Hanoverian Tories wereTory supporters of theHanoverian Succession of 1714. At the time many Tories favoured the exiledJacobiteJames Francis Edward Stuart to take the British and Irish thrones, while their arch rivals theWhigs supported the candidacy ofGeorge, Elector of Hanover.
During the Tory-dominatedHarley ministry (1710-1714), senior cabinet ministers led byHenry St. John intended to secure the throne for James. In preparation, army officers suspected of being pro-Hanover were purged from the service. Both Hanoverian Whigs and Hanoverian Tories were targeted.[1] In the matter of the ongoingWar of Spanish Succession, pro-war Whigs joined forces with the Hanoverian Tories under the banner "No Peace Without Spain", opposing theTreaty of Utrecht.[2] WhileQueen Anne was approaching her death in 1714, the Hanoverian Tories worked with Whigs led by GeneralJames Stanhope to secure the country for George. The Hanoverian Succession followed on relatively peacefully following Anne's death in August 1714, although George's coronation did provokeriots across the country.[3]
Despite George I's distrust of the Tories, thefirst government of the new reign included a number of Hanoverian Tories. After the failed 1715Jacobite Uprising, theDuke of Argyll (a Whig with strong connections with the Hanoverian Tories) was replaced as army commander in Scotland due to his supposedly insufficient loyalty. During theWhig Oligarchy, the Tories were in opposition for several decades, and the name was often used as a synonym for Jacobite by their rivals. In 1727, when George I died, the Hanoverian Tories again supported the succession of his sonGeorge II rather than the continued claims of James. In 1730 they were still active as a faction whenSpencer Compton tried to organise a coalition between them and thePatriot Whigs in order to replace the long-standing Prime MinisterRobert Walpole.[4]
Following theAct of Settlement of 1701, the throne was intended to pass to theHouse of Hanover following the death ofQueen Anne. However during the Torygovernment of Robert Harley after 1710, serious consideration was given by senior cabinet ministers led byHenry St. John to secure the throne for James instead. In preparation, army officers suspected of being pro-Hanover were purged from the service including both Whigs and Tories such asHenry Lumley.[5] TheDuke of Marlborough, formerCaptain General and a moderate Tory, went into exile on the continent following his dismissal in 1711.
Tied up with the ongoing debate about the future of the throne, was a dispute over the end of theWar of Spanish Succession. Pro-war Whigs joined with Hanoverian Tories under the banner "No Peace Without Spain", opposing theTreaty of Utrecht. AsHanover was a key ally of Britain in this conflict, and resented what was regarded as this abandonment, it naturally led George to prefer the Whigs. In spite of having about forty members in theHouse of Commons in early 1714, these were very unpredictable and could not be completely relied on by the Whigs in their challenge to the Harley government.[6]
_(studio_of)_-_George_I_(1660%25E2%2580%25931727)_-_204157_-_National_Trust.jpg)
As Anne grew increasingly weak in 1714, both Jacobites and pro-Hanoverians prepared to take measures to seize the throne if necessary by armed force. Hanoverian Tories worked with Whigs led by GeneralJames Stanhope to secure the country for George. In the event the Hanoverian Succession followed on relatively peacefully following Anne's death in August 1714, although George's coronation did provokeriots across the country which thencontinued into the following year. Whigs and Hanoverian Tories provided a solid bloc in Parliament to vote through the Succession. It has been suggested that many Tory figures wavered between the two factions at the Succession.[7]
Despite George I's distrust of the Tories, thefirst government of the new reign included Pro-Hanoverians such asLord Nottingham. This continued after the failed 1715Jacobite Uprising, although theDuke of Argyll a Whig with strong connections with the Hanoverian Tories was replaced as army commander in Scotland because it was considered he had been insuffienctly committed to defeating the Jacobites despite hisvictory at Sheriffmuir.
However, gradually the government began to be completely dominated by staunch Whigs, leading to theWhig Oligarchy. Tories were in opposition for several decades, and the name was often used as a synonym for Jacobite by their rivals. Nonetheless in 1727, when George I died, Hanoverian Tories again supported the succession of his sonGeorge II rather than the continued claims of James. In 1730 they were still active as a faction whenSpencer Compton tried to organise a coalition between them and oppositionPatriot Whigs in order to replace the long-standing Prime MinisterRobert Walpole.[8]
Hanoverian Tories were active in the attempts to acquit former leader Robert Harley during hisimpeachment trial in 1715 and subsequent imprisonment in theTower of London. He was eventually acquitted in 1717.