Origins & Early Life

William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville (25 October 1759 – 12 January 1834) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1806 to 1807. Originally a Pittite Tory, he was a supporter of the Whigs for the duration of the Napoleonic Wars and held several cabinet positions, including ten years as foreign secretary. As prime minister, his most significant achievement was the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. However, his government failed to either make peace with France or to accomplish Catholic emancipation and it was dismissed in the same year.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Grenville was the son of the Whig Prime Minister George Grenville. His mother, Elizabeth, was the daughter of the Tory statesman Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet. He had two elder brothers: Thomas and George. He was thus uncle to the 1st Duke of Buckingham and Chandos. He was also related to the Pitt family by marriage since William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, had married his father's sister Hester.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The younger Grenville was thus the first cousin of William Pitt the Younger. Grenville was educated at Eton College; Christ Church, Oxford; and Lincoln's Inn. Grenville was the maternal great-grandson of Charles Seymour, 6th...

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