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Wilmington, Spencer Compton, 1st earl of
Wilmington, Spencer Compton, 1st earl of (c.1674–1743). A younger son of the earl of Northampton, he entered the Commons in his twenties and became Speaker in 1715. At the accession of George II in 1727 he was expected to become first minister, having served as treasurer to the prince, but was outmanœuvred by Walpole without difficulty. Compensation came in the form of a barony (1728), an earldom (1730), and the lord presidency of the council from 1730 until 1742. A ponderous and formal man, he succeeded Walpole as first minister in 1742, but old, unwell, and with little taste for leadership, he merely presided for a year until his death. Lord Hervey, one of his many critics, dismissed him as a ‘plodding, heavy fellow … a subaltern rather than a commander’.
J. A. Cannon |
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JOHN CANNON. "Wilmington, Spencer Compton, 1st earl of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Wilmington, Spencer Compton, 1st earl of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-WilmingtnSpncrCmptn1strlf.html JOHN CANNON. "Wilmington, Spencer Compton, 1st earl of." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-WilmingtnSpncrCmptn1strlf.html |
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Wilmington, Spencer Compton, 1st earl of
Wilmington, Spencer Compton, 1st earl of (c.1674–1743). A younger son of the earl of Northampton. He entered the Commons in his twenties and became Speaker in 1715. At the accession of George II in 1727 he was expected to become first minister, but was outmanœuvred by Walpole without difficulty. Compensation came in the form of a barony (1728), an earldom (1730), and the lord presidency of the council from 1730 until 1742. A ponderous and formal man, he succeeded Walpole as first minister in 1742, but old, unwell, and with little taste for leadership, he merely presided for a year until his death.
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Wilmington, Spencer Compton, 1st earl of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Wilmington, Spencer Compton, 1st earl of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-WilmingtnSpncrCmptn1strlf.html JOHN CANNON. "Wilmington, Spencer Compton, 1st earl of." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-WilmingtnSpncrCmptn1strlf.html |
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Spencer Compton Wilmington, earl of
Spencer Compton Wilmington, earl of 1673?–1743, British politician. He was a member of Parliament (1695–1710, 1713–30) and served as speaker of the House of Commons (1715–27). He was paymaster general (1722–30) and in 1730 was created an earl and lord privy seal by Robert Walpole . He turned against Walpole in 1739 and after the latter's fall served briefly (1742–43) as chief minister. He was merely a figurehead, however, and took no active role in the government. |
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"Spencer Compton Wilmington, earl of." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Spencer Compton Wilmington, earl of." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-WilmngSC.html "Spencer Compton Wilmington, earl of." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-WilmngSC.html |
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Wilmington, Spencer Compton, Earl of
Wilmington, Spencer Compton, Earl of (c.1673–1743) British politician, nominal Prime Minister (1742–43), as a compromise candidate while the Duke of NEWCASTLE and John Carteret ( Earl Granville) effectively led the government.
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"Wilmington, Spencer Compton, Earl of." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Wilmington, Spencer Compton, Earl of." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-WilmingtonSpencerCmptnrlf.html "Wilmington, Spencer Compton, Earl of." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-WilmingtonSpencerCmptnrlf.html |
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