Thomas Grenville

Thomas Grenville (31 December 1755 – 17 December 1846) was a British politician and bibliophile.

**Early Life and Education**

He was born in 1755 as the second son of Prime Minister George Grenville and Elizabeth Wyndham. Elizabeth Wyndham was a daughter of Sir William Wyndham, 3rd Baronet. Thomas Grenville’s elder brother was George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, who became the 1st Marquess of Buckingham. His younger brother was William Grenville, who was created the 1st Baron Grenville. Thomas Grenville was educated at Eton College.

**Military Service**

In 1778, Grenville was commissioned as an ensign in the Coldstream Guards. The following year, he was promoted to lieutenant in the 80th Regiment of Foot. He resigned from military service in 1780.

**Political Career**

Grenville served as a Member of Parliament from 1780 until 1810, with one interruption. During 1806 and 1807, he held governmental positions including President of the Board of Control in 1806 and subsequently First Lord of the Admiralty from 1806 to 1807. He was sworn into the Privy Council in 1798.

**The Wreck of HMS Proserpine**

On 1 February 1799, Grenville was traveling on HMS Proserpine, which was wrecked near Scharhörn off the Elbe River. The ship was attempting to deliver Grenville and his party to Cuxhaven for a diplomatic mission to meet King Frederick William III of Prussia in Berlin, amid the War of the Second Coalition. The ship became stuck in ice during worsening weather. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on 2 February, all 187 individuals aboard abandoned the vessel and began a six-mile trek to the island of Neuwerk in freezing weather and snowfall. Seven sailors, a boy, four Royal Marines, and a woman with her child died during the ordeal; the remainder survived and reached safety. The diplomatic party arrived in Cuxhaven on 6 February, proceeded to Berlin via Hamburg, and returned to London on 23 March.

**Bibliophile and Collection**

Grenville began collecting books in his early twenties. By his death, his library amassed over 20,000 volumes, including approximately 16,000 titles. The collection is distinguished by multiple editions of Homer, Aesop, and Ariosto, early travel narratives, and literature in Romance languages. Notable rare items include a vellum copy of the Gutenberg Bible, which he purchased in France in 1817 for 6,260 francs; a Mainz Psalter; and a First Folio of William Shakespeare’s works. The collection also comprises 59 manuscripts. Grenville valued the condition of his books highly, having many washed, rebound, or supplemented with relevant pages to complete incomplete copies. He was known for lending books widely, and his library has been described as "semi-public."

In 1830, Grenville became a trustee of the British Museum. His collection was bequeathed to the Museum and is now housed in the King's Library Tower in the British Library.

**Personal Life and Death**

Thomas Grenville did not marry. He died in December 1846 in Piccadilly, London, at the age of 90.