Frederick North, Lord North

The Right Honourable The Earl of Guilford KG PC
Portrait by Nathaniel Dance-Holland, c. 1773–74
Prime Minister of Great Britain
In office 28 January 1770 – 27 March 1782
Monarch	George III
Preceded by	The Duke of Grafton
Succeeded by	The Marquess of Rockingham
Home Secretary
In office 2 April 1783 – 19 December 1783
Prime Minister	The Duke of Portland
Preceded by	Thomas Townshend
Succeeded by	The Earl Temple
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 11 September 1767 – 27 March 1782
Prime Minister	The Earl of Chatham The Duke of Grafton Himself
Preceded by	Charles Townshend
Succeeded by	Lord John Cavendish
Paymaster of the Forces
In office 21 August 1766 – 9 December 1767 Serving with George Cooke
Prime Minister	The Earl of Chatham
Preceded by	Charles Townshend
Succeeded by	Thomas Townshend
Member of Parliament for Banbury
In office 20 May 1754 – 4 August 1790
Preceded by	John Willes
Succeeded by	George North, Lord North
Personal details
Born	(1732-04-13)13 April 1732 Piccadilly, London, England
Died	5 August 1792(1792-08-05) (aged 60) Mayfair, London, England
Resting place	All Saints' Church, Wroxton, England
Political party	Whig (1754–1770) Tory (1770–1790)
Spouse	Anne Speke ​ (m. 1756)​
Children	6, including George, Francis and Frederick
Parent	Francis North, 1st Earl of Guilford (father)
Alma mater	Trinity College, Oxford
Signature

Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford KG, PC (13 April 1732 – 5 August 1792), better known by his courtesy title Lord North, which he used from 1752 to 1790, was Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. He led Great Britain through most of the American War of Independence. He also held a number of other cabinet posts, including Home Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer.

North's reputation among historians has varied wildly, reaching its lowest point in the late 19th century, when he was depicted as a creature of the king and an incompetent who lost the American colonies. In the early 20th century, a revised view emerged which emphasised his strengths in administering the Treasury, handling the House of Commons, and in defending the Church of England. Historian Herbert Butterfield, however, argued that his indolence was a barrier to efficient crisis management; he neglected his role in supervising the entire war effort.^[1][2]