WALPOLE. Sir llounnT. first Earl of Orford (1676-1745). An English statesman. born at Houghton. Norfolk, and educated at Eton and king's College, Cambridge. He was elected to Parliament from the family borough of Castle Rising in 1701, and from the more important con stituency of King's Lynn in 1702. Through membership in the council to fringe George of Denmark in 1705. and services as Secretary of War from 1708 to 1710, he won a high position in the Whig councils, only to fall with his party through the failure of the impeachment pro ceedings against Sacheverell. A brilliant share in the opposition incurred for him the hitter enmity of the Tories. Rei11ected to Parliament from King's Lynn in 1713, the accession of George 1. in the following year seeured his return to ministerial favor. Serving at first as Privy Councilor and Paymaster-General of the forces, on the impeachment, largely through his endeav ors, Of the Bolingbroke Alinktry, he was in 1715 made Chancellor of the Exchequer and First Lord of the Treasury. Disunion in the Cabinet during the year 1717 led to his resignation and the transfer of his energy to the opposition, in which he was a most determined enemy of the South Sea scheme. Restored to the paymaster ship of the forces in 1720. the disastrous failure of the South Sea bubble was followed in 1721 by his elevation for the second time to the office of First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer. From this time until his retire ment in 1742, the life of Walpole may be said to he the history of England. "But his long admin
istration is almost without a history," says Green; "all legislative and political activity abruptly ceased with his entry into office." His policy throughout Nvas peace abroad and sound finance at home. Frauds in the excise during 1733, and the unpopular Gin Act of 1730, weak ened his hold on popular affection; and quarrels between the King and the Prince of Wales in 1737, together with the Spanish war, into which the Ministry was forced in 1739, led to the over throw of Walpole in 1742. He resigned February 2d of that year and was created Earl of Orford. He died Mareh 18, 1745. His name is chiefly re membered in connection with his frank avowal of the necessity of Parliamentary corrupt ion. "Personally he was free from corruption; and lie is perhaps the first great English statesman who left olliee poorer than when lie entered it. But lie was certainly the first who made Parliamen tary corruption a regular part of his system of government." In addition to the various Parliamentary rec ords. source material of value may be found in the writings of Horace Walpole (q.v.). Consult: Memoirs of the Life and Administration of Sir Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford (London, 1798). the standard biography; Morley, Walpole (Twelve English Statesmen Series, ib., 1890).