Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham
Charles Watson- Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, KG, PC ( May 13, 1730 *, † July 1, 1782 in London) was a British Whig politician and twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
He was born as the eighth child of ten by Thomas Watson- Wentworth, 1st Baron Malton. His ancestors belonged to Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford. His father was raised in 1733 to the Earl of Malton and 1746 to the Marquess of Rockingham. Charles Watson- Wentworth survived as the only son of puberty, which in 1739 made him the heir title; he led the courtesy title Viscount Higham.
Watson- Wentworth attended Westminster School and St. John 's College, Cambridge. In 1746 he became a colonel in a regiment of volunteers, where he met the Duke of Cumberland, William Augustus, with whom he formed a lifelong friendship. His unit fought against the troops of Charles Edward Stuart during the Second Jakobitenaufstandes.
In 1750 he was raised to Earl Malton in the Peerage of Ireland, in the same year he succeeded his father after his death in his title after. He married on February 26, 1752 16- year-old Mary Bright, the marriage remained childless.
1761, he was awarded the Order of the Garter, in 1763 he was Governor of Charterhouse. At the request of his friend, the Duke of Cumberland, Watson- Wentworth became Prime Minister in July 1765. Both the Duke and several close political friends, such as Thomas Pelham- Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle -upon- Tyne, and Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, joined the government. Personal Private Secretary was the Anglo- Irish writer, political philosopher and politician Edmund Burke, with him was a close personal friendship until his death. Although Watson- Wentworth strove in particular to improve relations with the North American colonies, the government broke up after a year of internal differences.
The following 16 years was Watson- Wentworth in opposition. He continued to support the constitutional rights of the North American colonists and later their independence.
In March 1782, he became Prime Minister for the second time, he initiated a policy of reconciliation with the United States and recognized their independence. However, the Marquess left only the short time until his death in office.
As Watson- Wentworth passed away on July 1, 1782, extinguished the title borne by him, his heir was his nephew William FitzWilliam, 4th Earl FitzWilliam.