1709-1778
British Prime Minister

Great Commoner. William Pitt was born on 15 November 1708 to Robert Pitt and his wife, Lady Harriet Villers. Though the Pitt family was not aristocratic, they had, through their own initiative and strength of will, succeeded in a variety of enterprises, and had amassed some land and a small fortune. William's grandfather, Thomas "Diamond" Pitt, had been the governor of Madras in India, for example. While there, "Diamond" Pitt amassed a tidy fortune through lucrative black market deals. When he returned to England, he purchased several rotten boroughs, including the infamous Old Sarum that William Pitt himself represented when he became a Member of Parliament (MP). As an MP and as Prime Minister (PM) Pitt successfully played upon his nonaristocratic origins to create a powerful popular base of political support. Pitt graduated from Eton (attended 1719—1726) with honors, and attended Trinity College...