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Henry Addington (1801-1804) TORY
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Henry Addington was born on 30th May 1759 in Bedford Row, Holborn, London. He was the eldest son of six children.Henry’s father, Dr. Anthony Addington, was the doctor for both William Pitt the Elder and William Pitt the Younger. His mother was Mary Hiley. Henry went to Winchester School and Brasenose College, Oxford and later became a lawyer. Addington married Ursula Mary Hammond in 1781. She was the daughter of a businessman. They had eight children. She brought Addington financial security with an income of £1000 a year. His wife died in 1811 and he was devastated. However, in 1823 he married again, this time to Mary Anne Townsend. Addington’s friendship with the Pitts may have helped him get the Devizes seat in Parliament in 1784. He was a loyal supporter of the Pitt government. In 1789 Addington was elected as Speaker of the House of Commons with a salary of £6000 a year. He was thus able to buy an estate in Reading. In March 1801 Pitt the Younger was forced to resign as Prime Minister. Addington succeeded him. In 1802 Addington negotiated the Treaty of Amiens ending the war with France. Unfortunately war started again and Addington had to surrender power to Pitt the Younger again, because of his poor management of the war. Although no longer Prime Minister, Addington remained in government as Lord Privy Seal until Pitt removed him from office. In 1812 Lord Liverpool made Addington, who was now Viscount Sidmouth, Home Secretary. He was very unpopular for his strong actions. He suspended Habeas Corpus and made “machine breaking” an offence punishable with death. Fourteen Luddites were executed in York on one day alone. He also caused the Gagging Acts to be passed, which restricted the freedom of writing by journalists. In 1819 he supported the action of the magistrates and the Manchester & Salford Yeomanry in their very strong response to the Peterloo Riots. Addington retired from office in 1829, but continued to support the Tories. His wife died in April 1843. He himself had been failing in health and was almost blind. He died of influenza at Richmond, Surrey on 15th February 1844. 1. Which constituency did Addington have as an MP?
2. Which post did Addington hold in Lord Liverpool’s government?
3. Where did Addington buy an estate when he was made Speaker?
4. What was the name of Addington’s first wife?
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