member of the Board of Trade from 1784 until he passed away. This board helped manage trade and business for the country.
Becoming a Baron
On October 20, 1797, James Grenville was given a special title: Baron Glastonbury. This meant he became a member of the House of Lords. Lord Glastonbury never got married, so when he died in 1825, his title ended. He left his property to his relative, Thomas Grenville. His estate, including Butleigh Court, later went to another relative, Reverend George Neville. George Neville, who later became the Dean of Windsor, then added "Grenville" to his own name.
