On This Day… The Boy Who Did A Man’s Job!
Written by: George Chittenden : 20 Jun 2019
It was on this day, 19th December, back in 1783, when the King of England invited a young man, William Pitt to form a new government. At the age of only twenty-four, William Pitt the Younger became Britain's youngest ever Prime Minister. When the news reached the House of Commons that Pitt had accepted the king's invitation, it was met with laughter.
People said that “Nations would stand and stare at the country left to a schoolboy’s care”, and it’s fair to say these people completely underestimated Pitt the Younger who in time proved them all wrong. William Pitt the younger is a fascinating historical character. He had grown up with a strong interest in politics and had spent much of his spare time watching debates in parliament.
His father, William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, was the former M.P. for Old Sarum and was one of the most important politicians of the period. At an early age he’d trained his son on how to become an effective orator. Sadly, On 7th April 1778 Pitt the Younger was present when his father collapsed while making a speech in the House of Lords and helped to carry his dying father from the chamber!
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