Grenville

Grenville, WILLIAM WYNDHAM, LORD GRENVILLE, third son of George Grenville, was born 25th October 1759. After studying at Eton and Oxford, he became in 1782 a member of the House of Commons and secretary to his eldest brother, Earl Temple (afterwards Marquis of Buckingham), just appointed Lord-lieutenant of Ireland. Soon after he became Paymaster-general of the Army, and in 1789 was chosen Speaker of the House of Commons. But in 1790, on his appointment as Secretary of State for the Home Department, he was raised to the peerage with the title of Baron Grenville. He became Foreign Secretary in the ensuing year. He resigned office, along with Pitt, in 1801, on the refusal of George III. to give his assent to the Catholic Emancipation Bill, of the aims of which Grenville was one of the principal supporters. In 1806 he formed the government of 'All the Talents,' which, before its dissolution in the following year, passed the act for the abolition of the slave-trade. From 1809 to 1815 he acted along with Earl Grey, and he generally supported Canning. Lord Grenville was an able speaker and an excellent scholar, and, though he was not of first-rate abilities, his conscientiousness, industry, and knowledge of affairs gave him much influence among the peers and as a statesman. He died at Dropmore, Buckinghamshire, 12th January 1834.