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'''Henry Pelham''' ([[1696]] - [[March 6]], [[1754]]) was [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] of [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] from [[February 14]], [[1743]] to his death.  Pelham was the younger brother of [[Thomas Pelham-Holles]], [[Duke of Newcastle]], and a younger son of [[Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton]] and of Lady Grace Holles, daughter of the 3rd [[Earl of Clare]]. He was educated by a private tutor and at [[Christ Church, Oxford]], which he entered in July [[1710]]. As a volunteer he served in Dormer's regiment at the [[battle of Preston]] in [[1715]], spent some time on the Continent, and in [[1717]] entered [[Westminster Parliament|Parliament]] for [[Seaford, East Sussex|Seaford]] in [[Sussex]] which he represented until [[1722]].

Through strong family influence and the recommendation of [[Robert Walpole|Walpole]] he was chosen in [[1721]] a lord of the Treasury. The following year he was returned for [[Sussex]] county. In [[1724]] he entered the ministry as secretary of war, but this office he exchanged in [[1730]] for the more lucrative one of paymaster of the forces. He made himself conspicuous by his support of Walpole on the question of the [[excise tax|excise]], and in [[1743]] a union of parties resulted in the formation of an administration in which Pelham was prime minister, with the office of [[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]; but rank and influence made his brother, the duke of Newcastle, very powerful in the cabinet, and, in spite of a genuine attachment, there were occasional disputes between them, which led to difficulties. 

Being strongly in favour of peace, Pelham carried on the [[War of the Austrian Succession]] with languor and indifferent success, but the country, wearied of the interminable struggle, was disposed to acquiesce in his foreign policy almost without a murmur. King [[George II of Great Britain|George II]], thwarted in his own favourite schemes, made overtures in [[1746]] to [[Lord Bath]], but his purpose was upset by the resignation of the two Pelhams (Henry and Newcastle), who, however, at the King's request, resumed office. Pelham remained prime minister till his death, when his brother succeeded him. 

His very defects were among the chief elements of Pelham's success, for one with a strong personality, moderate self-respect, or high conceptions of statesmanship could not have restrained the discordant elements of the cabinet for any length of time. Moreover, he possessed tact and a thorough acquaintance with the forms of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]]. Whatever quarrels or insubordination might exist within the cabinet, they never broke out into open revolt. Nor can a high degree of praise be denied to his financial policy, especially his plans for the reduction of the national debt and the simplification and consolidation of its different branches. 

Pelham had married in [[1726]] Lady Catherine Manners, daughter of the [[John Manners, 2nd Duke of Rutland]]; and one of his daughters married [[Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle]].

{| border=2 align="center"
|-
|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:<br>'''[[Samuel Sandys]]'''
|width="40%" align="center"|'''[[Chancellor of the Exchequer]]'''<br>1743-1754
|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:<br>'''[[Henry Bilson Legge]]'''
|-
|width="30%" align="center"|Preceded by:<br>'''[[Spencer Compton, 1st Earl of Wilmington|The Earl of Wilmington]]'''
|width="40%" align="center"|'''[[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister of Great Britain]]'''<br>1743-1754
|width="30%" align="center"|Followed by:<br>'''[[Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle|The Duke of Newcastle]]'''
|}

==Reference==
*Original text adapted from the [[1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica]]

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====References====
* Adapted from the [[Wikipedia]] article, "Henry_Pelham" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Pelham, used under the [[GNU Free Documentation License]]