William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, (15 November 1708 – 11 May 1778) was a British statesman of the Whig group who led the government of Great Britain twice in the middle of the 18th century. Historians call him Pitt of Chatham, or William Pitt the Elder, to distinguish him from his son, William Pitt the Younger, who also was a prime minister. Pitt was also known as The Great Commoner, because of his long-standing refusal to accept a title until 1766. Pitt was a member of the British cabinet and its informal leader
First Rockingham ministry was noted for his ignorance of foreign affairs, and his ministry failed to reverse the growing isolation of Britain within Europe . The Rockingham ministry fell in 1766 and was replaced by one headed by William Pitt, later the Earl of Chatham. <section begin="July 1765 to July 1766" /> <section end="July 1765 to July 1766" /> First Rockingham ministry The First Rockingham ministry was a British ministry headed by the Marquess of Rockingham from 1765 to 1766 during the reign of King George III. The government was made up mainly of his followers known as the Rockingham Whigs. The most