TEMPLE, RICHARD GRENVILLE-TEMPLE, 1ST EARL (1711-1779), English statesman, eldest son of Richard Grenville (d. 1727) of Wootton, Buckinghamshire, was born on Sept. 26, 1711. His mother was Hester (c. 169o-1752), daughter, and ultimately heiress, of Sir Richard Temple, Bart. 1697), of Stowe, Buckinghamshire, and sister of Richard Temple, Viscount Cobham, whose title she inherited under a special re mainder in 1749; in the same year, her husband having been long dead, she was created Countess Temple. Her son, Richard Grenville, was educated at Eton, and in 1734 was returned to parliament as member for the borough of Buckingham. In 1752, on the death of his mother, he inherited her titles together with the estates of Stowe and Wootton; and took the name of Temple in addition to his own surname of Grenville. By the marriage of his sister Hester with William Pitt, afterwards earl of Chatham, Temple's career was linked with that of his brother-in-law.
In November 1756 Temple became first lord of the admiralty in the ministry of Devonshire and Pitt. He was disliked by George II., who dismissed both him and Pitt from office in April 1757. But when the coalition cabinet of Newcastle and Pitt was formed in June of the same year, Temple received the office of privy seal. He alone in the cabinet supported Pitt's proposal to declare war with Spain in 1761, and they resigned together on Oct. 5. From this time Temple became one of the most violent and factious of politicians, and it is difficult to account for the influence which he exerted over his brother-in-law. He was at
variance with his younger brother, George Grenville, when the latter became first lord of the treasury in April 1763, and he had no place in that ministry ; but the brothers were reconciled before 1765, when Temple refused to join the government, and persuaded Pitt to refuse likewise.
By 1765, however, the old friendship between the brothers-in law was dissolving; and when at last in July 1766 Pitt consented to form a government, Temple refused to join, being bitterly offended because, although offered the head of the treasury, he was not to be allowed an equal share with Pitt in nominating to other offices. Temple forthwith began to inspire the most virulent libels against Pitt ; and in conjunction with his brother George he concentrated the whole Grenville connection in hostility to the government. After George Grenville's death in 177o Lord Temple retired almost completely from public life. He died on Sept. 12, 1779.
W. S. Taylor and J. H. Pringle, 4 vols. (1838-40 ; W. E. H. Lecky, History of England in the Eighteenth Century, vols. ii. and iii. (7 vols., 1892).