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| | William Petty, Lord Shelburne Papers |
 | | In spite of a long public career, during which he served on the Board of Trade in 1763, as secretary of state for the Southern Department, 1766-1768, and finally as prime minister, 1782-1783, his merits are difficult to assess. |
 | | Lacking connections, he was singularly unpopular among his peers, with a reputation for deviousness and arrogance that is difficult to justify by his behavior. |
 | | As a stockholder in the East India Company, a large landowner in Ireland, and particularly as an official dealing with American affairs, Shelburne was involved in the major issues affecting the British empire in the mid-eighteenth century. |
| www.clements.umich.edu /Webguides/Arlenes/S/Shelburn.html (632 words) |
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