Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland
Encyclopedia
Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, of Foxley, MP
, PC (28 September 1705 – 1 July 1774 in Holland House) was a leading British
politician
of the 18th century. He identified primarily with the Whig faction. He notably held the posts of Secretary for War, Southern Secretary and Paymaster of the forces
, from which he enriched himself, but while widely tipped as a future Prime Minister, he never held that office. He was the father of Charles James Fox
.
and his second wife the former Christiana Hope, and inherited a large share of his father's wealth. He squandered most of it soon after attaining his majority, and went to the European Continent
to escape from his creditors. There he made the acquaintance of a woman of fortune, who became his patroness and was so generous to him that, after several years’ absence, he was in a position to return home.
in Wiltshire
. He became a protégé and devoted supporter of Sir Robert Walpole
, the long-standing Prime Minister, achieving unequalled and unenviable proficiency in the worst political arts of his master and model. He earned particular notice with a speech in parliament calling on Britain to support its European allies, principally Austria. He generally aligned with the government Whigs, rather than the Patriot Whig faction that opposed them. Until 1742 this meant the government of Walpole, but afterward it was the government of Henry Pelham
to which he lent his support.
A skilled speaker, he was able to hold his own against Pitt
himself. This helped him progress in the House of Commons
, becoming an indispensable member of several administrations. He was Surveyor-General of Works from 1737 to 1742, was Member for Windsor
from 1741 to 1761 and a Lord of the Treasury in 1743.
He had eloped with and married the much younger Lady Caroline Lennox
, daughter of the Duke of Richmond
, in 1744. She was later created Baroness Holland, of Holland in the County of Lincoln. The noted Whig politicians Charles James Fox
and the 3rd Baron Holland
were his son and grandson, respectively. Another son was the general Henry Edward Fox
. He was known for his tendency to spoil his children who were allowed to mingle with the numerous public figures who came to dine at the Fox Household. Charles would later grow up to be a politician of equal note to his father, many of whose policies and friendships he subsequently adopted, although he tended more toward radicalism than the elder Fox.
and member of the Privy Council
in 1746, at a time when Britain was engaged in the War of the Austrian Succession
. At the time much of the nation's foreign policy was dominated by the Duke of Newcastle, who also served as a de facto Defence Minister, with Fox acting largely as a deputy and being called upon to defend the government's defence policy in the House of Commons.
During these years he became a close friend and confidante of the Duke of Cumberland, the King's second son - who had become notorious in Britain for his suppression of the Jacobite rebellion after the Battle of Culloden
. He had also gained fame on the continent as military commander of Britain's forces there. He had built himself a notable political following in London and, perhaps most importantly to Fox, he offered a channel of communication to the King
. Fox soon grew to be a favourite of George II as well, who would in the future support his inclusion in governments in much the same way he would oppose Pitt's membership.
By the early 1750s Fox and Pitt were both viewed as likely future leaders of the country. This pushed their rivalry to yet further lengths. Fox through his office as War Secretary was closer to the top office, while Pitt languished in opposition. In 1754 the sudden death of the Prime Minister Henry Pelham brought their rivalry to a head. The new Prime Minister, Pelham's brother the Duke of Newcastle
needed a strong figure to represent him in the House of Commons. This job would command immense prestige and influence, and Pitt and Fox were considered the outstanding favourites to attain it.
Newcastle fearing the relentless ambitions of both men, ultimately chose neither - and instead selected Sir Thomas Robinson. In order to try and assuage Fox Newcastle had first offered the post to him, but with unacceptable conditions attached. As Newcastle had expected Fox had, refused the post - allowing Newcastle to offer it to his favoured candidate, Robinson. Robinson, who was considered a nonentity, was poorly equipped to the task and struggled to defend the government from the strident attacks it now came under from Fox and Pitt, both angry at being spurned. By this point the government was facing a serious situation in America
and Newcastle began to consider more seriously an alliance with either Pitt or Fox. Ultimately he chose Fox, believing he could control him easier than Pitt.
