| Date | 1721 |
|---|---|
| Reference | EPM-0001 |
| Volume | Eton Prime Ministers, Volume 1 |
| Collection | Eton Prime Ministers |
| Born: | 26 Aug 1676 |
| Died: | 18 Mar 1745 |
| Affiliation: | Whig |
| PM: | 3 Apr 1721 to 11 Feb 1742 |
| Length: | 20 years, 314 days |
| Title: | 1st Earl of Offord |
| At Eton: | 1690 to 1696 |
| Timeline: | 1676: Born in Houghton, Norfolk, England, into a wealthy and politically connected family. 1690: Entered Eton College. 1696: Entered King’s College, Cambridge, but left in 1698 without taking a degree after his older brother died, making him the heir. 1701: Elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Castle Rising, soon transferring to represent King’s Lynn, a seat he holds for life. 1708: Appointed Secretary at War, beginning his rise in government under the Whig administration. 1710: Dismissed from office when the Tories came to power; later impeached and briefly imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1712 over accusations of corruption, which boosted his popularity among Whigs. 1714: The Hanoverian succession brings George I to the throne; Walpole returns to government in influential roles. 1715: Became First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer under the Whig government. 1720: Played a key role in handling the fallout from the South Sea Bubble, helping to stabilise the British economy and government. 1721: Officially became First Lord of the Treasury again, widely considered the start of his tenure as Britain’s first Prime Minister. 1727: Continued in power under King George II, maintained royal favour and control over Parliament. 1730s: His dominance is at its height; he focused on peace abroad and prosperity at home, avoiding European wars. 1739: Opposition grew over his reluctance to go to war with Spain. Britain eventually entered the War of Jenkins’ Ear. 1742: Forced to resign due to declining popularity and mounting political opposition. Created Earl of Orford and moved to the House of Lords. 1745: Died aged 68. |
| Notable: | Considered Britain’s first de facto Prime Minister. Master of political patronage and parliamentary management, overseeing a period of political stability and economic growth. Commissioned Houghton Hall, a symbol of Whig aristocracy. His son, Horace Walpole, became a famous writer and art historian. |
| Sources: | History of the UK Government The National Archives Britannica Eton College BBC History National Portrait Gallery Museum of Prime Ministers Wikipedia |
| Windlesora: | ‘The Beautiful Lady Waldegrave‘, by Sheila Rooney, in Windlesora 17 |