Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton
Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton ( * October 1, 1735, † March 14, 1811 in Euston Hall, Suffolk ), was a British politician of the Whig party, Unitarians and one of many Dukes, who served as prime minister.
Life
His parents were Augustus FitzRoy and Elizabeth Cosby, daughter of Colonel William Cosby, the governor of the colony of New York was. He was educated at Westminster School, made the Grand Tour and earned a degree at Peterhouse, Cambridge. In 1756 he married Anne Liddell, daughter of Henry Liddell, 1st Baron Ravensworth. In the same year he settled in as a Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge to the House of Commons. A few months later he moved to the constituency to Bury St Edmunds, which was controlled by his family. The following year, his grandfather died. He inherited his peerage, was now Duke of Grafton and moved into the House of Lords.
In politics he was initially known as an opponent of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute. Stuart was a favorite of King George III. Grafton allied with Thomas Pelham- Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle to Lord Bute, whose tenure as Prime Minister was short-lived. 1765 Grafton was appointed Privy Counsellor. Later he was made following discussions with William Pitt the Elder in Lord Rockingham's first government as foreign minister for the northern areas. However, he resigned a year later and Pitt, who was now Earl of Chatham become, formed a government in Grafton First Lord of the Treasury, but was not prime minister.
Pitts disease led to Grafton end of 1767, the actual head of the government was - the acquisition of the Prime Minister Office is attributed to him for 1768. Political differences and the attacks of Junius, one remained anonymous letter writer, in January 1770 led to his resignation. In 1771 he became Lord Privy Seal in Lord North's government, but resigned in 1775 again as he faced the American colonists took a conciliatory attitude. In the second government Rockingham ( 1782 ), he was again Lord Privy Seal. In the following years he was a prominent Unitarian.
FitzRoy had numerous children, including his son George (1760-1844), who inherited the title, as well as the later General Lord Charles Augustus FitzRoy (1764-1829), Governor in numerous British colonies including New South Wales (Australia). Robert Fitzroy, a hydro Graf, was his grandson.
The Grafton County, New Hampshire ( USA) was named after him and the Fritzroy Island in Queensland named James Cook on an expedition in 1770 in his honor.