Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth

The Right Honourable The Viscount Sidmouth PC
Portrait by Sir William Beechey
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
In office 14 March 1801 – 10 May 1804
Monarch	George III
Preceded by	William Pitt the Younger (As Prime Minister of Great Britain)
Succeeded by	William Pitt the Younger
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 17 March 1801 – 10 May 1804
Monarch	George III
Preceded by	William Pitt the Younger
Succeeded by	William Pitt the Younger
Lord President of the Council
In office 8 October 1806 – 26 March 1807
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	Spencer Perceval
Preceded by	The Earl Fitzwilliam
Succeeded by	The Earl Camden
In office 8 April – 11 June 1812
Preceded by	The Earl Camden
Succeeded by	The Earl of Harrowby
Home Secretary
In office 08 June 1812 – 17 January 1822
Preceded by	Richard Ryder
Succeeded by	Robert Peel
Personal details
Born	(1757-05-30)30 May 1757 Bedford Row, Holborn, Middlesex, England
Died	15 February 1844(1844-02-15) (aged 86) White Lodge, Richmond, Surrey, England
Political party	Tory
Spouse(s)	Ursula
Alma mater	Brasenose College, Oxford
Religion	Church of England
Signature

Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, PC (30 May 1757 – 15 February 1844) was a British statesman, and Prime Minister from 1801 to 1804. He is best known for obtaining the Treaty of Amiens in 1802, an unfavourable peace with France. When that broke down he resumed the war but he was without allies and conducted a relatively weak defensive war. He is also known for his ruthless and efficient crackdown on dissent as Home Secretary 1812-1822.

Family

Henry Addington was the son of Anthony Addington, Pitt's physician, and Mary Addington, the daughter of the Rev. Haviland John Hiley, headmaster of Reading School. As a consequence of his father's position, Addington was a childhood friend of William Pitt the Younger. Addington studied at Winchester and Brasenose College, Oxford, and then studied law at Lincoln's Inn.

Political career

He was elected to the House of Commons in 1784 as Member of Parliament (MP) for Devizes, and became Speaker of the House of Commons in 1789. In March 1801, William Pitt the Younger resigned from office, ostensibly over the refusal of King George III to remove some of the existing political restrictions on Roman Catholics in Ireland (Catholic Emancipation), but poor health, failure in war, economic collapse, alarming levels of social unrest due to famine, and irreconcilable divisions within the Cabinet also played a role. Both Pitt and the King insisted that Addington take over as Prime Minister, despite his own objections, and his failed attempts to reconcile the King and Pitt.

Prime minister

Addington's period as Prime Minister was most notable for his reforms that doubled the efficiency of the Income tax and for the negotiation of the Treaty of Amiens, in 1802. While the terms of the Treaty were the bare minimum that the British government could accept, Napoleon Bonaparte would not have agreed to any terms more favourable to the British, and the British government had reached a state of financial collapse, owing to war expenditure, the loss of Continental markets for British goods, and two successive failed harvests that had led to widespread famine and social unrest, rendering peace a necessity. By early 1803 Britain's financial and diplomatic positions had recovered sufficiently to allow Addington to declare war on France, when it became clear that the French would not allow a settlement for the defences of Malta that would have been secure enough to fend off a French invasion that appeared imminent.

At the time and ever since Addington has been criticized for his lackluster conduct of the war and his defensive posture. However without allies, Britain's options were limited to defence. He did increase the forces, provide a tax base that could finance an enlarged war, and seize several French possessions. To gain alies, Addington cultivated better relations with Russia, Austria, and Prussia, that later culminated in the Third Coalition shortly after he left office. Addington also strengthened British defences against a French invasion through the building of Martello towers on the south coast and the raising of more than 600,000 men at arms.^[1]

Loss of office

Although the king stood by him it was not enough with the war going poorly. In the House of Lords by May 1804 Addington's inept war policies united members from the three major factions - Grenvillites, Foxites, and Pittites - as well as independents. Addington's greatest failing was his inability to manage a parliamentary majority, by cultivating the loyal support of MPs beyond his own circle and the friends of the King. This combined with his mediocre speaking ability, left him vulnerable to Pitt's mastery of parliamentary management and his unparalleled oratory skills. Pitt's parliamentary assault against Addington in March 1804 led to the slimming of his parliamentary majority to the point where defeat in the House of Commons was imminent.^[2]

Lord President and Lord Privy Seal

Addington remained an important political figure, however, and the next year he was created Viscount Sidmouth. He served in Pitt's final Cabinet as Lord President of the Council to 1806, and in the Ministry of All the Talents as Lord Privy Seal and again Lord President to 1807.

