The name "Grenville" comes from William Wyndham Grenville, a British statesman who served briefly as British prime minister (1806–1807).
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After Lord Temple's death in 1779, George Grenville's sons, George Nugent-Temple-Grenville, 3rd Earl Temple (from 1784 the Marquess of Buckingham), and William Wyndham Grenville became the principle figures in the Grenville family interest.
He served as Master of the Horse from 1806 to 1807 in the Ministry of All the Talents headed by Lord Grenville.
The latter year Pitt made him Lord Privy Seal, a position he would hold under five prime Ministers (Pitt, Addington, Pitt again, Portland, Perceval and Liverpool) for the next 35 years, except between 1806 and 1807 when Lord Grenville was in office.
This work related to the Second League of Armed Neutrality 1800–1 and was undertaken at Lord Grenville's request, as Foreign Secretary, to represent the rights of belligerents from the British point of view.