John Pratt, 1st Marquess Camden

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (April 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

John Jeffreys Pratt, 2nd Earl and 1st Marquess Camden, KG, PC (11 February 1759 – 8 October 1840), British politician, was the only son of the 1st Earl.

He was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1780 he was chosen member of parliament for Bath and he obtained the lucrative position of teller of the exchequer, an office which he kept until his death, although after 1812 he refused to receive the large income arising from it.

In the ministry of William Pitt, Pratt was successively a lord of the admiralty and a lord of the treasury; then, having succeeded his father in the earldom in 1794, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in 1795. Disliked in Ireland as an opponent of Roman Catholic emancipation and as the exponent of an unpopular policy, Camden's term of office was one of commotion and alarm, culminating in the rebellion of 1798.

Immediately after the suppression of the rising he resigned, and in 1804 became Secretary of State for War and the Colonies under Pitt, and in 1805 Lord President of the Council. He was again Lord President from 1807 to 1812, after which date he remained for some time in the cabinet without office.

In 1812 he was created Earl of Brecknock and Marquess Camden. He died on 8 October 1840, and was succeeded by his only son, George Charles (1799–1866).

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Abel Moysey Sir John Sebright, Bt	Member of Parliament for Bath 1780–1794 with Abel Moysey 1780–1790 Viscount Weymouth 1790–1794	Succeeded by Viscount Weymouth Sir Richard Pepper Arden
Political offices
Preceded by Thomas Townshend	Teller of the Exchequer 1766–1834	Office abolished
Preceded by The Earl Fitzwilliam	Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1795–1798	Succeeded by The Marquess Cornwallis
Preceded by Lord Hobart	Secretary of State for War and the Colonies 1804–1805	Succeeded by Viscount Castlereagh
Preceded by The Viscount Sidmouth	Lord President of the Council 1805–1806	Succeeded by The Earl Fitzwilliam
Preceded by The Viscount Sidmouth	Lord President of the Council 1807–1812	Succeeded by The Viscount Sidmouth
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Earl of Romney	Lord Lieutenant of Kent 1808–1840	Succeeded by The Earl of Thanet
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New title	Marquess Camden 1812–1840	Succeeded by George Charles Pratt
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by Charles Pratt	Earl Camden 1794–1840	Succeeded by George Charles Pratt