Forced into the move by circumstances beyond his control Newcastle agreed the terms of the partnership with Fox. In 1755 Fox was given the dual roles of Leader of the House of Commons
and Southern Secretary
. The alliance between them was seen as the only way to forestall a similar proposed government including Pitt, who was considered a bitter enemy of both men. Newcastle could scarcely contain his growing distate for Fox, who he considered grasping. Fox was heavily influenced by Cumberland, who favoured a strong response to a dispute with the French in the Ohio Country
. The two men forced the policy on a more reluctant Newcastle.
It was decided to despatch a large British force under the command of Edward Braddock
to America to drive the French out of Ohio and occupy the lands for Britain. Braddock's column met with disaster
in July 1755, and when news of this reached London the pressure increased on Newcastle and Fox. Pitt mocked the inept handling of the crisis and suggested Britain was ill-prepared for a major war that might break out with the French over the issue. Ultimately war did break out with France the following year, over the issue of its invasion of Prussia
rather than the North American situation. Fox and Newcastle, realising that Minorca
was severely vulnerable to a French attack, despatched a naval force to relieve the island.
The fleet's commander was unable to prevent the Fall of Minorca leading to a major public outburst against both him and the government. Fox and Newcastle initiated a prosecution against the officer Sir John Byng accusing him of cowardice. Byng was later shot, after a court martial, for "failing to do his utmost", a verdict that opponents of the government saw as a move to protect Newcastle and Fox from censure. Fox fearing that he himself would be made the "scapegoat
" blamed Newcastle for not giving Byng enough ships. On 13 October 1756 Fox resigned, fatally weakening Newcastle, whose Ministry collapsed completely that November.
He was replaced by a government dominated by Pitt. However, Pitt had little control over most MPs and he struggled to control the House of Commons. After a few months this government collapsed in April 1757. The King wanted Newcastle and Fox to return, restoring their previous government but by now Newcastle felt a bitter hatred towards Fox over the Byng Affair, and refused to serve with him. A three month spell followed, in which Britain's war effort was essentially leaderless. With the continued support of Cumberland, Fox retained high hopes of gaining the Premiership. However he could not come to a necessary agreement with either Pitt or Newcastle. In mid-summer Pitt and Newcastle defied expectations, and formed a political partnership. Left out in the cold by this, Fox now turned his attentions instead to attaining a profitable position.
. The office of Paymaster of the Forces had a continuous history from 1662, when Henry Fox's own father, Sir Stephen Fox, had been the first tenant. Before his time it had been the custom to appoint Treasurers at War, ad hoc, for this or that campaign; the practice of the Protectorate Government foreshadowing, however, a permanent office. Within a generation of the Restoration the status of the Paymastership began to change. In 1692 the then Paymaster, the earl of Ranelagh, was sworn of the privy council; and thereafter every Paymaster, or when there were two Paymasters at least one of them, was sworn of the council if not already a member. From the accession of Queen Anne the Paymaster tended to change with the Ministry, and 18th century appointments must be considered as made not upon merit alone, but by merit and political affiliation, the office becoming a political prize and perhaps potentially the most lucrative that a parliamentary career had to offer. During the war, Fox devoted himself mainly to accumulating a vast fortune. The British army expanded a great deal during these years giving him further scope for irregularities. He was by some estimates calculated to have amassed £400,000 in his eight years in the office, an average of £50,000 a year. Around 1760 he built the original Kingsgate Castle
near Broadstairs
in Kent, of which only the tower now remains.
In 1762 he again accepted the leadership of the House, with a seat in the Cabinet, under Lord Bute
, and managed to induce the House of Commons to approve of the Treaty of Paris
; as a reward, he was raised to the House of Lords
as Baron Holland, of Foxley in the County of Wilts
, on 16 April 1763.
delivered by the Lord Mayor of London William Beckford
against the Ministers referred to him as "the public defaulter of unaccounted millions".