Home Secretary

He returned to government again as Lord President in March 1812, and, in June of the same year, became Home Secretary. As Home Secretary, Sidmouth countered revolutionary opposition, being responsible for the temporary suspension of habeas corpus in 1817 and the passage of the Six Acts in 1819. His tenure also saw the Peterloo Massacre of 1819. Sidmouth left office in 1822, succeeded as Home Secretary by Sir Robert Peel, but remained in the Cabinet as Minister without Portfolio for the next two years, fruitlessly opposing British recognition of the South American republics. He remained active in the House of Lords for the next few years, making his final speech in opposition to Catholic Emancipation in 1829 and casting his final vote against the Reform Act 1832.

Foundling Hospital

As Prime Minister, in 1802, Addington accepted an honorary position as vice-president for life on the Court of Governors of London's Foundling Hospital for abandoned babies.

Residences and land

Addington maintained homes at Up Ottery, Devon and Bulmershe Court, in what is now the Reading suburb of Woodley, but moved to the White Lodge in Richmond Park when he became Prime Minister. However he maintained links with Woodley and the Reading area, as commander of the Woodley Yeomanry Cavalry and High Steward of Reading. He also donated to the town of Reading the four acres of land that is today the Royal Berkshire Hospital, and his name is commemorated in the town's Sidmouth Street and Addington Road as well as in Sidmouth street in Devizes.

Death

Henry Addington died in London on 15 February 1844 at the age of 86, and was buried in the churchyard at St Mary the Virgin Mortlake, Greater London.^[3]

Henry Addington's Government, March 1801 – May 1804

• Henry Addington – First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Lord Eldon – Lord Chancellor
• Lord Chatham – Lord President of the Council and Master-General of the Ordnance
• Lord Westmorland – Lord Privy Seal
• The Duke of Portland – Secretary of State for the Home Department
• Lord Hawkesbury – Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
• Lord Hobart – Secretary of State for War and the Colonies
• Lord St Vincent – First Lord of the Admiralty
• Lord Liverpool – President of the Board of Trade

Changes

• May 1801 – Lord Lewisham (who becomes Lord Dartmouth in July), the President of the Board of Control, enters the Cabinet
• July 1801 – The Duke of Portland succeeds Lord Chatham as Lord President (Chatham remains Master of the Ordnance). Lord Pelham succeeds Portland as Home Secretary.
• July 1802 – Lord Castlereagh succeeds Lord Dartmouth at the Board of Control.
• August 1803 – Charles Philip Yorke succeeds Lord Pelham as Home Secretary.

Sources

• Cookson, J. E. "Addington, Henry, first Viscount Sidmouth (1757–1844)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2009 accessed 29 Dec 2013
• Cookson, J. E. The British armed nation, 1793–1815 (1997) online
• Ehrman, J. The younger Pitt, 3: The consuming struggle (1996)
• Fedorak, Charles John, Henry Addington, Prime Minister, 1801–1804: Peace, War and Parliamentary Politics (Akron, Ohio: University of Akron Press, 2002), 268p.
• Fedorak, C. J. "In search of a necessary ally: Addington, Hawkesbury, and Russia, 1801–1804", International History Review 13 (1991), 221–45
• Kagan, Frederick W. The End of the Old Order: Napoleon and Europe 1801–1805 (2006)
• Ziegler, Philip Addington, A Life of Henry Addington, First Viscount Sidmouth (New York: The John Day Company, 1965), 478p.

External links

• Web page http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/haddington.html'', retrieved 21:45 16 January 2005 GMT
• Web page http://www.berkshirehistory.com/castles/woodley_lodge.html'', retrieved 21:45 16 January 2005 GMT

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth.

