William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington

The Right Honourable The Viscount Barrington PC
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 19 March 1761 – 29 May 1762
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	The Duke of Newcastle
Preceded by	Hon. Henry Bilson Legge
Succeeded by	Sir Francis Dashwood, Bt
Personal details
Born	(1717-01-05)5 January 1717
Died	Beckett Hall, Shrivenham, Berkshire
Nationality	British
Political party	Whig
Spouse(s)	Mary Lovell (d. 1764)

William Wildman Shute Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington PC (5 January 1717 – 1 February 1793) was a British politician best known for his two periods as Secretary at War during Britain's involvement in the Seven Years War and American War of Independence.

Background

Barrington was the eldest son of John Barrington, 1st Viscount Barrington, by his wife Anne, daughter of Sir William Daines. The Hon. Daines Barrington, Rear-Admiral the Hon. Samuel Barrington and the Right Reverend the Hon. Shute Barrington, Bishop of Durham, were his younger brothers. He was educated at Geneva, Switzerland, and after succeeding to the title in 1734, he spent some time travelling.

Early political career

As Barrington's title was in the Peerage of Ireland it did not entitle him to a seat in the British House of Lords. In March 1740 he was returned to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed (a seat his father had represented from 1714–23). Having taken his seat in the Irish House of Lords in 1745, he was appointed one of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty in 1746, and was one of the 'managers' of the impeachment of Lord Lovat.

Secretary at War

Main article: Great Britain in the Seven Years War

In 1754, he became Member of Parliament for Plymouth. In 1755 he was made a Privy Counsellor and appointed as Secretary at War in the cabinet of the Duke of Newcastle – a post which held for the next six years throughout the Seven Years' War. During this period his brother led an expedition that captured Guadeloupe.

Marble monument to William Barrington designed by James Wyatt and carved by Richard Westmacott, in St. Andrew's parish church, Shrivenham.

In 1761 was transferred to the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 1762 he became Treasurer of the Navy, and in 1765 returned to his former position of secretary at war. He retained this office until December 1778, and for four months in 1782 was joint postmaster-general.

Family

Lord Barrington married Mary, daughter of Henry Lovell and widow of the Hon. Samuel Grimston, in 1740. There were no surviving children from the marriage. She died in September 1764. Barrington remained a widower until his death at his country estate, Beckett Hall at Shrivenham in Berkshire (now Oxfordshire), in February 1793, aged 76. He was buried in St. Andrew's parish church, Shrivenham. His nephew William Barrington succeeded in the viscountcy.

Legacy

• namesake of Barrington, Nova Scotia

References

•   which in turn cites:
  • Shute Barrington, Political Life of William Wildman, Viscount Barrington (London, 1814).
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs

External links

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by George Liddell Lord Polwarth	Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed with George Liddell 1740 Thomas Watson 1740–1754 1740–1754	Succeeded by Thomas Watson John Delaval
Preceded by Arthur Stert Charles Saunders	Member of Parliament for Plymouth with Samuel Dicker 1754–1760 George Pocock 1760–1768 Francis Holburne 1768–1771 Sir Charles Hardy 1771–1778 1754–1778	Succeeded by Sir Charles Hardy Viscount Lewisham
Political offices
Preceded by Henry Fox	Secretary at War 1755–1761	Succeeded by Charles Townshend
Preceded by Henry Bilson Legge	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1761–1762	Succeeded by Sir Francis Dashwood
Preceded by George Grenville	Treasurer of the Navy 1762–1765	Succeeded by The Viscount Howe
Preceded by Welbore Ellis	Secretary at War 1765–1778	Succeeded by Charles Jenkinson
Preceded by Hon. Henry Carteret	Postmaster General jointly with Hon. Henry Carteret 1782	Succeeded by The Earl of Tankerville and Hon. Henry Carteret
Court offices
Preceded by Sir Thomas Robinson	Master of the Great Wardrobe 1754–1755	Succeeded by Sir Thomas Robinson
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by John Shute Barrington	Viscount Barrington 1734–1793	Succeeded by William Wildman Barrington