38:
203:"(Wrottesley) asked if the House was called upon for unanimity against France? If it was for a war with America, he could not give his approbation to it. All that could be done, he said, had been done. If 50,000 Russians were sent, they could do nothing. He thought New York, Rhode Island, and Halifax should be garrisoned, and the rest of the army brought away."
136:. The borough was regarded as belonging to the Gower Leveson family, who owned much of the property and allowed the tenants to get into serious arrears, as well as providing lavish hospitality during elections. However, the borough had a large electorate and had recently been made less secure by the emergence of a malcontent group of electors, who invited
183:. The Chathamites favoured an aggressive, anti-French colonial policy, and Wrottesley had made his military career in pursuit of their objectives. Regarding the tensions in North America, however, the Chathamites tended to sympathise with the colonists. The Bedfordite Whigs increasingly adopted the opposite opinion. During the Tory administration of
260:
trying to hold together an unsteady coalition to bring the war to an end. Wrottesley voted for
Shelburne's preliminary efforts for peace on 18 February 1783 – part of a rallying of independent members that allowed negotiations to proceed. Thereafter, Wrottesley abstained from voting on major measures
216:
Wrottesley's evolution followed that of the
Bedfordites in general. At the end of 1779, Gower ended the faction's alliance with North, making the end of the government and the war likely. However, Wrottesley continued to support the government in general, voting against opposition attempts to control
207:
With a speech in
December he elaborated his opinion, saying that the British forces were distributed too widely and the lines of communication too stretched for any offensive action. He was not for immediate withdrawal but it was too late for any offensive action. For a year he went no further in his
194:
Wrottesley served for three years in the war, returning to
England in 1778. By this time, France had formally intervened in the war on the side of the Americans. Wrottesley made his first parliamentary speech after his return on 26 November 1778, during the debate on the Address, which followed the
236:
made a motion against the war. Wrottesley voted for it but it was defeated by the smallest possible margin: 194 votes to 193. Five days later Conway moved a similar motion, again with
Wrottesley's endorsement, which was approved by 234 to 215. On 15 March Wrottesley also voted for the motion of no
178:
At first
Wrottesley almost invariably voted with the government. Such consistency could be achieved only by a political transformation, as the administration itself changed in 1770. For his first two years in Parliament, Wrottesley, the Gowers and the rest of the Bedfordites were involved with the
191:. Gower assumed control of the faction when Bedford died in 1771. Wrottesley was still a member of the Army and in 1770 had been promoted to lieutenant colonel. When hostilities began in 1775, he rejoined his regiment, retaining his membership in Parliament.
175:. Wrottesley resigned as Member a couple of months later and was assigned to the vacancy by Gower, becoming MP for Staffordshire on 5 July 1768. He represented the county for the remainder of his life, always being returned unopposed.
272:
Wrottesley's military career progressed just as well while he was in the House of
Commons as when he was on active duty. He was promoted to colonel in 1779 and major-general in 1782, and was appointed colonel of the
599:
187:, from 1770 onwards, the Bedfordites were allied with the Tories. Wrottesley and the rest of the Gower clients thus changed sides, supporting a hard line against the Americans that led to the
208:
criticisms and supported the government in most votes. However, in a speech on 6 December 1779 he was much more critical. Claiming he was no party man, he nevertheless told ministers:
614:
253:
217:
the expenses of the royal household, but he criticised the government's policy in
Ireland, warning that it risked making the same mistakes as in America.
430:
212:"A change of measures was now become absolutely necessary. America was lost by their incapacity and misconduct, their obstinacy and their blindness."
133:
83:
594:
152:
himself. The Gowers were now allied with the Duke of
Bedford's faction and this was to determine most of Wrottesley's parliamentary career.
508:
120:. However, Gower and Grafton belonged to different, often competing, factions of the shifting coalition that constituted the Whig party.
476:
156:
98:
274:
324:
335:
106:
285:
Sir John succeeded to the baronetcy on his father's death on 20 July 1769. He married the Hon. Frances
Courtenay, daughter of
546:
290:
117:
609:
313:
286:
257:
604:
525:
490:
357:
346:
221:
51:
589:
584:
579:
574:
377:
140:
to challenge the controlling interest. The challenge was unsuccessful and Wrottesley was returned unopposed, alongside
59:
504:
495:
465:
238:
180:
160:
149:
79:
381:
447:
439:
419:
171:, where, by informal agreement, the Gowers nominated one member, while leaving the other seat for one of the local
141:
485:
461:
229:
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to end the war, declaring himself against the total withdrawal implied by the motion. However, on 22 Feb. 1782
67:
129:
113:
336:
The History of Parliament: Members 1754-1790 - Forrester, Alexander (?1711-1787). (Author: Sir Lewis Namier)
415:
406:
184:
516:
249:
188:
37:
314:
The History of Parliament: Members 1754-1790 - Wrottesley, John (1744-87). (Author: I. R. Christie)
266:
112:
Wrottesley's political associations were strengthened when his uncle, Gower, joined the Cabinet as
451:
325:
The History of Parliament: Constituencies 1754-1790 - Newcastle under Lyme (Author: John Brooke)
196:
569:
564:
472:
426:
225:
179:
Whig administration of Wrottesley's own brother-in-law, Grafton, a friend and supporter of
63:
8:
532:
358:
The History of Parliament: Constituencies 1754-1790 - Staffordshire (Author: John Brooke)
347:
The History of Parliament: Constituencies 1754-1790 - Staffordshire (Author: John Brooke)
262:
233:
168:
374:
A General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire
94:
55:
245:
164:
116:
in 1767, and again two years later when his sister married the Prime Minister, the
31:
23:
558:
172:
90:
75:
71:
27:
30:, was a British army officer and politician who was a Member of the British
137:
244:
The end of North's government resulted in a government dominated by the
148:
faction of conservative Whigs, placed in the seat at the request of the
395:
145:
78:: the Leveson-Gowers controlled a number of seats in the unreformed
600:
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Newcastle-under-Lyme
265:
that superseded Shelburne's ministry. He gave general support to
102:
89:
Wrottesley determined on an army career, being commissioned as
82:. In 1754, Gower died and was succeeded by Wrottesley's uncle,
293:, who succeeded him as 9th Baronet and was later ennobled as
220:
On 12 December 1781 Wrottesley voted against a motion from
289:, in 1770, and they had ten children, including his heir,
388:
The History of Parliament: The House of Commons 1754-1790
66:. His maternal grandfather was head of the most powerful
615:
British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War
155:
Only a month after the election, a vacancy occurred in
376:(London: Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley, 1832)
269:when he became Prime Minister at the end of 1783.
