Background
Whitbread was born in Cardington, Bedfordshire, the son of the brewer Samuel Whitbread. He returned to England in May 1786 and joined his father"s successful brewing business.
Whitbread was born in Cardington, Bedfordshire, the son of the brewer Samuel Whitbread. He returned to England in May 1786 and joined his father"s successful brewing business.
He was educated at Eton College, Christ Church, Oxford, and Street John"s College, Cambridge, after which he embarked on a European "Grand Tour", visiting Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Poland, Prussia, France and Italy.
After Fox"s death, Whitbread took over the leadership of the Whigs, and in 1805 led the campaign to have Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, removed from office. Whitbread admired Napoleon and his reforms in France and Europe. He hoped that many of Napoleon"s reforms would be implemented in Britain.
Throughout the Peninsular War he played down French defeats convinced that sooner or later Napoleon would triumph, and he did all he could to bring about a withdrawal of Britain from the continent.
When Napoleon abdicated in 1814 he was devastated. Whitbread began to suffer from depression, and on the morning of 6 July 1815, he committed suicide by cutting his throat with a razor.
Whitbread married Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of the first Earl Grey on 26 December 1787. Samuel Whitbread Academy in Central Bedfordshire, England, is named after him.
1st United Kingdom Parliament. 2nd United Kingdom Parliament. 3rd United Kingdom Parliament.
4th United Kingdom Parliament.
5th United Kingdom Parliament. 17th Parliament of Great Britain.
18th Parliament of Great Britain]
Whitbread was elected for Bedford in 1790, a post he held for twenty-three years. Their sons William Henry Whitbread and Samuel Charles Whitbread were also Members of Parliament.