Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of Newcastle (21 July 1693 – 17 November 1768) was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 16 March 1754 to 26 May 1762, succeeding Henry Pelham and preceding John Stuart.
Biography[]
Thomas Pelham-Holles was born on 21 July 1693, the brother of Henry Pelham and a member of an important aristocratic family in England. Pelham-Holles was a protege of Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, and he assisted his brother Henry when he also served as Prime Minister. Pelham-Holles himself would become Prime Minister on his brother's death in 1754, having served as Secretary of State for thirty years and held the title of "Duke of Newcastle". Newcastle served from 1754 to 1756, with a brief interruption by William Cavendish, but in 1757 he returned to being Prime Minister, and his tenure saw Great Britain fight in the Seven Years' War against France. He maintained power over long stretches of time, but many saw him as a buffoon for his fussiness and fretfulneess. Pelham-Holles left office in 1762 and died in 1768.