John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford (1710-1771), second son of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham, Surrey, was born on 30 September 1710. Known as Lord John Russell, he married in October 1731 Lady Diana Spencer, daughter of Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland; became Duke of Bedford on his brother’s death a year later; and having lost his first wife in 1735 married in April 1737 Lady Gertrude Leveson-Gower (d. 1794), daughter of John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower. Events April 10 - The worlds first copyright legislation became effective, Britains Statute of Anne Ongoing events Great Northern War (1700-1721) War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1713) Births January 4 - Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Italian composer (d. ... 1771 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 92 days remaining, as the final day of September. ... Events 10 Downing Street becomes the official residence of the United Kingdoms Prime Minister when Robert Walpole moves in. ... Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland (c. ... Events 16 April - The London premiere of Alcina by George Frideric Handel, his first the first Italian opera for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. ... Events 12 February — The San Carlo, the oldest working opera house in Europe, is inaugurated. ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower (1694-1754) was a British Tory politician, one of the first Tories to enter government in the 18th century. ...

In the House of Lords he joined the party hostile to Sir Robert Walpole, took a fairly prominent part in public business, and earned the dislike of George II. When Carteret, now Earl Granville, resigned office in November 1744, Bedford became First Lord of the Admiralty in the administration of Henry Pelham, and was made a privy councillor. He was very successful at the admiralty, but was not equally fortunate after he became Secretary of State for the Southern Department in February 1748. Pelham accused him of idleness; he was constantly at variance with his colleague the Duke of Newcastle, and resigned office in June 1751. This article is about the British House of Lords. ... Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford PC,KBE (26 August 1676–18 March 1745), normally known as Sir Robert Walpole, is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. ... George II (George Augustus) (10 November 1683–25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death. ... John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville (April 22, 1690 - January 22, 1763), English statesman, commonly known by his earlier title as Lord Carteret, was the son of George Carteret, 1st Baron Carteret (1667 - 1695), by his marriage with Grace Granville (September 3, 1654 - October 18, 1744), daughter of Sir John Granville... Events The third French and Indian War, known as King Georges War, breaks out at Port Royal, Nova Scotia Ongoing events War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748) Births May 19 - Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, queen of George III of Great Britain (d. ... The First Lord of the Admiralty was a British government position in charge of the Admiralty. ... Henry Pelham (September 25, 1694 - March 6, 1754) was a British statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from February 14, 1743 to his death about ten years later. ... The Secretary of State for the Southern Department was a position in the cabinet of the government of United Kingdom up to 1782. ... Events April 24 - A congress assembles at Aix-la-Chapelle with the intent to conclude the struggle known as the War of Austrian Succession - at October 18 - The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle is signed to end the war Adam Smith begins to deliver public lectures in Edinburgh Building of... Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyme (July 21, 1693 - November 17, 1768) was a Whig statesman, whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. ... Events Adam Smith is appointed professor of logic at the University of Glasgow March 31 - The future King George III of the United Kingdom succeeds his father as Prince of Wales. ...

Instigated by his friends he was active in opposition to the government, and after Newcastle’s resignation in November 1756, became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland in the ministry of William Pitt and the Duke of Devonshire, retaining this office after Newcastle, in alliance with Pitt, returned to power in June 1757. In Ireland he favoured a relaxation of the penal laws against Roman Catholics, but did not keep his promises to observe neutrality between the rival parties, and to abstain from securing pensions for his friends. His own courtly manners and generosity, and his wife’s good qualities, however, seem to have gained for him some popularity, although Horace Walpole says he disgusted everybody. In March 1761 he resigned this office. 1756 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of Englands (pre-1707) or Britains (post 1707) administration in Ireland. ... William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham (15 November 1708–11 May 1778) was a British statesman who achieved his greatest fame as war minister during the Seven Years War and who was later Prime Minister of Great Britain. ... William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire (c. ... 1757 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, more commonly known as Horace Walpole, (September 24, 1717-March 2, 1797), was a politician, writer and forerunner of the Gothic revival. ... 1761 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

