Letters to the Bank of England from William Pitt the Younger, 1785 - 1805

William Pitt the Younger is to date the youngest Prime Minister in history, taking up the position at just 24 years old.

A series of original letters written by the then Prime Minister to the Bank of England are held in the Bank of England Archive. Now digitised and available online, they cover various aspects of Government finance and loans during the late 18th and early 19th century, covering the period of when Pitt served in office. Fully dated and indexed at the start of the volume, and containing the signature of the Prime Minister, the letters are often detailed and provide a unique insight into the communication between Downing Street and Threadneedle Street at the time.

William Pitt, the Younger (1759-1806) by Joseph Nollekens. Bank of England Museum accession 1791

This page was last updated 31 January 2023