Was sir Robert walpole was the first british prime minister?

Answer 1

Sir Robert Walpole was the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1721 April 4 to 1742 February 11.

Although he did not officially bear this title, as his title was First Lord of the Treasury, he is considered by many historians to be the first Prime Minister of Great Britain. Walpole was the prime minister under King George I until 1727 June 11 when George I died and King George II took over.

At this time, the acts of Union of 1706 and 1707 had united Scotland and England into Great Britain. Ireland was still a separate Kingdom at this time.

Answer 2

He is widely regarded to have been so- he was in office from 15th May 1730 until 11th February 1742, presiding over the crash of the 'South Sea Bubble' (an investment scam that caused many British companies to invest in insecure Far Eastern companies, which ulitmately went into liquidation and caused a financial crisis in the UK), and also 'The War of Jenkin's Ear', a naval battle with the Sapnish over control of parts of the Caribbean in 1739 (Captain Jenkins was a Royal Navy Admiral whose ear was cut off by Spanish marines and sent back to the Admiralty in London as a warning not to interfere with Spanish interests in the West Indies. Britain took this as an act of war, and defeated the Spanish fleet in the Caribbean).

Walpole resigned in 1742 and died three years later, at the age of 69.