Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool
Encyclopedia
Charles Jenkinson, 1st Earl of Liverpool PC (26 April 1727 – 17 December 1808), known as the Lord Hawkesbury between 1786 and 1796, was a British statesman. He was the father of Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
.
, Oxfordshire. The Jenkinson family was descended from Anthony Jenkinson
(d. 1611), who was a sea-captain, merchant and traveller and the first known Englishman to penetrate into Central Asia. He was educated at Charterhouse School
and University College, Oxford
, where he graduated M.A. in 1752.
and was made Under-Secretary of State by Lord Bute
. He won the favour of George III
, and when Bute retired Jenkinson became the leader of the King's Friends in the House of Commons
. In 1763, George Grenville
appointed him joint Secretary to the Treasury
. In 1766, after a short retirement, he became a Lord of the Admiralty and then a Lord of the Treasury
in the Grafton
administration. In 1772, Jenkinson became a Privy Councillor and Vice Treasurer of Ireland, and in 1775 he purchased the lucrative sinecure of clerk of the pells in Ireland and became Master of the Mint. From 1778 until the close of Lord North's ministry in 1782 he was Secretary at War
. From 1786 to 1803, he was President of the Board of Trade and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
, and he was popularly regarded as enjoying the confidence of the king to a special degree. In 1786 he was created Baron Hawkesbury, of Hawkesbury in the County of Gloucester, and ten years later, Earl of Liverpool. He also succeeded as seventh Baronet of Walcot in 1790. He lived in Addiscombe, Surrey and Hawkesbury
, Gloucestershire
. Liverpool wrote several political works but except his Treatise on the Coins of the Realm (1805) these are, according to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, "without striking merits."
, governor of Fort William
, Bengal
, in 1769. She died in July 1770, only a month after the birth of her only child, Robert. Liverpool married secondly Catherine, widow of Sir Cecil Bishopp, 6th Baronet
and daughter of Sir Charles Cope, 2nd Baronet, in 1782. They had one son, Charles
, and one daughter. Lord Liverpool died in London on 17 December 1808, aged 79, and was succeeded by his only son from his first marriage, Robert
, who became a prominent politician and eventually Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
. The Countess of Liverpool died in October 1827, aged 82.
in New South Wales
, Australia
and Hawkesbury, Ontario
, Canada were named after Jenkinson shortly after he was created Baron Hawkesbury.
Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool KG PC was a British politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since the Union with Ireland in 1801. He was 42 years old when he became premier in 1812 which made him younger than all of his successors to date...
.
Early years, family and education
He was born in Oxfordshire, the eldest son of Colonel Charles Jenkinson (d. 1750) and Amarantha (née Cornewall). The earl was the grandson of Sir Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Baronet, of WalcotWalcot
Walcot may refer to:* Walcot, Shropshire, a small village in the county of Shropshire, England* Walcot, Bath, a suburb of the city of Bath, England* Walcot, North Kesteven in Lincolnshire* Walcot, Lydbury North in Shropshire...
, Oxfordshire. The Jenkinson family was descended from Anthony Jenkinson
Anthony Jenkinson
Anthony Jenkinson was born at Market Harborough, Leicestershire. He was one of the first Britons to explore Muscovy and present day Russia. Jenkinson was a traveller and explorer on behalf of the Muscovy Company and the English crown. He also met Ivan the Terrible several times during his trips...
(d. 1611), who was a sea-captain, merchant and traveller and the first known Englishman to penetrate into Central Asia. He was educated at Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
, where he graduated M.A. in 1752.
Political career
In 1761, Liverpool entered parliament as member for CockermouthCockermouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Cockermouth was the name of a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England in 1295, and again from 1641, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1918. It was a parliamentary borough represented by two...
and was made Under-Secretary of State by Lord Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
. He won the favour of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, and when Bute retired Jenkinson became the leader of the King's Friends in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. In 1763, George Grenville
George Grenville
George Grenville was a British Whig statesman who rose to the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain. Grenville was born into an influential political family and first entered Parliament in 1741 as an MP for Buckingham...
appointed him joint Secretary to the Treasury
Secretary to the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are several Secretaries to the Treasury, who are junior Treasury ministers nominally acting as secretaries to HM Treasury. The origins of the office are unclear, although it probably originated during Lord Burghley's tenure as Lord Treasurer in the 16th century. The...