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Viscount Sidmouth

Notes

• Archival material relating to Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth listed at the UK National Archives

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Henry Jones Sir James Tylney-Long	Member of Parliament for Devizes 1784–1800 With: Sir James Tylney-Long 1784–1788 Joshua Smith 1788–1800	Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Parliament of Great Britain	Member of Parliament for Devizes 1801–1805 With: Joshua Smith	Succeeded by Thomas Estcourt Joshua Smith
Political offices
Preceded by William Wyndham Grenville	Speaker of the British House of Commons 1789–1801	Succeeded by Sir John Mitford
Preceded by William Pitt the Younger	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 17 March 1801 – 10 May 1804	Succeeded by William Pitt the Younger
	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1801–1804
	Leader of the House of Commons 1801–1804
Preceded by The Duke of Portland	Lord President of the Council 1805	Succeeded by The Earl Camden
Preceded by The Earl of Westmorland	Lord Privy Seal 1806	Succeeded by The Lord Holland
Preceded by The Earl Fitzwilliam	Lord President of the Council 1806–1807	Succeeded by The Earl Camden
Preceded by The Earl Camden	Lord President of the Council 1812	Succeeded by The Earl of Harrowby
Preceded by Richard Ryder	Home Secretary 1812–1822	Succeeded by Robert Peel
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Viscount Sidmouth 1805–1844	Succeeded by William Leonard Addington

