John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, 7th Seigneur of Sark, commonly known by his earlier title Lord Carteret, was a British statesman and Lord President of the Council from 1751 to 1763; he worked extremely closely with the Prime Minister of the country, Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington in order to manage the various factions of the Government.
Background
The family of Carteret was settled in the Channel Islands, and was of Norman descent. John was the son of George Carteret, 1st Baron Carteret (1667–1695), by his marriage with Lady Grace Granville (3 September 1654 - 18 October 1744), daughter of John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath. On his mother's side of the family he was a descendant of the Elizabethan admiral Sir Richard Grenville, famous for his death in the Revenge at the Battle of Flores.
Education
John Carteret was educated at Westminster School, and at Christ Church, Oxford. Jonathan Swift says that "with a singularity scarce to be justified he carried away more Greek, Latin and philosophy than properly became a person of his rank". Throughout life Carteret not only showed a keen love of the classics, but a taste for and knowledge of modern languages and literature. He was almost the only English nobleman of his time who knew German (which allowed him to talk with George I, who spoke no English).
Career
He was a strong supporter of the accession of George I to the British throne in 1714.
Carteret achieved prominence through Baltic diplomacy, 1719–20, and emerged untainted by the South Sea bubble crisis to become secretary of state for the southern department in 1721.
From 1724 to 1730 he held the thankless post of the lord-lieutenant of Ireland.
Then followed 12 years in Opposition.
In 1742, with the retirement of Walpole, he was again made secretary of state.
In this position, which he retained for two years, he supported King George II's Hanoverian policy and England's participation in the War of the Austrian Succession.
In the Commons there was outrage at the lack of apparent benefit and cost of Carteret's policies, led by Pitt but abetted by the Pelham brothers; in November 1744 Granville (as he had become) was forced to resign.
He acted as an adviser to the king, Pitt, and Newcastle throughout the Seven Years War.
He was created Earl Granville in 1744, and in 1751 he became lord president of the Council, an office he held until his death on Jan. 2, 1763.
Connections
He married twice:
Firstly to Frances Worsley (d. 1743), daughter of Sir Robert Worsley, 4th Baronet, by whom he had at least 6 children, 2 sons and 4 daughters:
George Carteret (b. 14 Feb 1716, bap 11 Mar 1716 St Martin In The Fields, Westminster)
Robert Carteret, 3rd Earl Granville (b. 21 Sep 1721, bap 17 Oct 1721 St Martin In The Fields, Westminster).
Louisa Carteret (circa 1712 - 1736) married Thomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount Weymouth and had issue
Grace Carteret (b. 08 Jul 1713, bap 22 Jul 1713 St James, Westminster), married Lionel Tollemache, 4th Earl of Dysart and had issue
Georgiana Caroline Carteret (b. 12 Mar 1715, bap 05 Apr 1715 St Martin In The Fields, Westminster; died 1780); she married firstly John Spencer, MP, and was the mother of John Spencer, 1st Earl Spencer; she married secondly William Clavering-Cowper, 2nd Earl Cowper
Frances Carteret (b. 06 Apr 1718, bap 1 May 1718 St Martin In The Fields, Westminster)
Secondly in 1744 he married Sophia Fermor (d. 1745), daughter of Thomas Fermor, 1st Earl of Pomfret. She died the following year during the birth of their only daughter:
Sophia Carteret, who married William Petty, 1st Marquess of Lansdowne and had issue.