Viscount Sidmouth

Addington, Henry, 1st Viscount Sidmouth (1757-1844). Prime minister. During a long political career Addington suffered from the denigration of foes and the condescension of friends. The son of a country doctor, he was educated at Winchester and Oxford. Entering the Commons in 1784 he made little impact until Pitt pushed him as Speaker in 1789. He proved to be capable and fair-minded, and because of his opposition to catholic emancipation was George III's choice to succeed Pitt as prime minister in 1801. Despite its defects the peace of Amiens was initially popular and Addington's policies of fiscal economy were generally approved. The breakdown of the peace settlement exposed his limitations and in 1804 he was replaced by Pitt. Raised to the peerage in 1805 he served in Pitt's second ministry, in the Ministry of All the Talents, and in Perceval's administration. When Liverpool formed his ministry in 1812 Sidmouth became home secretary, holding the office until 1821, when he remained in the government as minister without portfolio. At the Home Office Sidmouth was responsible for the surveillance of radical activity. He was convinced that concessions made to popular pressure would be dangerous. Yet during several industrial disputes in the troubled post-Waterloo years he sympathized with the strikers. If his advice had been followed in 1819 there would have been no ‘Peterloo massacre’: he had cautioned the magistrates at Manchester against any confrontation. Nevertheless, he thought it necessary to support the magistrates in the face of criticism. After he left office in 1824 he remained a staunch opponent of catholic relief and parliamentary reform, voting against both measures in 1829 and 1832.

Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, by John Singleton Copley

Viscount Sidmouth, of Sidmouth in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1805 for the former Prime Minister, Henry Addington. In May 1804, King George III intended to confer the titles of Earl of Banbury, Viscount Wallingford and Baron Reading on Addington (an earldom was the custormary retirement honour for a former Prime Minister). However, Addington refused the honour and chose to remain in the House of Commons until 1805, when he joined William Pitt the Younger's government as Lord President of the Council with the lesser title of Viscount Sidmouth. His grandson, the third Viscount, briefly represented Devizes in Parliament. As of 2009 the title is held by the latter's great-great-grandson, the eighth Viscount, who succeeded his father in 2005.

Anthony Addington, father of the first Viscount, was a distinguished physician. Henry Unwin Addington, nephew of the first Viscount, was a diplomat and civil servant.

The family seat was Upottery Manor, Devon (sold 1953).

Viscounts Sidmouth (1805)

• Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth (1757–1844)
• William Leonard Addington, 2nd Viscount Sidmouth (1794–1864)
• William Wells Addington, 3rd Viscount Sidmouth (1824–1913)
• Gerald Anthony Pellew Bagnall Addington, 4th Viscount Sidmouth (1854–1915)
• Gerald William Addington, 5th Viscount Sidmouth (1882–1953)
• Raymond Anthony Addington, 6th Viscount Sidmouth (1887–1976)
• John Tonge Anthony Pellew Addington, 7th Viscount Sidmouth (1914–2005)
• Jeremy Francis Addington, 8th Viscount Sidmouth (b. 1947)

The Heir Apparent is the present holder's son the Hon. John Addington (b. 1990)

See also

• Earl of Banbury

References

• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page

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