It was not the first time that he had been attacked on the financial conduct of his office. In 1763, in a debate opened by Sir John Phillips, William Aislabie had raised much the same issue in the house of commons, where it was received with 'loud marks of approbation'; but on this occasion little public attention was aroused, and 1769 was the first time that it was taken up with vigour, and outside parliament. The City's address, like a Middlesex petition of the previous month, echoed charges made in the house of commons when Alderman Beckford, the mouthpiece of many popular causes, had asserted that more than forty millions of public money remained unaccounted for in the army Pay Office, and that legal process in regard to this had been issued from the exchequer, but had been suspended by the king's sign manual warrant. Beckford had called upon members of the Treasury Board then present to correct him if he had been misinformed, but not a word had been uttered.
The proceedings brought against him in the Court of Exchequer were delayed by a Royal Warrant; and he proved that in the delays in making up the accounts of his office he had not broken the law. From the interest on the outstanding balances he had nonetheless amassed a fortune.
, a sorely disappointed man, with a reputation for cunning and unscrupulousness, the most unpopular politician of his day.
. In 1755 he had disappointed them first by making an alliance with Newcastle, and then in 1757 by turning his back on serious politics by accepting the Paymaster General post, a lucrative but unimportant post that signalled to many he was no longer a serious contender for high office. Rumours that he had misappropriated £400,000 during his eight years in the job did little to help his reputation as vain and mercenary. Most depictions in popular culture have portrayed him in such a light.
His son Charles James Fox
also became a leading light in the Whig party and many too considered him a future national leader. Fox, however, became associated with much the same sort of figures as his father had. In a strange parallel he was frustrated in his bid to become Prime Minister by that of Pitt's younger son William Pitt the Younger
who held the office for twenty years continuously, leaving Fox out in the wilderness in much the same way the Elder Pitt had done to Henry Fox.
Fox appeared in the 1999 British television series Aristocrats depicting the lives of the wealthy Lennox family during the 18th century. He was portrayed by Alun Armstrong
.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, PC (28 September 1705 – 1 July 1774 in Holland House) was a leading British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of the 18th century. He identified primarily with the Whig faction. He notably held the posts of Secretary for War, Southern Secretary and Paymaster of the forces
Paymaster of the Forces
The Paymaster of the Forces was a position in the British government. The office, which was established 1661 after the Restoration, was responsible for part of the financing of the British Army. The first to hold the office was Sir Stephen Fox. Before his time it had been the custom to appoint...
, from which he enriched himself, but while widely tipped as a future Prime Minister, he never held that office. He was the father of Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
.
Early life
He was the second son of Sir Stephen FoxStephen Fox
Sir Stephen Fox was an English politician.-Life:Stephen Fox was the son of William Fox, of Farley, in Wiltshire, a yeoman farmer...
and his second wife the former Christiana Hope, and inherited a large share of his father's wealth. He squandered most of it soon after attaining his majority, and went to the European Continent
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
to escape from his creditors. There he made the acquaintance of a woman of fortune, who became his patroness and was so generous to him that, after several years’ absence, he was in a position to return home.
Election
In 1735, he entered Parliament as Member for HindonHindon (UK Parliament constituency)
Hindon was a parliamentary borough consisting of the village of Hindon in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1448 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. He became a protégé and devoted supporter of Sir Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
, the long-standing Prime Minister, achieving unequalled and unenviable proficiency in the worst political arts of his master and model. He earned particular notice with a speech in parliament calling on Britain to support its European allies, principally Austria. He generally aligned with the government Whigs, rather than the Patriot Whig faction that opposed them. Until 1742 this meant the government of Walpole, but afterward it was the government of Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham was a British Whig statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 27 August 1743 until his death in 1754...
to which he lent his support.
A skilled speaker, he was able to hold his own against Pitt
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham PC was a British Whig statesman who led Britain during the Seven Years' War...
himself. This helped him progress in the House of Commons
House of Commons of Great Britain
The House of Commons of Great Britain was the lower house of the Parliament of Great Britain between 1707 and 1801. In 1707, as a result of the Acts of Union of that year, it replaced the House of Commons of England and the third estate of the Parliament of Scotland, as one of the most significant...
, becoming an indispensable member of several administrations. He was Surveyor-General of Works from 1737 to 1742, was Member for Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
from 1741 to 1761 and a Lord of the Treasury in 1743.