556:
128:Wrottesley was nominated for Parliament for the
97:during 1761 and transferring as captain of the
16:British army officer and politician (1744-1787)
50:Wrottesley was the eldest son of the Reverend
237:confidence in North's administration made by
45:
101:the next year. From 1766 to 1767, he was
167:. Grey had been a Gower nominee in this
36:
22:(22 December 1744 – 23 April 1787), of
557:
241:, which finally ended the government.
595:Baronets in the Baronetage of England
277:in 1784. He died in 1787, at age 42.
252:. However, the unexpected death of
248:, who had consistently opposed the
123:
52:Sir Richard Wrottesley, 7th Baronet
13:
382:Leigh Rayment's list of baronets
60:John Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Gower
14:
626:
393:
181:William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
130:general election of 22 March 1768
62:. He had five sisters, including
386:Lewis Namier & John Brooke,
20:Sir John Wrottesley, 8th Baronet
351:
340:
329:
318:
307:
230:War of the Austrian Succession
222:Sir James Lowther, 5th Baronet
199:at the opening of Parliament.
1:
366:
114:Lord President of the Council
132:by Earl Gower as member for
58:, and Mary, the daughter of
7:
610:British Army major generals
407:Parliament of Great Britain
185:Frederick North, Lord North
10:
631:
605:Coldstream Guards officers
250:American Revolutionary War
189:American Revolutionary War
163:, succeeded his father as
543:
530:
522:
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46:Background and early life
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267:William Pitt the Younger
228:, a veteran of both the
144:, a major member of the
84:Granville Leveson-Gower
287:The Viscount Courtenay
197:Speech from the throne
42:
590:British MPs 1784–1790
585:British MPs 1780–1784
580:British MPs 1774–1780
575:British MPs 1768–1774
517:Baronetage of England
70:political dynasty in
40:
505:Sir Edward Littleton
496:Sir Edward Littleton
473:Member of Parliament
431:Newcastle-under-Lyme
427:Member of Parliament
390:(London: HMSO, 1964)
226:Henry Seymour Conway
134:Newcastle-under-Lyme
64:Elizabeth Wrottesley
448:Alexander Forrester
440:Alexander Forrester
420:Sir Lawrence Dundas
263:Fox-North Coalition
169:county constituency
159:, when one member,
142:Alexander Forrester
34:from 1768 to 1787.
526:Richard Wrottesley
43:
553:
552:
544:Succeeded by
502:Succeeded by
491:Viscount Lewisham
486:Sir William Bagot
481:1768–1787
462:Sir William Bagot
445:Succeeded by
161:George Harry Grey
150:Duke John Russell
56:Dean of Worcester
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523:Preceded by
459:Preceded by
413:Preceded by
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396:"thepeerage.com"
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295:Baron Wrottesley
261:proposed by the
246:Rockingham Whigs
234:Seven Years' War
165:Earl of Stamford
124:Political career
80:House of Commons
41:Wrottesley Hall.
32:House of Commons
630:
629:
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555:
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547:John Wrottesley
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537:(of Wrottesley)
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118:Duke of Grafton
95:2nd Foot Guards
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24:Wrottesley Hall
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12:
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398:. The Peerage.
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258:Lord Shelburne
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477:Staffordshire
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256:in July left
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239:Sir John Rous
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173:landed gentry
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76:Trentham Hall
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72:Staffordshire
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53:
39:
35:
33:
29:
28:Staffordshire
25:
21:
538:
531:
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425:
387:
373:
372:John Burke,
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342:
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177:
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138:Robert Clive
127:
111:
107:Duke of York
88:
49:
19:
18:
570:1787 deaths
565:1744 births
74:, based at
559:Categories
541:1769–1787
509:Earl Gower
498:1784–1787
452:George Hay
367:References
254:Rockingham
146:Bedfordite
493:1780–1784
488:1768–1780
466:Lord Grey
275:45th Foot
99:85th Foot
533:Baronet
105:to the
103:equerry
93:of the
483:With:
437:With:
281:Family
91:ensign
301:Notes
475:for
429:for
291:John
232:and
68:Whig
26:in
561::
297:.
109:.
86:.
54:,
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