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Cobhamites
The Cobhamite faction (often known as Cobham's Cubs) were an 18th-century British political faction built around Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham and his supporters. Among its members, the group included the future Prime Ministers William Pitt and George Grenville. They had a general Whig philosophy and were at first supporters of Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole but later became opponents of his administration.
The group emerged during the breakdown of the two-party system in Britain when the dominant Whig party had split into several factions - many of whom were in opposition to their fellow Whigs who were in government. Lord Cobham had originally been a supporter of Sir Robert Walpole when he became Prime Minister in 1721, voting with the government in the House of Lords.
In 1730s he had begun to grow gradually disenchanted with Walpole, coming to a head when he opposed a proposed Excise Bill in 1733 forcing Walpole to withdraw the Bill. Walpole punished him by removing Cobham's command of his regiment. This prompted Cobham to break entirely from his support of Walpole, and he now crossed to join the Opposition. He began to gather a group of supporters around him, often holding their meetings at Cobham's famous estate at Stowe House in Buckinghamshire. They were a mixture of MPs, Peers as well as some prospective politicians. The writer Alexander Pope was associated with the group.
Although almost exclusively made up of Whigs, the group worked closely with the Tories who made up the bulk of the Opposition, and shared Cobham's sharp dislike of the Walpole government. Cobham's supporters and the other Whigs refused to become Tories, and were soon styling themselves as the 'Patriot Party' or 'Patriot Whigs'. The group was at times associated with Frederick, Prince of Wales a noted opponent of Walpole and his father, the King. The Cobham members would often pay court to Frederick at Leicester House.
Walpole outraged them further by dismissing all those who held army commissions and had spoken out against him - which they considered an abuse of his powers. The group now set about attacking Walpole in an attempt to force him from office. They joined forces with the Tory leader Sir William Wyndham, known for his Jacobite sympathies. His daughter Elizabeth later married George Grenville.
The first of the younger generation to gain notoriety was William Pitt who was elected to Parliament in 1735. His elder brother Thomas Pitt for a while also sat with the group, but later broke with them. Other prominent members included Richard Grenville, George Grenville, Robert Nedham and George Lyttelton- many of whom were related to each other either by blood or by marriage. Because of their youth they were popularly known as Cobham's Cubs.
Pitt made a series of attacks on Walpole in Parliament, which slowly helped to erode the Prime Minister's authority. Most distressing to the group was the Prime Minister's poor handling of the War of Jenkins' Ear which had broken out in 1739. Walpole was distinctly anti-war and had only reluctantly prosecuted the war - a fact that outraged the pro-war Patriot faction who pushed for his dismissal. Walpole was finally forced into resignation in the wake of the disastrous Siege of Cartagena and only winning a narrow majority in the 1741 general election.
Having helped to bring Walpole down in 1742 with their fierce attacks on his mishandling of the war with Spain, the group were equally opposed to the government that followed it, headed officially by Lord Wilmington but in fact led by Lord Carteret. They attacked him, also for his strategic control of the war which they felt placed too much emphasis on fighting in Germany and not enough in waging war with Spain in the Americas. In 1744 they played a part in the end of Carteret's government, to be replaced one led by Henry Pelham and his brother the Duke of Newcastle.
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Cobhamites
The Cobhamite faction (often known as Cobham's Cubs) were an 18th-century British political faction built around Richard Temple, 1st Viscount Cobham and his supporters. Among its members, the group included the future Prime Ministers William Pitt and George Grenville. They had a general Whig philosophy and were at first supporters of Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole but later became opponents of his administration.
The group emerged during the breakdown of the two-party system in Britain when the dominant Whig party had split into several factions - many of whom were in opposition to their fellow Whigs who were in government. Lord Cobham had originally been a supporter of Sir Robert Walpole when he became Prime Minister in 1721, voting with the government in the House of Lords.
In 1730s he had begun to grow gradually disenchanted with Walpole, coming to a head when he opposed a proposed Excise Bill in 1733 forcing Walpole to withdraw the Bill. Walpole punished him by removing Cobham's command of his regiment. This prompted Cobham to break entirely from his support of Walpole, and he now crossed to join the Opposition. He began to gather a group of supporters around him, often holding their meetings at Cobham's famous estate at Stowe House in Buckinghamshire. They were a mixture of MPs, Peers as well as some prospective politicians. The writer Alexander Pope was associated with the group.
Although almost exclusively made up of Whigs, the group worked closely with the Tories who made up the bulk of the Opposition, and shared Cobham's sharp dislike of the Walpole government. Cobham's supporters and the other Whigs refused to become Tories, and were soon styling themselves as the 'Patriot Party' or 'Patriot Whigs'. The group was at times associated with Frederick, Prince of Wales a noted opponent of Walpole and his father, the King. The Cobham members would often pay court to Frederick at Leicester House.
Walpole outraged them further by dismissing all those who held army commissions and had spoken out against him - which they considered an abuse of his powers. The group now set about attacking Walpole in an attempt to force him from office. They joined forces with the Tory leader Sir William Wyndham, known for his Jacobite sympathies. His daughter Elizabeth later married George Grenville.
The first of the younger generation to gain notoriety was William Pitt who was elected to Parliament in 1735. His elder brother Thomas Pitt for a while also sat with the group, but later broke with them. Other prominent members included Richard Grenville, George Grenville, Robert Nedham and George Lyttelton- many of whom were related to each other either by blood or by marriage. Because of their youth they were popularly known as Cobham's Cubs.
Pitt made a series of attacks on Walpole in Parliament, which slowly helped to erode the Prime Minister's authority. Most distressing to the group was the Prime Minister's poor handling of the War of Jenkins' Ear which had broken out in 1739. Walpole was distinctly anti-war and had only reluctantly prosecuted the war - a fact that outraged the pro-war Patriot faction who pushed for his dismissal. Walpole was finally forced into resignation in the wake of the disastrous Siege of Cartagena and only winning a narrow majority in the 1741 general election.
Having helped to bring Walpole down in 1742 with their fierce attacks on his mishandling of the war with Spain, the group were equally opposed to the government that followed it, headed officially by Lord Wilmington but in fact led by Lord Carteret. They attacked him, also for his strategic control of the war which they felt placed too much emphasis on fighting in Germany and not enough in waging war with Spain in the Americas. In 1744 they played a part in the end of Carteret's government, to be replaced one led by Henry Pelham and his brother the Duke of Newcastle.
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