This book examines Church patronage in late-eighteenth century Britain, during the administrations of Lord North (1770-1782) and the first government of William Pitt the Younger (1783-1801). The clergy were one of the foremost of the Hanoverian professions, with its patronage a source of interest to the King, politicians, the landed elite and the universities. By concentrating on the appointments of clergy below the bench of bishops, the book gives a clear account of the complex relationships and criteria which underlay the four patronage networks. It will greatly increase our understanding of