Grenville, George (1712 -1770)

George Grenville was born at Wotton House, Buckinghamshire, the second son of Richard Grenville and Hester Temple (later the 1st Countess Temple). He was one of five brothers, all of whom became MPs. He received his education at Eton College and at Christ Church, Oxford, and was called to the bar in 1736. He entered Parliament in 1741 as member for Buckingham which he represented for the next twenty-nine years. In December 1744 he became a Lord of the Admiralty, and in 1747 a Lord of the Treasury. In 1749 he married Elizabeth Wyndham, daughter of Sir William Wyndham, and the grand-daughter of the Duke of Somerset. In April 1763, Grenville became First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer, succeeding Lord Bute as first Minister after Henry Fox had rejected the job. Grenville held the office of Prime Minister until July 1765 when he was dismissed by King George III and replaced by the Earl of Rockingham. Grenville’s brief premiership was notable for the abolition of the Slave Trade. After stepping down, he was one of the few former prime ministers not to be raised to the peerage. His marriage produced four sons and five daughters, one of the sons, William Wyndham Grenville, Lord Grenville, becoming Prime Minister in 1806.

Seat / Residence(s): Wotton House, Buckinghamshire
Stamp(s) Stamp Information
Grenville, George (1712 - 1770) (Stamp 1) Title: Grenville, George (1712 - 1770) (Stamp 1)
Crest: A garb
Dimensions (height x width): 16mm x 10mm
Heraldic Charges: garb