BUTE (John Stuart, 3rd Earl, 1713-1792, Prime Minister 1762-1763) and The Viscount STORMONT (David Murray, 2nd Earl of Mansfield, 1727-1796, Politician)

Superb Document signed by both with an autograph endorsement by the Prime Minister saying that "Lord Stormont one of His Majesty's Ambassadors extra^ry & Ministers Plenipo^ry to the Congress of Augsbourg humbly craves allowance for his Extraordinary Disbursements in that service from the 27 July 1761 to the 27 October 1761. For Postage, Printed Intelligence and Stationary Ware Four Hundred Pounds ...", signed by Stormont and then Bute has written the address "St James's Jany^ry 4^th 1762, I allow this Bill" and signed it, 1 side folio., Ratisbon, 19th October

His signature is one of the rarest of the British Prime Ministers.
Ratisbon is the English name for Regensburg, a Bavarian city on the Danube River in southeast Germany.
Bute expected to rise quickly to political power following George's accession to the throne in 1760, but his plans were premature. It was first necessary to remove both the incumbent Prime Minister (the Duke of Newcastle) the even more powerful Secretary of State (William Pitt the Elder). The Government of the day, buoyed by recent successes in the Seven Years' War, was popular, however, and did well at the general election which, as was customary at the time, took place on the accession of the new monarch. Supported by the king, Bute manoeuvred himself into power by first allying himself with Newcastle against Pitt over the latter's desire to declare war on Spain which, when defeated, precipitated Pitt's resignation and then forcing Newcastle's resignation when the Prime Minister found himself in a small minority within the Government over the level of funding and direction of the war. Re-elected as a Scottish representative peer in 1760, Bute was indeed appointed the de factoPrime Minister, thus ending a long period of Whig dominance.

Item Date:  1761

Stock No:  39987