Background
Stanhope was born about 1690, the fourth son of John Stanhope of Elvaston, Derbyshire, and of his wife, Dorothy.
Stanhope was born about 1690, the fourth son of John Stanhope of Elvaston, Derbyshire, and of his wife, Dorothy.
He was educated at Eton, where in 1710 he acquired the rank of captain in third foot-guards, after which he served in the military in Spain.
In 1715 he was made colonel of a regiment of dragoons, and entered the House of Commons as Whig member for Derby. In August 1717 he was sent to Spain to try to improve relations between the European nations and to present the compensation claims of British merchants to the Spanish monarch. In the war of 1718 and 1719, which saw French and English action against Spain, he was English envoy at Turin. There he volunteered to command French troops against the Spanish and led them in cooperating with the English fleet against Spain. After the war, he returned to Madrid. In 1739 he was awarded the rank of lieutenant general, and in 1747, that of general, although he saw no military action after the 1720s.
After the Spanish War, Stanhope spent seven years as British ambassador in Madrid. During this period, he conducted negotiations for Britain’s return of Gibraltar to Spain in return for improved trading relations; but Spain never agreed to British terms. Stanhope also reported home on events surrounding the abdication of Philip V of Spain. Upon returning to Britain in 1727, Stanhope was named vice-chamberlain and privy councillor by George II and was immediately sent as a British representative to the Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle (which was soon relocated to Soissons). Stanhope still favored Britain’s returning Gibraltar, which was then under siege, to Spain.
Harrington was at the Northern Department from June 1730 until 12 February 1741 (1742 in the new calendar)—in other words, until the end of Robert Walpole’s premiership. Harrington did not work closely with Walpole but maintained his influence by pushing forward policies that favored the Hanoverian interests of George II. In general, King George II and Harrington favored an aggressive, warlike policy, whereas Queen Caroline and Walpole struggled to maintain peace. Toward the end of the 1730s, Harrington began to work with the Duke of Newcastle and Lord Hardwicke in order to pro-mote a war with Spain over trading indiscretions by the Spanish; their efforts led to the famous “War of Jenkins Ear.” In 1741 he also negotiated, behind Walpole’s back, a treaty with France for the neutrality of Hanover, again serving the Hanoverian interests of George II.
With the fall of Walpole and the formation of the Spencer Compton (Lord Wilmington) ministry, Harrington resigned from the Northern Department and took up the post of Lord President of the Council, combining it with other lucrative posts, such as the tellership of the exchequer and the post of Lord of Justice.
Compton’s death in 1743 led to the formation of the Whig ministry of Henry Pelham. At this point Harrington joined the Pelhamites in opposing the foreign policy of John Carteret, who was as committed to supporting George I Is pro-German interests in Europe as Harrington earlier had been. Pelham replaced Carteret with
Harrington, as secretary of state for the Northern Department, on 10 February 1745 (1746 in the new calendar). But Harrington had changed his mind, and he now opposed George II’s desire for more extensive military operations against France, especially the idea of some type of Grand Alliance that would further George’s Hanoverian interests. Harrington did urge the Dutch to declare war against France; but he also suggested that Britain would not be able to bear the cost of protecting George’s German empire. George II attempted to win Harrington over to his cause through Pulteney (Lord Bath), but Harrington remained loyal to Pelham and resigned along with him in February 1746. Both men were returned to office soon after; but Harrington resigned again in October 1746, when his recommendation that Britain accept the French proposals for peace was opposed by the Duke of Newcastle and by Lord Hardwicke.
Harrington was retained by the government as lord lieutenant of Ireland, holding the post until 1751, when he was replaced by his kinsman Philip Dormer Stanhope, the Earl of Chesterfield. During his period in Ireland, Harrington faced agitation led by Charles Lucas (1731-1771) and the beginnings of opposition to English rule within the Irish Parliament. After leaving this office, he played no further part in public affairs. He died on 8 December 1756.