Henry Bilson-Legge

For his son of the same name, see Henry Bilson-Legge, 2nd Baron Stawell.

The Right Honourable Henry Bilson-Legge


Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 6 April 1754 – 25 November 1755
Monarch	George II
Prime Minister	The Duke of Newcastle
Preceded by	Sir William Lee
Succeeded by	Sir George Lyttelton, Bt
In office 16 November 1756 – 13 April 1757
Monarch	George II
Prime Minister	The Duke of Devonshire
Preceded by	Sir George Lyttelton, Bt
Succeeded by	The Lord Mansfield
In office 2 July 1757 – 19 March 1761
Monarch	George II George III
Prime Minister	The Duke of Newcastle
Preceded by	The Lord Mansfield
Succeeded by	The Viscount Barrington
Personal details
Born	(1708-05-29)29 May 1708
Died	23 August 1764(1764-08-23) (aged 56)
Nationality	British
Political party	Whig
Spouse(s)	Mary, Lady Stawell (later Countess of Hillsborough)
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford

Henry Bilson-Legge PC FRS (29 May 1708 – 23 August 1764) was an English statesman. He notably served three times as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 1750s and 1760s.

Background and education

Bilson-Legge was the fourth son of William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth, by his wife Lady Anne, daughter of Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Aylesford. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford.

Political career

Legge with his patron, Robert Walpole

He became private secretary to Sir Robert Walpole. In 1739 was appointed secretary of Ireland by the lord-lieutenant, William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire; being chosen Member of Parliament for the borough of East Looe in 1740, and for Orford, Suffolk, at the general election in the succeeding year.

Legge only shared temporarily in the downfall of Walpole, and became in quick succession Surveyor-General of Woods and Forests, a Lord of the Admiralty, and a Lord of the Treasury. In 1748 he was sent as envoy extraordinary to Frederick the Great, and although his conduct in Berlin was sharply censured by George II, he became Treasurer of the Navy soon after his return to England. In April 1754 he joined the ministry of the duke of Newcastle as chancellor of the Exchequer, the king consenting to this appointment although refusing to hold any intercourse with the minister; but Legge shared the elder Pitt's dislike of the policy of paying subsidies to the landgrave of Hesse, and was dismissed from office in November 1755.^[1]

Twelve months later he returned to his post at the exchequer in the administration of Pitt and the 4th Duke of Devonshire, retaining office until April 1757 when he shared both the dismissal and the ensuing popularity of Pitt. When, in conjunction with the duke of Newcastle, Pitt returned to power in the following July, Legge became chancellor of the exchequer for the third time. He imposed new taxes upon houses and windows, and the king refused to make him a peer.^[2]

In 1759 he obtained the sinecure position of surveyor of the petty customs and subsidies in the port of London, and having in consequence to resign his seat in parliament he was chosen one of the members for Hampshire, a proceeding which greatly incensed the earl of Bute, who desired this seat for one of his friends. Having thus incurred Bute's displeasure Legge was again dismissed from the exchequer in March 1761, but he continued to take part in parliamentary debates until his death at Tunbridge Wells in 1764.

Legge took the additional name of Bilson on succeeding to the estates of a relative, Thomas Bettersworth Bilson, in 1754. Pitt called Legge, the child, and deservedly the favourite child, of the Whigs. Horace Walpole said he was of a creeping, underhand nature, and aspired to the lion's place by the manoeuvre of the mole, but afterwards he spoke in high terms of his talents.

He "was a person of great abilities, both as a statesman and financier, and went through most of the great offices of government with reputation and integrity, and quitted them to the great regret of the nation in general." ^[3]

Family

Henry Bilson-Legge married Mary Stawell, daughter and heiress of the Edward Stawell, 4th Baron Stawell (d. 1755). In 1760, Mary, who had been created the 1st Baroness Stawell, bore Henry Bilson-Legge's only child, Henry Bilson-Legge, 2nd Baron Stawell (1757–1820), who became Baron Stawell on his mother's death in 1780. When the 2nd Baron Stawell died without sons his title became extinct. His only daughter, Mary (d. 1864), married John Dutton, 2nd Baron Sherborne.

References

↑ Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Vol 32.
↑ Lord Hardwicke's Letter of 18 June 1757 in Harris's Life of Hardwicke, 1847, iii. 136.
↑ http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol1/pp503-526 {Accessed 9-12-2016}

External links

Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Charles Longueville Samuel Holden	Member of Parliament for East Looe 1740–1741 With: Charles Longueville	Succeeded by James Buller Francis Gashry
Preceded by Richard Powys John Cope	Member of Parliament for Orford 1741–1759 With: Lord Glenorchy 1741–46 The Viscount Bateman 1746–47 Hon. John Waldegrave 1747–54 John Offley 1754–59	Succeeded by John Offley Charles FitzRoy
Preceded by Alexander Thistlethwayte The Marquess of Winchester	Member of Parliament for Hampshire 1759–1761 With: Alexander Thistlethwayte 1759–61 Simeon Stuart 1761–65	Succeeded by Simeon Stuart Sir Richard Mill, Bt
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Unknown	British Envoy to Prussia 1749-1749	Succeeded by Charles Hanbury Williams
Political offices
Preceded by Thomas Townshend	Chief Secretary for Ireland 1739–1741	Succeeded by Viscount Duncannon
Preceded by Francis Whitworth	Surveyor General of Woods and Forests 1742–1745	Succeeded by John Phillipson
Preceded by George Dodington	Treasurer of the Navy 1749–1754	Succeeded by George Grenville
Preceded by Sir William Lee	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1754–1755	Succeeded by Sir George Lyttelton, Bt
Preceded by Sir George Lyttelton, Bt	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1756–1757	Succeeded by The Lord Mansfield
Preceded by The Lord Mansfield	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1757–1761	Succeeded by The Viscount Barrington

Chancellors of the Exchequer

of England	Eustace of Fauconberg Maunsell Leicestre Westminster Chishull W. Giffard G. Giffard Chishull de la Leye Willoughby Benstead Sandale Hotham Stanton Harvington Wodehouse Stratford Ashby Ashton Barnham Somer 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 Ellenborough 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 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 Hammond

Italic: Interim Chancellor of the Exchequer, as Lord Chief Justice

Royal Tunbridge Wells

Locations within Tunbridge Wells	Hawkenbury High Brooms Langton Green Rusthall The Pantiles

Buildings	High Brooms station High Rocks halt Holy Trinity Church Hungershall Forge Kent and Sussex Hospital King Charles the Martyr Church Royal Victoria Place St. Mark's Church St. Paul's Church Standings Mill The Opera House Tunbridge Wells station Tunbridge Wells West station

Businesses	BBC South East Freight Transport Association Kent and Sussex Courier Subbuteo

People	List of people from Royal Tunbridge Wells Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells

Political	Tunbridge Wells constituency (since 1974) Tunbridge Wells borough (since 1974) Local elections

Schools and colleges	Bennett Memorial Skinners' St. Gregory's Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School K College

Sport, leisure and the arts	Assembly Hall Theatre BBC Radio Kent Dunorlan Park High Rocks Ice Melters Curling Club KMFM West Kent Linden Park Cricket Club Nevill Ground South East Today Spa Valley Railway Trinity Theatre Tunbridge ware Tunbridge Wells Cricket Week Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club Tunbridge Wells Football club Tunbridge Wells Forum Tunbridge Wells Half Marathon Tunbridge Wells Rugby club

Twin towns	Wiesbaden

Italics denote places in East Sussex included as they are generally considered part of Tunbridge Wells.

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 46322679 LCCN: no91004345

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