2. THOMAS PELHAM HOLLES, duke of Newcastle (1693-1768), whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century, was the elder son of Thomas, first Lord Pelham, by his second wife Lady Grace Holles, younger sister of John Holles, duke of Newcastle-on-Tyne, who died in 1711, and left the whole of his vast estates to him. In 1712 he also succeeded his father in his peerage and estates, and in 1714, when he came of age, was one of the greatest landowners in the kingdom. He vigorously sustained the Whig party at Queen Anne's death, and had much influence in making the Londoners accept King George. His services were too great to be neglected, and in 1714 he was created earl of Clare, and in 1715 duke of Newcastle-on-Tyne. He also became lord-lieutenant of the counties of Middlesex and Nottingham and a knight of the Garter in 1718, in which year he increased his Whig connection by marrying Lady Henrietta Godolphin, granddaughter of the great duke of Marlborough. In 1717 he first held political office as lord chamberlain of the house hold, and in 1724 was chosen by Sir Robert Walpole to be secre tary of state in place of Lord Carteret. This office he held con tinuously for 3o years (1724-54), and only changed it for the premiership on his brother's death. His long tenure of office was mainly due to his great Whig connections and his wealth, but praise must also be given to his inexhaustible activity and great powers of debate. He continued in office on Walpole's fall in 1742, and became more powerful on his younger brother Henry becoming prime minister in 1743. On Henry Pelham's death in
March Newcastle succeeded him as premier; but people who had been accustomed to him as secretary of state would not stand him as premier, and in Nov. 1756 he gave place to the duke of Devonshire. For his long services he was created duke of New castle-under-Lyme, with remainder to Henry Fiennes Clinton, 9th earl of Lincoln, who had married his niece Catherine Pelham. In July 1757 he again became prime minister—for Pitt, though a great statesman, was a bad party leader—on the understanding, according to Horace Walpole, that "Mr. Pitt does everything, the duke gives everything." Under this ministry England became famous abroad, but it gradually fell before the young king's affec tion for Lord Bute, who, after supplanting Pitt, became prime minister in the room of Newcastle in May 1762. The duke went into strong opposition, and lost his two lord-lieutenancies for opposing the peace of 1763. In 1765 he became lord privy seal for a few months, but his health was fast giving way, and he died in Nov. 1768. The duke was not a great man, but he was industrious and energetic. He worked tirelessly, though vainly, to hold the Whig Party together in the face of the determination of George III. to destroy it. In this if in nothing else Newcastle was states manlike : for it seems as though he alone clearly foresaw that calamity to the Party which only union and organization could have averted.
See Memoirs of the Administration of the Right Hon. H. Pelham, by W. Coxe (1829).