William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham

The Right Honourable The Earl of Chatham PC FRS
Pitt the Elder, by William Hoare
Prime Minister of Great Britain
In office 30 July 1766 – 14 October 1768
Monarch	George III
Preceded by	The Marquess of Rockingham
Succeeded by	The Duke of Grafton
Lord Privy Seal
In office 30 July 1766 – 14 October 1768
Preceded by	The Duke of Newcastle
Succeeded by	The Earl of Bristol
Leader of the House of Commons
In office 27 June 1757 – 6 October 1761
Preceded by	Himself
Succeeded by	George Grenville
In office 4 December 1756 – 6 April 1757
Preceded by	Henry Fox
Succeeded by	Himself
Secretary of State for the Southern Department
In office 27 June 1757 – 5 October 1761
Preceded by	The Earl of Holderness
Succeeded by	The Earl of Egremont
In office 4 December 1756 – 6 April 1757
Preceded by	Henry Fox
Succeeded by	The Earl of Holderness
Paymaster of the Forces
In office 29 October 1746 – 25 November 1755
Preceded by	Thomas Winnington
Succeeded by	The Earl of Darlington The Earl of Kinnoull
Member of Parliament
In office 18 February 1735 – 4 August 1766
Constituency	Old Sarum (1735–1747) Seaford (1747–1754) Aldborough (1754–1756) Okehampton (1756–1757) Bath (1757–1766)
Personal details
Born	William Pitt (1708-11-15)15 November 1708 Westminster, London, Great Britain
Died	11 May 1778(1778-05-11) (aged 69) Hayes, Kent now Bromley South London, Great Britain
Resting place	Westminster Abbey, England
Political party	Whig
Spouse	Hester Grenville ​ (m. 1754)​
Children	5; including Hester, John, and William
Parent(s)	Robert Pitt (father) Harriet Villiers (mother)
Education	Eton College
Alma mater	Trinity College, Oxford Utrecht University
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Great Britain
Branch/service	British Army
Unit	King's Own Regiment of Horse

William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, (15 November 1708 – 11 May 1778) was a British Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him "Chatham" or "Pitt the Elder" to distinguish him from his son William Pitt the Younger, who also served as prime minister. Pitt was also known as "the Great Commoner" because of his long-standing refusal to accept a title until 1766.

Pitt was a member of the British cabinet and with a brief interlude in 1757, its informal leader from 1756 to 1761, during the Seven Years' War (including the French and Indian War in the American colonies). He again led the ministry, holding the official title of Lord Privy Seal, between 1766 and 1768. Much of his power came from his brilliant oratory.^[1] He was out of power for most of his career and became well-known for his attacks on the government, such as those on Walpole's corruption in the 1730s, Hanoverian subsidies in the 1740s, peace with France in the 1760s, and the policy toward the American colonies during the 1770s.^[2]

Pitt is best known as the wartime political leader of Britain during the Seven Years' War, especially for his single-minded devotion to victory over France, a victory that ultimately solidified Britain's dominance over world affairs. He is also known for his popular appeal, his opposition to corruption in government, his support for the American position in the run-up to the American Revolutionary War, his advocacy of British greatness, expansionism and empire, and his antagonism toward Britain's chief enemies and rivals for colonial power, Spain and France.^[3] Marie Peters argues his statesmanship was based on a clear, consistent and distinct appreciation of the value of the Empire.^[4]

The British parliamentary historian P. D. G. Thomas argued that Pitt's power was based not on his family connections, but on the extraordinary parliamentary skills by which he dominated the House of Commons. He displayed a commanding manner, brilliant rhetoric and sharp debating skills that cleverly used his broad literary and historical knowledge.^[5] Scholars rank him highly among all British prime ministers.^[6]