VILLE, BARON , English statesman, youngest son of George Grenville, was born on Oct. 25, 1759, and educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. In Feb. 1782 Grenville was elected member for the borough of Buckingham, and in the following September he became secretary to his brother, Earl Temple, lord lieutenant of Ireland. He left office in June 1783, but in December he became paymaster-general of the forces under William Pitt, and in 1786 vice-president of the committee of trade. In 1787 he was sent on a mission to The Hague and Ver sailles with reference to the affairs of Holland. In Jan. 1789 he was chosen speaker of the House of Commons, but vacated the chair in the same year on being appointed secretary of State for the home department ; about the same time he resigned his other offices, but he became president of the board of control, and in November 1790 was created a peer as Baron Grenville. In 1791 he was transferred to the foreign office, retaining his post at the board of control until 1793. Although his ability was appreciated by Pitt, the two often differed on important matters. In Feb. 18o 1 he resigned office with Pitt because George III. would not consent to the introduction of any measure of Roman Catholic relief, and in opposition he gradually separated himself from his former leader. When Pitt returned to power in 1804 Grenville refused to join the ministry unless his political ally, Fox, was also admitted thereto; this was impossible and he remained out of office until Feb. 1806, when, after Pitt's death, he became the nominal head of a coalition Government. Though unfortunate in its conduct of foreign affairs, this ministry deserves to be remem bered for its passage of the act abolishing the slave trade (1807). Its influence, however, was weakened by the death of Fox, and in consequence of a minute drawn up by Grenville and some of his colleagues the king demanded from his ministers an assurance that in future they would not urge upon him any measures for the relief of Roman Catholics. They refused to give this assur ance and in March 18o7 they resigned.
Lord Grenville never held office again, although requested to do so on several occasions. He continued to take part in public life, supported Roman Catholic emancipation, and, during the remaining years of his active political career, which ended in 1823, he generally voted with the Whigs. He died on Jan. 12, See the Dropmore MSS. for Grenville's correspondence, and the report on this publication by the Historical Manuscripts Commission.