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George Grenville (14 October 1712 – 13 November 1770), was a British Whig statesman who served in government for the relatively short period of seven years. In that time he held several offices, eventually reaching the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain (1763-1765), held concurrently with the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer.
His most famous policy as PM was the Stamp Act, one of several British policies that ultimately prompted the American Revolution. During his ministry, he so thoroughly alienated his colleagues that King George III actively sought grounds to dismiss Grenville, finally doing so in 1765 once Lord Rockingham agreed to succeed Grenville.
George Grenville in The Two Georges[]
George Grenville was remembered by later generations as a man who almost, but did not, gain the prime ministry. Nonetheless, in his own day, he was considered important enough to be included in the painting, The Two Georges.[1]
Literary comment[]
Grenville's failure to become Prime Minister in 1763 is the earliest stated Point of Divergence in the novel, although it is unclear whether it relates directly to the relevant POD.
References[]
- ↑ The Two Georges, Ch. 1.
Political offices (OTL) | ||
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Preceded by John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute |
Prime Minister of Great Britain 16 April 1763 – 13 July 1765 |
Succeeded by Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham |
Preceded by Francis Dashwood, 15th Baron le Despencer |
Chancellor of the Exchequer 1763 – 1765 |
Succeeded by William Dowdeswell |
Preceded by George Chamberlayne Richard Grenville-Temple, 2nd Earl Temple |
Member of Parliament for Buckingham 1741-1770 |
Succeeded by Henry Grenville James Grenville, 1st Baron Glastonbury |
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