. In 1766, after a short retirement, he became a Lord of the Admiralty and then a Lord of the Treasury
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom, there are at least six Lords of the Treasury who serve concurrently. Traditionally, this board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the Treasury, and four or more junior lords .Strictly they are commissioners for exercising the office of Lord...
in the Grafton
Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, KG, PC , styled Earl of Euston between 1747 and 1757, was a British Whig statesman of the Georgian era...
administration. In 1772, Jenkinson became a Privy Councillor and Vice Treasurer of Ireland, and in 1775 he purchased the lucrative sinecure of clerk of the pells in Ireland and became Master of the Mint. From 1778 until the close of Lord North's ministry in 1782 he was Secretary at War
Secretary at War
The Secretary at War was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. It was occasionally a cabinet level position, although...
. From 1786 to 1803, he was President of the Board of Trade and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
, and he was popularly regarded as enjoying the confidence of the king to a special degree. In 1786 he was created Baron Hawkesbury, of Hawkesbury in the County of Gloucester, and ten years later, Earl of Liverpool. He also succeeded as seventh Baronet of Walcot in 1790. He lived in Addiscombe, Surrey and Hawkesbury
Hawkesbury
Hawkesbury or Hawksbury is the name of several places:*Hawkesbury, Ontario, a town in Ontario, Canada*City of Hawkesbury a local government area in New South Wales, Australia...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. Liverpool wrote several political works but except his Treatise on the Coins of the Realm (1805) these are, according to the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, "without striking merits."
Family
Liverpool was twice married. He married firstly Amelia, daughter of William WattsWilliam Watts
William Watts was chief of the Kasimbazar factory of the British East India Company. He lived in Bengal, and he was proficient in Bangla, Hindustani and Persian languages.-Career:...
, governor of Fort William
Fort William, India
Fort William is a fort built in Calcutta on the Eastern banks of the River Hooghly, the major distributary of the River Ganges, during the early years of the Bengal Presidency of British India. It was named after King William III of England...
, Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
, in 1769. She died in July 1770, only a month after the birth of her only child, Robert. Liverpool married secondly Catherine, widow of Sir Cecil Bishopp, 6th Baronet
Bishopp Baronets
The Bishopp Baronetcy, of Parham in the County of Sussex, was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1620 for Thomas Bishopp, who had previously represented Gatton in Parliament. In 1815 the abeyance of the ancient Barony of Zouche was terminated in favour of the eighth Baronet, a...
and daughter of Sir Charles Cope, 2nd Baronet, in 1782. They had one son, Charles
Charles Jenkinson, 3rd Earl of Liverpool
Charles Cecil Cope Jenkinson, 3rd Earl of Liverpool GCB, PC , styled The Honourable Charles Jenkinson between 1786 and 1828, was a British politician.-Background:...
, and one daughter. Lord Liverpool died in London on 17 December 1808, aged 79, and was succeeded by his only son from his first marriage, Robert
Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool
Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool KG PC was a British politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since the Union with Ireland in 1801. He was 42 years old when he became premier in 1812 which made him younger than all of his successors to date...
, who became a prominent politician and eventually Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
. The Countess of Liverpool died in October 1827, aged 82.
Legacy
The Hawkesbury RiverHawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Hawkesbury, Ontario
Hawkesbury, Ontario
Hawkesbury is a town in the Eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada, on the Ottawa River, near the Quebec-Ontario border.It lies on the south shore of the Ottawa River about halfway between Downtown Ottawa and Downtown Montreal in Prescott and Russell Counties. The Long-Sault Bridge links it...
, Canada were named after Jenkinson shortly after he was created Baron Hawkesbury.