Frederick North, Lord North

The Earl of Guilford
Portrait by Nathaniel Dance-Holland, c. 1773–74
Prime Minister of Great Britain
In office
28 January 1770 – 27 March 1782
MonarchGeorge III
Preceded byThe Duke of Grafton
Succeeded byThe Marquess of Rockingham
Home Secretary
In office
2 April 1783 – 19 December 1783
Prime MinisterThe Duke of Portland
Preceded byThomas Townshend
Succeeded byThe Earl Temple
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office
11 September 1767 – 27 March 1782
Prime Minister
Preceded byCharles Townshend
Succeeded byLord John Cavendish
Paymaster of the Forces
In office
21 August 1766 – 9 December 1767
Serving with George Cooke
Prime MinisterThe Earl of Chatham
Preceded byCharles Townshend
Succeeded byThomas Townshend
Member of Parliament
for Banbury
In office
20 May 1754 – 4 August 1790
Preceded byJohn Willes
Succeeded byGeorge North, Lord North
Personal details
Born(1732-04-13)13 April 1732
Piccadilly, London, England
Died5 August 1792(1792-08-05) (aged 60)
Mayfair, London, England
Resting placeAll Saints' Church, Wroxton, England
Political party
Spouse
(m. 1756)
Children7, including George, Francis and Frederick
Parent
Alma materTrinity College, Oxford
Signature

Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford KG PC (13 April 1732 – 5 August 1792), better known by his courtesy title Lord North, which he used from 1752 to 1790, was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American Revolutionary War. He also held a number of other cabinet posts, including Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

North's reputation among historians has varied wildly, reaching its lowest point in the late 19th century, when he was depicted as a creature of the king and an incompetent who lost the American colonies. In the early 20th century, a revised view emerged which emphasised his strengths in administering the Treasury, handling the House of Commons, and in defending the Church of England. Historian Herbert Butterfield, however, argued that his indolence was a barrier to efficient crisis management; he neglected his role in supervising the entire war effort.[1][2]

  1. ^ Nigel Aston, "North, Frederick, 2nd Earl of Guilford" in David Loads, ed., Readers Guide to British History (2003) pp. 960–962.
  2. ^ "North, Frederick, second earl of Guilford [known as Lord North] (1732–1792), prime minister". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2004. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/20304. Retrieved 11 February 2021. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

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