Beddome and the politics of the day

Henry Pelham by William Hoare, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In Beddome's time, there were three kings over the country, all called George. When Beddome was born, in 1717, George I had been king for three years. He reigned until his death in 1727 when his son, George II, became king. He then reigned for 33 years, until 1760, when his grandson, George III, succeeded. Originally, George II's son, Frederick, had been heir but he died in 1751. George III reigned for the final 35 years of Beddome's life and then on until 1820, sixty years altogether.

Broadly speaking, in Beddome's time the government of the country moved in a conservative direction. It was firstly in the hands of the more reform minded Whigs and then from about 1770, the Tories. From 1721 the first real prime minister was Robert Walpole (1676-1745). He continued in office until 1742, 21 years altogether. He was followed briefly by Spencer Compton (1673-1743) then for 11 years until his death by Henry Pelham (1694-1754). He was followed by his brother, the Duke of Newcastle (1693-1789) and briefly Lord Cavendish (1720-1764), and then John Stuart (1713-1792), George Grenville (1712-1770), Lord Rockingham (1730-1782), the elder Pitt (1708-1778) and Augustus Fitzroy, Lord Grafton (1735-1811).

When Lord North (1732-1792) became prime minister in 1770 there was a shift towards Tory government. North remained for 12 years and then, after Rockingham, Shelburne (1737-1805) and Portland (1738-1809) served for short periods, Pitt the Younger (1759-1806) became prime minister and held that post from 1783-1801 and again from 1804 until his death, over 19 years altogether.

In Beddome's life time there were twelve general elections, three before he came to Bourton, in 1722, 1727 and 1734, and nine others, in 1741, 47, 54, 61, 68, 74, 80, 84 and 1790. Throughout that time the County of Gloucestershire returned two MPS. Some seventeen men served. Before Beddome came to Bourton, these were Henry Berkeley (post 1682-1736), son of the second earl and a one time army officer; land owner Kinard de la Bere (c 1669-1735), Sherborne land owner Sir John Dutton Bt (1684-1743), Thomas Chester (1696-1763) who always voted against the Whigs and Benjamin Bathurst II (1711-1767). The year after Beddome came to Bourton, Bathurst was replaced by the Tory Norborne Berkeley (1717-1770), Chester continuing. These two remained as MPs from 1741, when Berkeley joined Chester, until 1763 when Chester died and Berkeley resigned. They were replaced unopposed by the Whig, Edward Southwell, Baron de Clifford (1738-1777) and Thomas Tracy, respectively. These two were voted in again in 1768. In 1774, Southwell remained and Tracy was replaced by Sir William Guise (1737-1783) who had earlier befriended Edward Gibbon on the grand tour. In 1780, Guise was replaced by William Bromley-Chester (1738-1770) grandson of a former speaker of the house and husband to Thomas Chester's niece. However, he died a year later and was himself replaced by James Dutton. Guise died the year before the 1784 election and was replaced unopposed by another Berkeley, former Admiral, the independent, Hon George Cranfield Berkeley (1753-1818). In 1784, Gloucestershire returned Thomas Master and Charles Barrow (1707-1789), who on his death was replaced unopposed by John Pitt (1727-1805). The last general election in Beddome's lifetime was in 1790 when Gloucestershire returned John Webb with Thomas Master again.

Often in the background, throughout Beddome's lifetime, there were wars. Most often these were with the Spanish and the French. From 1717-1729, there was the War of the quadruple alliance against Spain in alliance with the French, Dutch and Austrians. The War of Jenkins' Ear (1739–1748) against Spain was primarily fought in the Caribbean and the American colonies. The war of the Austrian succession (1740-1748) was fought against France, Spain and their allies. The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was also against France, Spain and others but mostly in North America.

Two of the most significant events in Beddome's lifetime were the American declaration of independence in 1776 and the French Revolution of 1789. The first involved Britain in the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783 against the American colonies, which later involved opposing the French, the Spanish and the Dutch. Following the French Revolution wars went on, 1792–1802, against the French Republic.

One other war to mention is the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War of 1780-1783.

Also in this period there were the internal Jacobite Rebellions in 1719 and 1745-1746; and overseas, the Anglo-Cherokee War of 1758–1761 and Pontiac's War of 1763-1766, both against Native Americans. In 1766-1799 the Anglo-Mysore Wars were conducted against the Kingdom of Mysore in India and in 1775-1796, there was the First Anglo-Maratha War against the Maratha Confederacy, again in India. There was also the Second Maroon War of 1795 and 1796 in Jamaica.