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Spencer Perceval
Sign in to save19th-century prime minister of the United Kingdom (1762–1812)
Spencer Perceval was a British Prime Minister who served from 1809 until his assassination in 1812, making him the only British PM to be murdered while in office. His brief tenure occurred during the Napoleonic Wars, a critical period in British history, and his death shocked the nation and left a significant mark on the office of Prime Minister.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Described at
History of Spencer Perceval - GOV.UK
gov.uk →Regency Bill 1810: due to George III’s ill health the Prince of Wales was appointed Regent. Spencer Perceval enjoys the unfortunate distinction of being the only British Prime Minister to die at the hands of an assassin. His political career coincided with a period of upheaval created by the French Revolution. Having pursued a successful legal career, he was slowly drawn into politics. Read more about Spencer Perceval on the History of government blog . Do not include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- human
- Given name
- Spencer
- Gender
- male
- Citizenship
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
- Place of birth
- Mayfair
- Place of death
- Palace of Westminster
- Occupation
- lawyer
- Educated at
- Harrow School
- Political party
- Tories
- Languages spoken
- English language
- Native language
- British English
- Religion
- Anglicanism
- Image
- Spencer Perceval (1762–1812).jpg
- Work location
- London
- Significant event
- assassination of Spencer Perceval
Show 11 more facts
- killed by
- John Bellingham
- Commons category
- Spencer Perceval
- date of birth
- 1762-11-01
- date of death
- 1812-05-11
- cause of death
- gunshot wound
- described by source
- Encyclopædia Britannica 11th edition
- manner of death
- homicide
- name in native language
- Spencer Perceval
- archives at
- National Library of Wales
- P12749
- Maclodio
via Wikidata · CC0
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Encyclopedic overview
Spencer Perceval (1 November 1762 – 11 May 1812) was a British statesman and barrister who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. He is the only British prime minister to have been assassinated, and the only solicitor-general or attorney-general to have become prime minister.
The younger son of The Earl of Egmont, an Anglo-Irish earl, Perceval was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He studied law at Lincoln's Inn, practised as a barrister on the Midland circuit, and in 1796 became a King's Counsel. He entered politics at age 33 as a member of Parliament (MP) for Northampton. A follower of William Pitt the Younger, Perceval always described himself as a "friend of Mr. Pitt", rather than a Tory. He was opposed to Catholic emancipation and reform of Parliament; he supported the war against Napoleon and the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Spencer Perceval” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.