He had eloped with and married the much younger Lady Caroline Lennox
Lady Caroline Lennox
Georgiana Caroline Fox, 1st Baroness Holland, of Holland , known as Lady Caroline Lennox before 1744 and as Lady Caroline Fox from 1744 to 1762, was the eldest of the Lennox Sisters, immortalised in Stella Tillyard's book Aristocrats, and the television series based on it.The Lennox sisters were...
, daughter of the Duke of Richmond
Duke of Richmond
The title Duke of Richmond is named after Richmond and its surrounding district of Richmondshire, and has been created several times in the Peerage of England for members of the royal Tudor and Stuart families...
, in 1744. She was later created Baroness Holland, of Holland in the County of Lincoln. The noted Whig politicians Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
and the 3rd Baron Holland
Henry Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland
Henry Richard Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland PC was an English politician and a major figure in Whig politics in the early 19th century...
were his son and grandson, respectively. Another son was the general Henry Edward Fox
Henry Edward Fox
General Henry Edward Fox was a British Army general. He also served for a brief spell as Governor of Minorca.-Family:...
. He was known for his tendency to spoil his children who were allowed to mingle with the numerous public figures who came to dine at the Fox Household. Charles would later grow up to be a politician of equal note to his father, many of whose policies and friendships he subsequently adopted, although he tended more toward radicalism than the elder Fox.
Secretary at War
Fox was appointed Secretary at WarSecretary at War
The Secretary at War was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. It was occasionally a cabinet level position, although...
and member of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1746, at a time when Britain was engaged in the War of the Austrian Succession
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
. At the time much of the nation's foreign policy was dominated by the Duke of Newcastle, who also served as a de facto Defence Minister, with Fox acting largely as a deputy and being called upon to defend the government's defence policy in the House of Commons.
During these years he became a close friend and confidante of the Duke of Cumberland, the King's second son - who had become notorious in Britain for his suppression of the Jacobite rebellion after the Battle of Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...
. He had also gained fame on the continent as military commander of Britain's forces there. He had built himself a notable political following in London and, perhaps most importantly to Fox, he offered a channel of communication to the King
George II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
. Fox soon grew to be a favourite of George II as well, who would in the future support his inclusion in governments in much the same way he would oppose Pitt's membership.
By the early 1750s Fox and Pitt were both viewed as likely future leaders of the country. This pushed their rivalry to yet further lengths. Fox through his office as War Secretary was closer to the top office, while Pitt languished in opposition. In 1754 the sudden death of the Prime Minister Henry Pelham brought their rivalry to a head. The new Prime Minister, Pelham's brother the Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a title which has been created three times in British history while the title of Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne has been created once. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 when William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
needed a strong figure to represent him in the House of Commons. This job would command immense prestige and influence, and Pitt and Fox were considered the outstanding favourites to attain it.
Newcastle fearing the relentless ambitions of both men, ultimately chose neither - and instead selected Sir Thomas Robinson. In order to try and assuage Fox Newcastle had first offered the post to him, but with unacceptable conditions attached. As Newcastle had expected Fox had, refused the post - allowing Newcastle to offer it to his favoured candidate, Robinson. Robinson, who was considered a nonentity, was poorly equipped to the task and struggled to defend the government from the strident attacks it now came under from Fox and Pitt, both angry at being spurned. By this point the government was facing a serious situation in America
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
and Newcastle began to consider more seriously an alliance with either Pitt or Fox. Ultimately he chose Fox, believing he could control him easier than Pitt.
Alliance with Newcastle
Leader of the House of Commons
The Leader of the House of Commons is a member of the Cabinet of the United Kingdom who is responsible for arranging government business in the House of Commons...
and Southern Secretary
Secretary of State for the Southern Department
The Secretary of State for the Southern Department was a position in the cabinet of the government of Kingdom of Great Britain up to 1782.Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two British Secretaries of State were divided not based on the principles of modern ministerial divisions, but...
