Chapter Five - National and local politics, 1754–1761

Summary

The Duke of Newcastle became prime minister on his brother's death in March 1754. His ministry proved unsuccessful because it could not reply effectively to the French defeat of George Washington in Ohio, then loyal to Britain. Admiral Boscawen failed to stop extra French troops being landed in America but by his seizing French ships gave enough cause for France to declare war.

In Bedfordshire parochial issues such as postal services, turnpike roads, river navigations and, in Bedford, the Harpur Trust seemed more important. However national politics and local sympathies came together with the court martial of Admiral John Byng, a son of the first Lord Torrington, and brought up at Southill. His family and his sister’s, the Osborns of Chicksands, were leading political families locally because of their important stake in east Bedfordshire.

Admiral Byng's trial

On 29 May 1756, Byng lost Minorca by, it was alleged, ‘neglect of duty i.e. failing to attack vigorously enough’. Was this cowardice or prudence? Minorca was lost but his fleet was saved. Which loss would have been the greater catastrophe? Had he been provided with an inadequate force, inadequately equipped by a mean or incompetent government? To avoid airing this question the government, especially Newcastle and Henry Fox, were keen for a scapegoat. Minorca was not an isolated example of military failure as the North American fort of Owego fell to a new French general, Montcalm, and Calcutta had to be surrendered to Siraj ud Daula, opponent of the East India Company.

Byng was court-martialled. Newcastle and Fox, however, were forced out of office and replaced by a ministry under the Duke of Devonshire with William Pitt, the leading figure in the House of Commons. Pitt with the support of the House of Commons tried to gain Byng a royal pardon but George II was totally dismissive.

With Newcastle out of office, the Duke of Bedford was made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland on 3 January 1757, a post which he held till 3 April 1761. Among his first duties there was to answer the impassioned cry for help from Byng's sister, Lady Sarah Osborn of Chicksands.

Jemima, Marchioness Grey, looks at Byng's trial from the point of view of her father-in-law, Lord Hardwicke, Newcastle's ally and also that of Admiral Anson, her husband's brother-in-law. Her cold and factual account hides the fact that probably she knew Byng personally.