WILLIAM IV. (1765-1837). King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1S30 to Is37. lie was the third son of George 111., and was born on August 21, 1765. At the age of fourteen. after receiving an elementary education, he entered the navy as an 'able seaman' on board the Prince (1,orge. After seeing considerable service. Prince William was made lieutenant in 1785. and in the year following he received his commis sion as captain. In 1789 he was created Duke of Clarence and of Saint and Earl of 1.\lunster. At this time he abandoned active naval service, but was formally promoted through the successive ranks until he was Made admiral of the fleet in 1811. Although as a naval officer he had won the eulogy of the great Nelson, no one can believe that lie was really efficient. His utter inability to understand the fitness of things and his incoherence of thought gained for him the Dame of 'Silly Billy.' For many years he lived with Mrs. Jordan (q.v.). a celebrated ac tress. by whom he had a family of five sons and five daughter,. who became known by the sur name FitzClarenee, and were raised to titular dignities. In 18I5 he married Adelaide, eldest daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. The issue of this marriage was two daughters, both of whom died in infancy. By the death of his brother. the Duke of York. in 11;27. the Duke of Clarence became heir presumptive to the throne.
to which he succeeded on the death of George IV., on -June 26, 1830. lie was mentally incapaci tated for the kingly office, but government by the :Ministry was now well developed. so that his cc eentrieities could do no mischief. So far as Wil liam had political sentiments, he probably sym pathized with the efforts of his Ministers to brim; about the reform of Parliament. Although he at first refused to create a new hatch of peers to overcome the majority opposed to the Ifeform Bill (see REFORM BILLS) he tinally consented to apply this extreme remedy in case of necessity. Overawed by the threat, the Lords passed the bill on June 4, 1832. and three days afterwards it received the royal assent. This was the great event of his reign. The first reformed Parlia ment met on January 29, 1833. The abolition of colonial slavery, and the reform of the poor laws and of the Irish Church, were the immediate re sults of the great constitutional change. King William died after a short illness on June 20, 1837, and was succeeded by his niece, Victoria.
Consult; Fitzgerald, Life and Times of William, Ir. (2 vols., London, 1884) Walpole, of England from the ('mnclne.ion of the Gr«it War in 1815 (5 vols., London• 1878-SO).