WALPOLE, Sir .ROBERT, third son of Robert Walpole, M. P., by Mary, daughter of sir Jeffrey Burwell, was bola Aug. 26. 1676, at Houghton, in Norfolk. He received his education at Eton and at King's college, Cambridge. On July 30, 1700, he married Catharine, daughter of sir John Shorter, lord mayor of London. On Nov. 28 fol lowing, he succeeded to the family estates on the death of his father. In 1702 he was elected member of parliament for King's Lynn; and in 1705 he was nominated one
In 1737 his power was a good' deal shaken by, the disputes which had arisen between the king and the prince of Wales; the latter siding with the opposition, which began to grow very formidable in the questions which arose about this time between England and Spain. Walpole was opposed to war; the grand principle of his action being, according to archdeacon Coxe, " the love of peace;" according to Macaulay, however, his aim was not the peace of his country, but of his own administration. In 1740 a motion was made in the house to petition the king to remove sir Robert Walpole " from his majesty's presence and counsels forever." This motion was negatived by a large majority; but the power of the great minister was evi dently shaken. lie resigned on Feb. 2, 1742, when lie was created earl of Orford, with a pension of 5,4,000 a year. Charges of bribery were now brought against him, and a committee of investigation was ultimately appointed by the house of commons. It consisted of 21 members, of whom only two were of his own party. The report was against him, but it was unsupported by evidence, and proceedings were ultimately dropped. The rest of Walpole's life was spent in tranquillity and retirement. He died in 1745, aged 68. In private life he was amiable and good-tempered, Love of power appears to have been his ruling motive of action. He had strong common sense, with clearness of political vision, and next to his own interest he had at heart the interest of his country. Doubtless he bribed largely, but as Macaulay says: "We might as well accuse the poor Lowland farmers who paid black-mail to Rob Roy, of corrupting the virtue of the Highlanders, as accuse sir Robert Walpole of corrupting the virtue of parliament."—See Coxe, Memoir of Life and Administration of Sir Robert Walpole (bond. 1798); and lord Macaulay's 'Essay on Walpole's Letters to Sir Horace