Windham was opposed to the American War. He took part in the impeachment of Warren Hastings, and was Secretary at War under William Pitt the Younger. He advocated the removal of Catholic disabilities, but was opposed to Parliamentary reform. Windham has been described by his contemporaries as the model both physically and mentally of an English gentleman, able and high-minded. However, he played a key role in Parliament during the 1790s in curtailing civil liberties and mobilizing popular sentiment against political reform.
See also
David Wilkinson, ‘Windham, William (1750–1810)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, May 2006 [1], accessed 20 Aug 2007.