Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle

His Grace The Duke of Newcastle KG PC FRS
Portrait by William Hoare, c. 1750
Prime Minister of Great Britain
In office 29 June 1757 – 26 May 1762
Monarchs	George II George III
Preceded by	The Duke of Devonshire
Succeeded by	The Earl of Bute
In office 16 March 1754 – 11 November 1756
Monarch	George II
Preceded by	Henry Pelham
Succeeded by	The Duke of Devonshire
Personal details
Born	(1693-07-21)21 July 1693 London, England
Died	17 November 1768(1768-11-17) (aged 75) Lincoln's Inn Fields, England
Resting place	All Saints Churchyard, Laughton, East Sussex, England
Political party	Whig
Spouse	Lady Harriet Godolphin ​ ​ (m. 1717)​
Parents	Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham Lady Grace Holles
Alma mater	Clare College, Cambridge
Signature

Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyme, KG, PC, FRS (21 July 1693 – 17 November 1768) was an English Whig statesman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain, his official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. He is commonly known as the Duke of Newcastle.^[1]

A protégé of Robert Walpole, he served under him for more than 20 years until 1742. He held power with his brother, prime minister Henry Pelham, until 1754. He had then served as a Secretary of State continuously for 30 years and dominated British foreign policy.

After Henry's death, Newcastle was prime minister for six years in two separate periods. While his first premiership was not particularly notable, Newcastle precipitated the Seven Years' War, and his weak diplomacy cost him his premiership.^[2] After his second term, he served briefly in Lord Rockingham's ministry, before he retired from government. He was most effective as a deputy to a leader of greater ability, such as Walpole, his brother, or Pitt. Few politicians in British history matched his skills and industry in using patronage to maintain power over long stretches of time. His genius appeared as the chief party manager for the Whigs from 1715 to 1761. He used his energy and his money to select candidates, distribute patronage and win elections. He was especially influential in the counties of Sussex, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. His greatest triumph came in the 1754 election.^[3]

Outside the electoral realm, his reputation has suffered. Historian Harry Dickinson says that he became

[n]otorious for his fussiness and fretfulness, his petty jealousies, his reluctance to accept responsibility for his actions, and his inability to pursue any political objective to his own satisfaction or to the nation's profit ... Many modern historians have depicted him as the epitome of unredeemed mediocrity and as a veritable buffoon in office.^[4]