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PITT, George (1721-1803), of Strathfieldsaye, Hants.
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Biography Detail
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Family and Education
b. 1 May 1721, 1st s. of George Pitt of Strathfieldsaye, and nephew of John Pitt. educ. Winchester 1731; Magdalen, Oxf. 1737; travelled in Italy. m. 4 Jan. 1746, Penelope, da. of Sir Henry Atkins, 4th Bt., of Clapham, Surr., sis. and h. of Sir Richard Atkins, 6th Bt., 1s. 3da. suc. fa. 1745; cr. Baron Rivers of Strathfieldsaye 20 May 1776; Baron Rivers of Sudeley Castle 16 Mar. 1802, with sp. rem. to bro. Sir William Augustus Pitt, K.B., M.P., and his gd.-s. William Horace Beckford.
Offices Held
Groom of the bedchamber 1760-70; envoy to Turin 1761-8; ld. lt. Hants 1780-Mar. 1782; ld. of the bedchamber Apr. 1782-d.; ld. lt. Dorset 1793-d.
Biography
George Pitt entered Parliament at a by-election soon after returning from his grand tour.1 A Tory, he voted with the Opposition on the Hanoverians in 1742, 1744 and 1746. Two months before the dissolution that year Lord Ilchester wrote: ‘If [Pitt] does stand [at Shaftesbury] it will be, I suppose, upon that interest which is called Lord Shaftesbury’s.’ He appears, however, to have stood chiefly on his own interest, as he did not obtain Lord Shaftesbury’s formal support till 10 June.2 Returned both for Shaftesbury and Dorset, he opted to serve for the county, where he was unopposed. In the 2nd Lord Egmont’s electoral survey c.1749-50, Pitt is described as ‘not proper’, i.e. unsuitable for the Prince. He died 7 May 1803.