Having allied himself with the Earl of Bute and the party anxious to bring the Seven Years War to a close, Bedford was noticed as the strongest opponent of Pitt, and became Lord Privy Seal under Bute after Pitt resigned in October 1761. The cabinet of Bute was divided over the policy to he pursued with regard to the war, but pacific counsels prevailed, and in September 1762 Bedford went to France to treat for peace. He was considerably annoyed because some of the peace negotiations were conducted through other channels, but he signed the Peace of Paris in February 1763. Resigning his office as Lord Privy Seal soon afterwards, various causes of estrangement arose between Bute and Bedford, and the subsequent relations of the two men were somewhat virulent. The duke refused to take office under George Grenville on Bute’s resignation in April 1763, and sought to induce Pitt to return to power. A report, however, that Pitt would only take office on condition that Bedford was excluded, incensed him and, smarting under this rebuff, he joined the cabinet of Grenville as Lord President of the Council in September 1763. His haughty manner, his somewhat insulting language, and his attitude with regard to the regency bill in 1765 offended George III, who sought in vain to supplant him, and after this failure was obliged to make humiliating concessions to the ministry. In July 1765, however, he was able to dispense with the services of Bedford and his colleagues, and the duke became the leader of a political party, distinguished for rapacity, and known as the “ Bedford party,” or the “ Bloomsbury gang.” John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (May 25, 1713 - March 10, 1792), was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain (1762-1763) under George III. He had previously served as tutor to George, who was then the Prince of Wales. ... This article is about the 1756–1763 war. ... The Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is one of the traditional sinecure offices in the British Cabinet. ... 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10, 1763, by the Kingdom of Great Britain, France and Spain with Portugal in agreement. ... 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... George Grenville (October 14, 1712—November 13, 1770) was a British Whig statesman who served in government for the relatively short period of nine years (reaching the position of Prime Minister of Great Britain); Sir Robert Walpole served as Prime Minister alone for twenty-one years, for example. ... 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Office of Lord President of the Council is a British cabinet position, the holder of which acts as Presiding officer of the Privy Council. ... 1765 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain, and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ...

During his term of office he had opposed a bill to place high import duties on Italian silks. He was consequently assaulted and his London residence attacked by a mob. He took some part in subsequent political intrigues, and although he did not return to office, his friends, with his consent, joined the ministry of the Duke of Grafton in December 1767. This proceeding led "Junius" to write his "letter to the duke of Bedford," one of especial violence. Bedford was hostile to John Wilkes, and narrowly escaped from a mob favourable to the agitator at Honiton in July 1769. London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... Augustus Henry FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (October 1, 1735 - March 14, 1811), was a British politician of the Georgian era. ... 1767 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Statue of John Wilkes (Fetter Lane London) John Wilkes (October 17, 1727 – December 26, 1797) was an English radical, journalist and politician. ... 1769 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

His health had been declining for some years, and in 1770 he became partially paralysed. He died at Woburn on 5 January 1771, and was buried in the family burying-place at Chenies. His three sons all predeceased him, and he was succeeded in the title by his grandson, Francis. 1770 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Woburn is the name of some places: Woburn, England Woburn, Massachusetts, United States of America Woburn, Toronto, Canada This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1771 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Chenies is a village in the very eastern part of south Buckinghamshire, England, near the border with Hertfordshire. ... Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford (1765-1802), eldest son of Francis Russell, Marquess of Tavistock (d. ...

The duke held many public offices: lord-lieutenant of Bedfordshire and Devonshire, and chancellor of Dublin University among others, and was a knight of the garter. Bedford was a proud and conceited man, but possessed both ability and common-sense. The important part which he took in public life, however, was due rather to his wealth and position than to his personal taste or ambition. He was neither above nor below the standard of political morality of the time, and was influenced by his duchess, who was very ambitious, and by followers who were singularly unscrupulous. Bedford is the county town of the English county of Bedfordshire. ... This page is about the English county, for alternative meanings see Devon (disambiguation). ... The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin or more commonly Trinity College, Dublin (TCD) was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, is the only constituent college of the University of Dublin, Irelands oldest university. ... A garter is one of the Orders most recognisable insignia. ...

Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea, 3rd Earl of Nottingham ( 24 May 1689 - 2 August 1769) was a British politician. ... The First Lord of the Admiralty was a British government position in charge of the Admiralty. ... John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (3 November 1718 – 3 April 1792) succeeded his grandfather, Edward, the 3rd Earl, in the earldom in 1729. ... Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyme (July 21, 1693 - November 17, 1768) was a Whig statesman, whose official life extended throughout the Whig supremacy of the 18th century. ... The Secretary of State for the Southern Department was a position in the cabinet of the government of United Kingdom up to 1782. ... Robert Darcy, 4th Earl of Holderness (1718-1778), was a British diplomatist and politician. ... William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire (c. ... The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (also known as the Viceroy or in the Middle Ages as the Lord Deputy) was the head of Englands (pre-1707) or Britains (post 1707) administration in Ireland. ... George Montague-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax (6 October 1716 - 8 June 1771) was a British statesman of the Georgian era. ... Richard Grenville-Temple, 2nd Earl Temple (September 26, 1711 - September 12, 1779) was an English politician. ... The Lord Privy Seal or Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal is one of the traditional sinecure offices in the British Cabinet. ... The Fourth Duke of Marlborough, painted by Joshua Reynolds George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough (January 26, 1739) - (January 29, 1817) was a British nobleman. ... John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville (April 22, 1690 - January 22, 1763), English statesman, commonly known by his earlier title as Lord Carteret, was the son of George Carteret, 1st Baron Carteret (1667 - 1695), by his marriage with Grace Granville (September 3, 1654 - October 18, 1744), daughter of Sir John Granville... The Office of Lord President of the Council is a British cabinet position, the holder of which acts as Presiding officer of the Privy Council. ... Daniel Finch, 8th Earl of Winchilsea, 3rd Earl of Nottingham ( 24 May 1689 - 2 August 1769) was a British politician. ...