page_title: William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington
section_title: Secretary at War
hierarchical_section_title: William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington / Secretary at War
caption_attribution_description: English: Church of England parish church of St Andrew, Shrivenham, Vale of White Horse, England: monument to William, 2nd Barrington, died 1793
context_page_description: William Wildman Shute Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington, PC was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons for 38 years from 1740 to 1778. He was best known for his two periods as Secretary at War during Britain's involvement in the Seven Years War and American War of Independence.
context_section_description: On Pelham's death in March 1754, the Duke of Newcastle was in line to succeed as First Lord of the Treasury.  On becoming Member of Parliament for Plymouth, Barrington applied directly for a treasury bench seat, on the recommendation of Henry Fox.  Pelham had already gone to the palace to 'kiss hands'.  On the understanding of a Treasury seat for the public economist, Barrington succeeded Sir Thomas Robinson as the Master of the Great Wardrobe in 1755, when he was granted a seat as Privy Counsellor.  At Newcastle House in September Barrington was informed the arrangement was squared with the king, but Cumberland, the Commander-in-Chief at Windsor, did not know of it.  He was appointed as Secretary at War in the Duke of Newcastle cabinet.  The supremacy of cabinet government over Wardrobe, Treasury over commander-in-chief in the realm of the patronage of political appointments can be dated from Newcastle's office tenure.  Barrington held the post for the next six years throughout the Seven Years' War, despite the Byzantine logistics, and notorious corruption at the war office owing to his scrupulous attitude towards corrupt practices revealed in his letters.
  Shortly after the new ministry had come to office, Minorca fell.  Barrington ordered the 7th regiment to reinforce the Gibraltar garrison on 21 March 1756.  The cabinet insisted the rock must be held as a strategic naval base; Barrington's experience told him this, switching the Governor's detachment, a battalion onto Byng's flagship. In the event the garrison could not spare the men: facing the threat of an attack by the Toulon fleet, Barrington was clear in a subsequent letter that Gibraltar must not be left undefended.  But Byng's subsequent disgrace and execution left Barrington's loyalties in doubt.  He had shown no disobedience to His Majesty the King, when General Fowke was tried at court martial for allegedly abandoning his post.  Cumberland was disgusted at the loss of Port Mahon, its naval base, and the shame brought upon the military's discipline and reputation, adding to the Secretary's political problems; Barrington consequently clung to Newcastle's patronage at least in part for self-preservation.  Modern historians have laid the blame at barrington's door for the confusion that ensued from the contradictory orders; but much of the contention has derived from his belated conversion to Toryism, and embracing of a Pittite bluewater policy with all its attenuated risks.
  Meanwhile, the Prime Minister insisted on quizzing Granby on the battlefield with young Barrington in tow learning how to disappoint generals for the future.  During the Seven Years War, his brothers, Admiral Sir Samuel Barrington and Major-General John Barrington, who led the assault expeditionary force that captured Guadeloupe, a French colony, were both active in the Caribbean. Barrington remained a staunch friend and ally of Newcastle throughout, always grateful for the confidence, but never afraid to differ from the duke "to whom I owe more compliance than to any man living, because he is the only subject, to whom i have a real obligation.  I must do his Grace the justice...." The previous October he had advised Field Marshall Ligioner, by now a Viscount, that his brother was over-promoted "I again deprecate Colonel Barrington being so near the command; and i entreat of your Lordship to recommend some other Major-General to His Majesty, in case Mr Boscawen should be excused." In the light of his compassion, the story of Colonel Monro's Arabian horse seemed typical of the man's discreet delicacy, nursing his gifted steed back to health, but putting its ownership into trust. Barrington was always careful to avoid accusations of taking sweeteners or inducements for corrupt practices; sufficiently astute to defer on matters of ethical credibility to others. The cost of the war was ruinous; and Barrington refused to accede to the duke's demand to buy the Election of 1761.
caption: Marble monument to William Barrington designed by James Wyatt and carved by Richard Westmacott, in St. Andrew's parish church, Shrivenham.
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