Thomas Grenville facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas Grenville
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Thomas Grenville (picture)
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| President of the Board of Control | |
| In office 1806–1806 |
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| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Lord Grenville |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Minto |
| Succeeded by | George Tierney |
| First Lord of the Admiralty | |
| In office 1806–1807 |
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| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Lord Grenville |
| Preceded by | The Earl Grey |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Mulgrave |
| Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire | |
| In office 1779–1784 |
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| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by |
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| Member of Parliament for Aldeburgh | |
| In office 1790–1796 |
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| Preceded by |
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| Succeeded by |
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| Member of Parliament for Buckingham | |
| In office 1796–1801 |
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| Preceded by | |
| Succeeded by | Parliament of the United Kingdom |
| In office 1813–1818 |
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| Preceded by | Parliament of Great Britain |
| Succeeded by |
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| Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire | |
| In office 1813–1818 |
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| Preceded by |
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| Succeeded by |
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| British Minister to France | |
| In office 1782–1782 |
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| Preceded by | Vacant due to American Revolutionary War Title last held by The Earl of Mansfield |
| Succeeded by | The Lord St Helens |
| Justice in Eyre south of the Trent | |
| In office 1800–1846 |
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| Preceded by | The Lord Sydney |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 December 1755 Wotton Underwood, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Died | 17 December 1846 (aged 90) Piccadilly, London, England |
| Political party | Whig |
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| Alma mater | Eton College |
Thomas Grenville PC (born December 31, 1755, died December 17, 1846) was an important British politician. He was also a great lover of books, known as a bibliophile.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Thomas Grenville was the second son of George Grenville, who was once the Prime Minister of Great Britain. His mother was Elizabeth Wyndham. Thomas had two brothers who were also well-known: George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham was his older brother, and William Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville was his younger brother. Thomas went to Eton College, a famous school in England.
Political Career and Public Service
Thomas Grenville began his career in the military. In 1778, he became an ensign in the Coldstream Guards, which is a part of the British Army. The next year, he was promoted to a lieutenant in the 80th Regiment of Foot. However, he left the army in 1780.
Serving in Parliament
From 1780 to 1810, Thomas Grenville was a Member of Parliament. This means he was elected to represent people in the British government. He served for various areas, including Buckinghamshire and Aldeburgh.
Important Government Roles
During 1806 and 1807, Grenville held two very important jobs. For a few months, he was the President of the Board of Control. This role involved overseeing the British East India Company's affairs in India. After that, he became the First Lord of the Admiralty. This position meant he was in charge of the British Navy. In 1798, he was made a member of the Privy Council. This is a group of important advisors to the King or Queen.
A Diplomatic Mission and Shipwreck
In 1799, Thomas Grenville was on a diplomatic mission. He was traveling on a ship called HMS Proserpine to meet the King of Prussia. The ship got stuck in ice near the Elbe River. The weather was very bad, with freezing temperatures and snow.
On February 2, all 187 people on board had to leave the ship. They walked six miles across the ice to an island called Neuwerk. It was a dangerous journey. Sadly, some people did not survive the cold. Most of the group, including Grenville, made it safely to a tower on Neuwerk island. After this difficult experience, Grenville continued his mission.
Thomas Grenville's Amazing Library
Thomas Grenville loved books very much. He started collecting them when he was in his early twenties. By the time he died, he had collected an incredible 20,240 books! These books contained about 16,000 different titles.
What Was in His Collection?
His library was famous for many things. It had many different versions of classic stories like those by Homer, Aesop, and Ariosto. He also collected early travel books and literature written in Romance languages. Some of his most special books included:
- A rare copy of the Gutenberg Bible printed on vellum (a type of animal skin). He bought it in France in 1817.
- A Mainz Psalter, which is another very old and rare printed book.
- A Shakespeare First Folio, which is the first collected edition of William Shakespeare's plays.
He also had 59 manuscripts, which are books written by hand.
Caring for His Books
Grenville wanted his books to be in perfect condition. He often had them cleaned or rebound with new covers. If a book was missing pages, he would try to find the missing parts to make it complete. He also often lent his books to others, almost like a public library.
A Gift to the Nation
In 1830, Thomas Grenville became a trustee of the British Museum. When he died, he generously gave his entire book collection to the British Museum. Today, his amazing collection is kept in the King's Library Tower at the British Library in London.
Later Life
Thomas Grenville passed away in December 1846 in Piccadilly, London. He was 90 years old. He never married.