. The alliance between them was seen as the only way to forestall a similar proposed government including Pitt, who was considered a bitter enemy of both men. Newcastle could scarcely contain his growing distate for Fox, who he considered grasping. Fox was heavily influenced by Cumberland, who favoured a strong response to a dispute with the French in the Ohio Country
Ohio Country
The Ohio Country was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake Erie...
. The two men forced the policy on a more reluctant Newcastle.
It was decided to despatch a large British force under the command of Edward Braddock
Edward Braddock
General Edward Braddock was a British soldier and commander-in-chief for the 13 colonies during the actions at the start of the French and Indian War...
to America to drive the French out of Ohio and occupy the lands for Britain. Braddock's column met with disaster
Battle of the Monongahela
The Battle of the Monongahela, also known as the Battle of the Wilderness, took place on 9 July 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War, at Braddock's Field in what is now Braddock, Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh...
in July 1755, and when news of this reached London the pressure increased on Newcastle and Fox. Pitt mocked the inept handling of the crisis and suggested Britain was ill-prepared for a major war that might break out with the French over the issue. Ultimately war did break out with France the following year, over the issue of its invasion of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
rather than the North American situation. Fox and Newcastle, realising that Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
was severely vulnerable to a French attack, despatched a naval force to relieve the island.
The fleet's commander was unable to prevent the Fall of Minorca leading to a major public outburst against both him and the government. Fox and Newcastle initiated a prosecution against the officer Sir John Byng accusing him of cowardice. Byng was later shot, after a court martial, for "failing to do his utmost", a verdict that opponents of the government saw as a move to protect Newcastle and Fox from censure. Fox fearing that he himself would be made the "scapegoat
Scapegoat
Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any party for unmerited negative treatment or blame. Scapegoating may be conducted by individuals against individuals , individuals against groups , groups against individuals , and groups against groups Scapegoating is the practice of singling out any...
" blamed Newcastle for not giving Byng enough ships. On 13 October 1756 Fox resigned, fatally weakening Newcastle, whose Ministry collapsed completely that November.
He was replaced by a government dominated by Pitt. However, Pitt had little control over most MPs and he struggled to control the House of Commons. After a few months this government collapsed in April 1757. The King wanted Newcastle and Fox to return, restoring their previous government but by now Newcastle felt a bitter hatred towards Fox over the Byng Affair, and refused to serve with him. A three month spell followed, in which Britain's war effort was essentially leaderless. With the continued support of Cumberland, Fox retained high hopes of gaining the Premiership. However he could not come to a necessary agreement with either Pitt or Newcastle. In mid-summer Pitt and Newcastle defied expectations, and formed a political partnership. Left out in the cold by this, Fox now turned his attentions instead to attaining a profitable position.
Paymaster General of the Forces
In 1757, in the rearrangements of the government, Fox was ultimately excluded from the Cabinet, and given the post of Paymaster of the ForcesPaymaster of the Forces
The Paymaster of the Forces was a position in the British government. The office, which was established 1661 after the Restoration, was responsible for part of the financing of the British Army. The first to hold the office was Sir Stephen Fox. Before his time it had been the custom to appoint...
. The office of Paymaster of the Forces had a continuous history from 1662, when Henry Fox's own father, Sir Stephen Fox, had been the first tenant. Before his time it had been the custom to appoint Treasurers at War, ad hoc, for this or that campaign; the practice of the Protectorate Government foreshadowing, however, a permanent office. Within a generation of the Restoration the status of the Paymastership began to change. In 1692 the then Paymaster, the earl of Ranelagh, was sworn of the privy council; and thereafter every Paymaster, or when there were two Paymasters at least one of them, was sworn of the council if not already a member. From the accession of Queen Anne the Paymaster tended to change with the Ministry, and 18th century appointments must be considered as made not upon merit alone, but by merit and political affiliation, the office becoming a political prize and perhaps potentially the most lucrative that a parliamentary career had to offer. During the war, Fox devoted himself mainly to accumulating a vast fortune. The British army expanded a great deal during these years giving him further scope for irregularities. He was by some estimates calculated to have amassed £400,000 in his eight years in the office, an average of £50,000 a year. Around 1760 he built the original Kingsgate Castle
Kingsgate Castle
Kingsgate Castle on the cliffs above Kingsgate Bay, Broadstairs, Kent was built for Lord Holland in the 1760s. The name Kingsgate is related to an incidental landing of Charles II on 30 June 1683 though other English monarchs have also used this cove, such as George II in 1748...
