Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham
A masterful parliamentary operator and Tory statesman whose deft political pivot secured the Protestant succession and shaped early 18th-century British governance.
1647–1730 (age 83)·English politician and peer·Birthday: July 2
Biography
Daniel Finch entered politics as the Tory world was dividing over the question of who would succeed the last Stuart monarch. A high churchman with deep principles, he was nonetheless a pragmatic survivor. His most significant act was crossing the aisle, so to speak, to support the Hanoverian succession in 1714, a move that helped ensure a smooth transition and prevent a Jacobite restoration. This earned him the distrust of more hardline Tories but secured his influence under the new George I. He was a formidable debater and a detail-oriented administrator, serving in multiple senior roles including Secretary of State. Finch's career embodies the complex, often messy birth of modern constitutional monarchy, where ideology frequently bowed to the necessity of political stability.
#1 When Daniel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1647
Daniel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1647Born
1652Started school
1660Became a teenager
1663Could drive
1665Could vote
1668Turned 21
1677Turned 30
1687Turned 40
1697Turned 50
1707Turned 60
1717Turned 70
1727Turned 80
1730Died at 83
Key Achievements
- As Secretary of State for the Southern Department, he helped manage Britain's foreign policy in the volatile years after the War of Spanish Succession.
- Played a crucial role in drafting the Act of Settlement, which secured the Protestant Hanoverian succession to the British throne.
- Served as Lord President of the Council and later as Lord Privy Seal under King George I.
- Held the titles of both 2nd Earl of Nottingham and 7th Earl of Winchilsea, merging two prominent peerages.
Did You Know?
He was known by the nickname 'Don Dismal' in political circles, likely due to his grave and solemn manner.
His father was the Heneage Finch who defended the Seven Bishops in 1688, a key event in the Glorious Revolution.
He was a strong supporter of the Occasional Conformity Bill, aimed at preventing Dissenters from holding office.
Despite being a Tory, he maintained a long and cooperative working relationship with the Whig minister Lord Townshend.
“The true interest of the nation must always supersede the clamor of faction.”
