St. Alban's Tavern group
Encyclopedia
The St. Alban's Tavern group was an informal association of 78 British
Members of Parliament
who aimed to bring about a reconciliation of William Pitt the Younger
and Charles James Fox
in a unified Ministry. They were named after the St. Alban's Tavern where the members met from January 1784.
, he accepted the group's proposition but insisted that a government must be formed "with principle and honour". Fox spoke through the Duke of Portland, who had been titular Prime Minister during the Fox-North Coalition
: the Duke insisted that Pitt had come to power through unconstitutional means, and therefore must first resign before a new Ministry was appointed.
In reality, neither Pitt nor Fox believed the group had any prospect of success, but both felt obliged to treat them with respect. Possibly in ignorance of the personal bitterness between Pitt and Fox, the promoters of reconciliation are described as "well-meaning and naive" by the History of Parliament. The failure of negotiations left the group itself split, with 45 members supporting Pitt and 30 supporting Fox.
for 1784. Analysis in the introductory survey to the History of Parliament 1754-1790 indicates that only five of the 78 were from Scotland, and a significantly large proportion of the members were returned from English counties. The leader was Thomas Grosvenor
, MP for Chester, who on February 2, 1784 successfully moved a House of Commons motion which called "for a firm, efficient, extended and united Administration".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
who aimed to bring about a reconciliation of William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
and Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
in a unified Ministry. They were named after the St. Alban's Tavern where the members met from January 1784.
Background
The group were largely composed of 'independent country gentlemen' who held themselves free from party allegiance. On January 26, 1784 the group came to a resolution "to support the party who should in the present distracted moment manifest a disposition to union". Given the weakness of Pitt's government, which was in a minority in the House of CommonsBritish 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...
, he accepted the group's proposition but insisted that a government must be formed "with principle and honour". Fox spoke through the Duke of Portland, who had been titular Prime Minister during the Fox-North Coalition
Fox-North Coalition
The Fox-North Coalition was a government in Great Britain that held office during 1783. As the name suggests, the ministry was a coalition of the groups supporting Charles James Fox and Lord North...
: the Duke insisted that Pitt had come to power through unconstitutional means, and therefore must first resign before a new Ministry was appointed.
In reality, neither Pitt nor Fox believed the group had any prospect of success, but both felt obliged to treat them with respect. Possibly in ignorance of the personal bitterness between Pitt and Fox, the promoters of reconciliation are described as "well-meaning and naive" by the History of Parliament. The failure of negotiations left the group itself split, with 45 members supporting Pitt and 30 supporting Fox.
Members of the group
The membership of the group was published in the Annual RegisterAnnual Register
The Annual Register is a long-established reference work, written and published each year, which records and analyses the year’s major events, developments and trends throughout the world...
for 1784. Analysis in the introductory survey to the History of Parliament 1754-1790 indicates that only five of the 78 were from Scotland, and a significantly large proportion of the members were returned from English counties. The leader was Thomas Grosvenor
Thomas Grosvenor (1734–1795)
-Background:Grosvenor was the second son of Sir Robert Grosvenor, 6th Baronet, and Jane, daughter of Thomas Warre. Richard Grosvenor, 1st Earl Grosvenor, was his elder brother.-Political career:Grosvenor sat as Member of Parliament for Chester from 1755 to 1795....
, MP for Chester, who on February 2, 1784 successfully moved a House of Commons motion which called "for a firm, efficient, extended and united Administration".