Henry Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne

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Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, 2nd Duke of Newcastle, 9th Earl of Lincoln, KG, PC (April 16, 1720 – February 22, 1794) was born in London, the second son of Henry Clinton, 7th Earl of Lincoln. The Clintons were an ancient English family, whose forbears fought with William the Conqueror and were awarded the lordship of Clinton in 1067.

Henry's father died in 1728, and his brother George Clinton, 8th Earl of Lincoln, died in 1730, making Henry the 9th Earl of Lincoln. As he was still a minor, his guardian was his uncle, Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle. Newcastle was childless, and soon regarded Henry as his heir. Newcastle, and his brother Henry Pelham, were the two most powerful men in England, and both would serve as prime minister. Newcastle controlled political patronage of parliament and the Crown, and so Henry was showered with sinecure posts which brought him a large income. Chief among these sinecures was the lifetime appointment as Controller of Customs for the port of London.

After graduating from university, Henry was sent abroad to complete his education. At Turin, Italy, where Henry was studying fencing, he was joined by his schoolfriend, Horace Walpole. Walpole was in love with Henry, and it is believed the two were lovers^{[citation needed]}. Henry was exceedingly good-looking, and would later have the reputation as the most handsome man in England. While still on his Grand Tour, Walpole and Henry quarreled and separated.

After his return to England, Henry was married to his first cousin Catherine Pelham, the daughter of his uncle Henry Pelham, who was at that time prime minister. An agreement was signed whereby Henry became the heir of both his uncles, Henry Pelham, and Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of Newcastle. Through his uncles, Henry was also given a place at court, being made a gentleman of the King's Bedchamber. In 1752, he was made a Knight of the Garter.

In 1756, his uncle, who was Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, requested from King George II to also be created Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyme with a special remainder to Henry. George II granted the request, and when Thomas Pelham Holles died in 1768, Henry became the 2nd Duke of Newcastle.

When he succeeded to the dukedom, Henry steered clear of most politics, except in two instances. Henry had considerable influence because of the parliamentary seats he controlled. He used his influence to promote the career of his cousin Sir Henry Clinton, a career army officer. Henry lobbied successfully for Sir Henry Clinton to be appointed commander-in-chief of the British forces in America during the American Revolution. Henry's son, Thomas, was the aide-de-camp to Sir Henry Clinton. In 1768, he was appointed to the Privy Council.

In December 1783, Henry was asked by King George III to support the brand new ministry of William Pitt the Younger, who was facing difficulty in mustering support in parliament for his premiership. Henry ordered the six MPs under his control to support Pitt, helping Pitt gain enough votes in parliament to form a ministry.

Henry died on February 22, 1794 in Westminster.

Henry is mainly known today as the creator of Clumber Park, his country seat in Nottinghamshire, and the dog breed the Clumber spaniel, named after the estate. Clumber Park was begun in 1768 on the large estate Henry had inherited from his uncle. 4,000 acres (16 km²) of barren heath was landscaped into one of the most beautiful private parks in England, complete with a large man-made lake. The great mansion Henry built there was demolished in 1938, but the park is today owned by the National Trust and is open to the public.

Honorary Titles
Preceded by Unknown	Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire 1742–1757	Succeeded by Viscount Royston
Preceded by The Duke of Newcastle	Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire 1768–1794	Succeeded by The Duke of Newcastle
Political offices
Preceded by The Lord Bergavenny	Master of the Jewel Office 1744–1745	Succeeded by Lord Glenorchy
Preceded by Edmund Waller	Cofferer of the Household 1747–1754	Succeeded by Sir George Lyttelton, Bt
Preceded by Thomas Pelham-Holles	Duke of Newcastle 1768–1794	Succeeded by Thomas Pelham-Clinton
Preceded by George Clinton	Earl of Lincoln 1730–1794