The Marquess of Rockingham | |
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![]() Detail of painting after Joshua Reynolds | |
Prime Minister of Great Britain | |
In office 27 March 1782 – 1 July 1782 | |
Monarch | George III |
Preceded by | Lord North |
Succeeded by | The Earl of Shelburne |
In office 13 July 1765 – 30 July 1766 | |
Monarch | George III |
Preceded by | George Grenville |
Succeeded by | William Pitt the Elder |
Personal details | |
Born | Charles Watson-Wentworth 13 May 1730 Wentworth, Yorkshire, England |
Died | 1 July 1782 Wimbledon, England | (aged 52)
Resting place | York Minster, York, England |
Political party | Whig |
Spouse | |
Parent(s) | Thomas Watson-Wentworth Lady Mary Finch |
Alma mater | St John's College, Cambridge |
Signature | ![]() |
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, KG, PC, FRS (13 May 1730 – 1 July 1782; styled The Hon. Charles Watson-Wentworth before 1739, Viscount Higham between 1733 and 1746, Earl of Malton between 1746 and 1750, and The Marquess of Rockingham from 1750) was a British Whig statesman and magnate, most notable for his two terms as prime minister of Great Britain. He became the patron of many Whigs, known as the Rockingham Whigs, and served as a leading Whig grandee. He served in only two high offices during his lifetime (prime minister and leader of the House of Lords) but was nonetheless very influential during his one and a half years of service.