near Broadstairs
Broadstairs
Broadstairs is a coastal town on the Isle of Thanet in the Thanet district of east Kent, England, about south-east of London. It is part of the civil parish of Broadstairs and St Peter's, which includes St. Peter's and had a population in 2001 of about 24,000. Situated between Margate and...
in Kent, of which only the tower now remains.
In 1762 he again accepted the leadership of the House, with a seat in the Cabinet, under Lord Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
, and managed to induce the House of Commons to approve of the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
; as a reward, he was raised to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as Baron Holland, of Foxley in the County of Wilts
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, on 16 April 1763.
Resignation
In 1765 Fox was forced to resign the Paymaster Generalship, and four years later a petition of the Livery of the City of LondonCity of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
delivered by the Lord Mayor of London William Beckford
William Beckford (politician)
William Beckford was a well-known political figure in 18th century London, who twice held the office of Lord Mayor of London . His vast wealth came largely from his plantations in Jamaica...
against the Ministers referred to him as "the public defaulter of unaccounted millions".
It was not the first time that he had been attacked on the financial conduct of his office. In 1763, in a debate opened by Sir John Phillips, William Aislabie had raised much the same issue in the house of commons, where it was received with 'loud marks of approbation'; but on this occasion little public attention was aroused, and 1769 was the first time that it was taken up with vigour, and outside parliament. The City's address, like a Middlesex petition of the previous month, echoed charges made in the house of commons when Alderman Beckford, the mouthpiece of many popular causes, had asserted that more than forty millions of public money remained unaccounted for in the army Pay Office, and that legal process in regard to this had been issued from the exchequer, but had been suspended by the king's sign manual warrant. Beckford had called upon members of the Treasury Board then present to correct him if he had been misinformed, but not a word had been uttered.
The proceedings brought against him in the Court of Exchequer were delayed by a Royal Warrant; and he proved that in the delays in making up the accounts of his office he had not broken the law. From the interest on the outstanding balances he had nonetheless amassed a fortune.
Later life
He tried in vain to obtain promotion to an earldom, a title on which he had set his heart, and he died at Holland House, KensingtonKensington
Kensington is a district of west and central London, England within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. An affluent and densely-populated area, its commercial heart is Kensington High Street, and it contains the well-known museum district of South Kensington.To the north, Kensington is...
, a sorely disappointed man, with a reputation for cunning and unscrupulousness, the most unpopular politician of his day.
Legacy
When Fox had first arrived on the political scene, many had considered him as the greatest politician of his generation. Many saw him as a future Prime Minister, who could lead a revolution of the "New Whigs" against the old-style patriarchy of men like the Duke of NewcastleDuke of Newcastle
Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne is a title which has been created three times in British history while the title of Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne has been created once. The title was created for the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 when William Cavendish, 1st Marquess of Newcastle-upon-Tyne...
. In 1755 he had disappointed them first by making an alliance with Newcastle, and then in 1757 by turning his back on serious politics by accepting the Paymaster General post, a lucrative but unimportant post that signalled to many he was no longer a serious contender for high office. Rumours that he had misappropriated £400,000 during his eight years in the job did little to help his reputation as vain and mercenary. Most depictions in popular culture have portrayed him in such a light.
His son Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
also became a leading light in the Whig party and many too considered him a future national leader. Fox, however, became associated with much the same sort of figures as his father had. In a strange parallel he was frustrated in his bid to become Prime Minister by that of Pitt's younger son William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
who held the office for twenty years continuously, leaving Fox out in the wilderness in much the same way the Elder Pitt had done to Henry Fox.
Fox appeared in the 1999 British television series Aristocrats depicting the lives of the wealthy Lennox family during the 18th century. He was portrayed by Alun Armstrong
Alun Armstrong (actor)
Alun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
.