Henry Addington navigational boxes List of Prime Ministers of Great Britain and the United Kingdom Kingdom of Great Britain Walpole Wilmington Pelham Newcastle Devonshire Newcastle Bute G Grenville Rockingham Chatham (Pitt the Elder) Grafton North Rockingham Shelburne Portland Pitt the Younger United Kingdom Pitt the Younger Addington Pitt the Younger W Grenville Portland Perceval Liverpool Canning Goderich Wellington Grey Melbourne Wellington Peel Melbourne Peel Russell Derby Aberdeen Palmerston Derby Palmerston Russell Derby Disraeli Gladstone Beaconsfield (Disraeli) Gladstone Salisbury Gladstone Salisbury Gladstone Rosebery Salisbury Balfour Campbell-Bannerman Asquith Lloyd George Law Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin Chamberlain Churchill Attlee Churchill Eden Macmillan Douglas-Home Wilson Heath Wilson Callaghan Thatcher Major Blair Brown Cameron Book Category Commons Chancellors of the Exchequer of England Eustace of Fauconberg Maunsell Leicestre Westminster Giffard de la Leye Willoughby Benstead Sandale Hotham Stanton Harvington Wodehouse Stratford Ashby Ashton Somerset Browne Witham Thwaites Witham Fowler Catesby Lovell Berners Cromwell Baker Sackville Mildmay Fortescue Dunbar Caesar Greville Portland Barrett Cottington Colepeper Hyde Ashley Duncombe Ernle Delamer Hampden Montagu Smith Boyle of Great Britain Boyle Smith Harley Benson Wyndham Onslow Walpole Stanhope Aislabie Pratt Walpole Sandys Pelham Lee Bilson-Legge Lyttelton Bilson-Legge Mansfield Bilson-Legge Barrington Dashwood Grenville Dowdeswell Townshend North Cavendish Pitt Cavendish Pitt Addington Pitt Petty Perceval Vansittart of the United Kingdom Vansittart Robinson Canning Tenterden Herries Goulburn Althorp Denman Peel Spring Rice Baring Goulburn Wood Disraeli Gladstone Lewis Disraeli Gladstone Disraeli Hunt Lowe Gladstone Northcote Gladstone Childers Hicks Beach Harcourt R Churchill Goschen Harcourt Hicks Beach Ritchie A Chamberlain Asquith Lloyd George McKenna Bonar Law A Chamberlain Horne Baldwin N Chamberlain Snowden W Churchill Snowden N Chamberlain Simon Wood Anderson Dalton Cripps Gaitskell Butler Macmillan Thorneycroft Heathcoat-Amory Lloyd Maudling Callaghan Jenkins Macleod Barber Healey Howe Lawson Major Lamont Clarke Brown Darling Osborne Home Secretaries of the United Kingdom Secretary of State for the Home Department Shelburne Townshend North Temple Sydney Grenville Dundas Portland Pelham Yorke Hawkesbury Spencer Liverpool Ryder Sidmouth Peel Sturges Bourne Lansdowne Peel Melbourne Duncannon Wellington Goulburn Russell Normanby Graham Grey Walpole Palmerston Grey Walpole Sotheron-Estcourt Lewis Grey Walpole Hardy Bruce Lowe Cross Harcourt Cross Childers Matthews Asquith Ridley Ritchie Akers-Douglas Gladstone Churchill McKenna Simon Samuel Cave Shortt Bridgeman Henderson Joynson-Hicks Clynes Samuel Gilmour Simon Hoare Anderson Morrison Somervell Chuter Ede Maxwell-Fyfe Lloyd George Butler Brooke Soskice Jenkins Callaghan Maudling Carr Jenkins Rees Whitelaw Brittan Hurd Waddington Baker K. Clarke Howard Straw Blunkett C. Clarke Reid Smith Johnson May Speakers of the House of Commons House of Commons of England 14th century Hungerford De la Mare Pickering Guildesborough Waldegrave Pickering Bussy Cheney Doreward Savage Redford 15th century Esturmy Tiptoft Chaucer Stourton Hungerford Chaucer Redman Beauchamp Flower Hunt Chaucer Baynard Russell Walton Vernon Tyrell Alington Bowes Burley Tresham Say Popham Oldhall Thorpe Charlton Wenlock Tresham Green Strangeways Wood Catesby Lovell Mordaunt Fitzwilliam Empson Drury Englefield 16th century Dudley Sheffield Nevill More Audley Wingfield Rich Hare Moyle Baker Dyer Pollard Broke Higham Cordell Gargrave Williams Onslow Wray Bell Popham Puckering Snagge Coke Yelverton 17th century Croke Phelips Crewe Richardson Crewe Finch Finch Glanville Lenthall Pelham Rous (Barebones Parliament) Widdrington (2nd Protectorate Parliament) Chute (3rd Protectorate Parliament) Long (3rd Protectorate Parliament) Bampfield (3rd Protectorate Parliament) Grimston Turnour Charlton Seymour Sawyer Gregory Williams Trevor Powle Foley Littleton 18th century Harley Smith House of Commons of Great Britain 18th century Smith R. Onslow Bromley Hanmer Compton A. Onslow Cust Norton Cornwall Grenville Addington House of Commons of the United Kingdom 19th century Addington Mitford Abbot Manners-Sutton Abercromby Shaw-Lefevre Denison Brand Peel Gully 20th century Lowther Whitley FitzRoy Brown Morrison Hylton-Foster King Lloyd Thomas Weatherill Boothroyd 21st century Martin Bercow Leaders of the House of Commons Walpole Sandys Pelham Robinson H Fox Pitt the Elder Vacant (Caretaker Ministry) Pitt the Elder Grenville H Fox Grenville Conway North C Fox Townshend (C Fox/North) Pitt the Younger Addington Pitt the Younger C Fox Howick Perceval Castlereagh Canning Huskisson Peel Althorp Peel Russell Disraeli Russell Palmerston Disraeli Palmerston Gladstone Disraeli Gladstone Northcote Gladstone Hicks-Beach Gladstone R Churchill Smith Balfour Gladstone Harcourt Balfour Campbell-Bannerman Asquith Bonar Law A Chamberlain Bonar Law Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin N Chamberlain W Churchill Cripps Eden Morrison Chuter Ede Crookshank Butler Macleod Lloyd Bowden Crossman Peart Whitelaw Carr Prior Short Foot St John-Stevas Pym Biffen Wakeham Howe MacGregor Newton Taylor Beckett Cook Reid Hain Hoon Straw Harman Young Lansley Hague

Authority control WorldCat VIAF: 45043508 LCCN: n82224424 ISNI: 0000 0000 6318 6982 GND: 116007362