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Pelham, Newcastle's younger brother, was 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 (1715)|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 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 at 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 1742 a
union of parties resulted in the formation of an
administration in of which Pelham became Prime
Minister the following year, with the offices of
First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the
Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons. The
following year Carteret was forced out of the
ministry and Pelham was regarded as the leading
figure, but rank and influence made his brother
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 William Pulteney, 1st Earl of
Bath|Lord Bath, but his purpose was upset by the
resignation of the two Pelhams (Henry and
Newcastle), who, at the King's request, resumed
office.

In 1749, the Consolidation Act was passed,
reorganising the Royal Navy. On 20 March 1751, the
British calendar was reorganised as well (that day
became 1 January); Britain would adopt the
Gregorian calendar one year later. One of Pelham's
final acts was the Marriage Act 1753, which
enumerated the minimum age of consent for
marriage. Upon his death, his brother (the
aforementioned Duke of Newcastle) took over
government.

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|Henry
Clinton who by this marriage subsequently became
the 2nd Duke of Newcastle.

start box
succession box | title=Secretary at War |
years=1724–1730 | before=Thomas Trevor |
after=William Strickland (statesman)|Sir William
Strickland
succession box | title=Paymaster of the Forces |
years=1730–1743 | before=Spencer Compton,
1st Earl of Wilmington|The Lord Wilmington |
after=Thomas Winnington
succession box | title=Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom|Prime Minister |
years=1743–1754 | before=Spencer Compton,
1st Earl of Wilmington|The Earl of Wilmington |
after=Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of
Newcastle|The Duke of Newcastle
succession box one to two | title1=Chancellor of
the Exchequer | title2=Leader of the House of
Commons | years1=1743–1754 |
years2=1743–1754 | before=Samuel Sandys, 1st
Baron Sandys|Samuel Sandys | after1=William Lee
(UK)|William Lee | after2=Thomas Robinson, 1st
Baron Grantham|Thomas Robinson
end box

==References==
*Some material has been adapted from the 1911
Encyclopedia Britannica.

	Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Pelham, Newcastle's younger brother, was 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 (1715)|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 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 at 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 1742 a
union of parties resulted in the formation of an
administration in of which Pelham became Prime
Minister the following year, with the offices of
First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the
Exchequer and Leader of the House of Commons. The
following year Carteret was forced out of the
ministry and Pelham was regarded as the leading
figure, but rank and influence made his brother
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 William Pulteney, 1st Earl of
Bath|Lord Bath, but his purpose was upset by the
resignation of the two Pelhams (Henry and
Newcastle), who, at the King's request, resumed
office.

In 1749, the Consolidation Act was passed,
reorganising the Royal Navy. On 20 March 1751, the
British calendar was reorganised as well (that day
became 1 January); Britain would adopt the
Gregorian calendar one year later. One of Pelham's
final acts was the Marriage Act 1753, which
enumerated the minimum age of consent for
marriage. Upon his death, his brother (the
aforementioned Duke of Newcastle) took over
government.

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|Henry
Clinton who by this marriage subsequently became
the 2nd Duke of Newcastle.

start box
succession box | title=Secretary at War |
years=1724–1730 | before=Thomas Trevor |
after=William Strickland (statesman)|Sir William
Strickland
succession box | title=Paymaster of the Forces |
years=1730–1743 | before=Spencer Compton,
1st Earl of Wilmington|The Lord Wilmington |
after=Thomas Winnington
succession box | title=Prime Minister of the
United Kingdom|Prime Minister |
years=1743–1754 | before=Spencer Compton,
1st Earl of Wilmington|The Earl of Wilmington |
after=Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of
Newcastle|The Duke of Newcastle
succession box one to two | title1=Chancellor of
the Exchequer | title2=Leader of the House of
Commons | years1=1743–1754 |
years2=1743–1754 | before=Samuel Sandys, 1st
Baron Sandys|Samuel Sandys | after1=William Lee
(UK)|William Lee | after2=Thomas Robinson, 1st
Baron Grantham|Thomas Robinson
end box

==References==
*Some material has been adapted from the 1911
Encyclopedia Britannica.