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The Georgian Era

The Georgian Era covers the years 1714 to 1837 under the rule of Kings George l, ll, lll and lV and William lV and of course includes the years of Nelson Life.

George l (1660 - 1727) ruled from 1714 until his death in 1727.

George ll (1683 - 1760) ruled from 1727 until his death in 1760.

George lll (1738 - 1820) ruled from 1760 until his death in 1820.

George lV (1762 - 1830) ruled as Prince Regent after 1811 until he became King in 1820, ruling to 1830.

William lV (1765 - 1837) ruled only for a short time from 1830 until his death in 1837 and the end of the Georgian Era.

George l
George l was German and spent most of his reign in his homeland at Hanover, never learning to speak the English language. In 1775 Samuel Johnson, an English writer and critic, said "George l knew nothing and desired to know nothing."

George l had two children, George, who became the next king and Sophia Dorothea who married Frederick William l, King of Prussia.

The King left the work of governing his country to his ministers and took little or no interest in what was going on in Britain. One of his council was Robert Walpole who became the most powerful of these ministers.

George ll
George ll was a different type of Monarch altogether and took an active part in governing the country.

He was the last English king to lead his army into battle when in 1743 he took them to Dettingen in Germany.

During the Jacobean uprising (when people people in Scotland wanted a Stuart king on the throne) George ll sent troops to Scotland where the famous Battle of Culloden took place. The uprising was quelled and the British Government passed laws to stop any more uprisings happening.

George lll
This king ruled during all but the first two years of Nelson's life.

George lll was a very keen farmer but this did not make him a good king. He had long spells of illness and was described as 'mad' because his illness was not recognised or treated correctly. It is thought he was suffering from a rare inherited gene condition called Porphyria which Mary Queen of Scots and James l may also have had. After recovery from one spell of illness he celebrated by granting pardon to some of the prisoners in London who were due to be deported for their crimes.

He became so ill in 1811 that his son had to rule in his place as Prince Regent. Despite his ill health George lll still remained king until he died in 1820.

If you get a chance then try to see the film called 'The Madness of King George' starring the late Nigel Hawthorn. It gives a great insight into the dress styles, manners, music, politics and life at that time.

George lV
George lV was Prince Regent after 1811 until his father's death in 1820. George lV was not a popular king and has been described as 'fat and lazy'. He wasted a great deal of money on gambling and drink.

George lV married secretly in December 1785 but the marriage was invalid as members of the royal family under the age of 25 were forbidden to marry without the king's consent. He married again in 1795, this time to his cousin Caroline but the marriage did not last and they separated shortly after the birth in 1796 of their only child, Princess Charlotte.

William lV

Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence entered the Navy when he was 13 and later fought in the American Revolution - he is often referred to as 'The Sailor King' . Whilst serving in the West Indies he formed a close friendship with Horatio Nelson. He was present at Nelson's wedding to Francis Nisbet and gave her away in marriage. As king, William lV's short reign showed him to be keen but not very good at Governnment matters. There is a quote in a book by Tom Pocock which describes him as 'a little old red nosed, weather beaten, jolly looking person with an ungraceful air and carriage'.

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