Henry Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton

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Henry Brook Parnell, 1st Baron Congleton PC (3 July 1776 – 8 June 1842), known as Sir Henry Parnell, 4th Baronet, from 1812 to 1841, was a Whig politician in the United Kingdom.

Congleton was the second son of Sir John Parnell, 2nd Baronet, Chancellor of the Irish exchequer, and Laetitia Charlotte Brooke, daughter of Sir Arthur Brooke, 1st Baronet. He was educated at Eton and Cambridge. In 1812 he succeeded his elder brother as fourth Baronet, of Rathleague.

In 1801 Congleton inherited the family estates in Queen's County and the following year he was elected to Parliament for Portarlington. However, he soon resigned the seat. In 1806 he was elected for Queen's County, which he represented until 1832.

It was Congleton's motion on the civil list that the Duke of Wellington's administration was defeated in 1830. The Whigs came to power under Lord Grey and in 1831 Congleton was admitted to the Privy Council appointed Secretary at War, a post he held until February 1833. He resigned his seat in Parliament the same year but returned in 1833 as the representative for Dundee. When the Whigs again came to power in April 1835 under Lord Melbourne, Congleton was made Paymaster of the Forces and Treasurer of the Ordnance and Navy (which offices were consolidated into that of Paymaster-General in 1836), posts he retained until the government fell in 1841. The latter year he was raised to the peerage as Baron Congleton, of Congleton in the County Palatine of Chester. He was also the author of several volumes and pamphlets on matters connected with financial and penal questions, the most important being that On Financial Reform, 1830.

Lord Congleton married Lady Caroline Elizabeth Damer-Dawson, daughter of John Dawson, 1st Earl of Portarlington, in 1801. In 1842, having suffered for some time from ill-health and melancholy, he committed suicide, aged 65. He was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son John.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• This page incorporates information from Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by: William Wellesley-Pole	Member for Queen's County 1802	Succeeded by: Sir Eyre Coote
Preceded by: William Elliot	Member for Portarlington 1802	Succeeded by: Thomas Tyrwhitt
Preceded by: Sir Eyre Coote	Member for Queen's County 1806–1832	Succeeded by: Sir Charles Coote
Preceded by: George Kinloch	Member for Dundee 1833–1841	Succeeded by: George Duncan
Political offices
Preceded by: Charles Watkin Williams-Wynn	Secretary at War 1831–1832	Succeeded by: Sir John Hobhouse, Bt
Preceded by: Sir Edward Knatchbull, Bt	Paymaster of the Forces 1835–1836	Succeeded by: Consolidated to Paymaster-General
Preceded by: Viscount Lowther	Treasurer of the Navy 1835–1836
Preceded by: Alexander Perceval	Treasurer of the Ordnance 1835–1836
Preceded by: Office created	Paymaster-General 1836–1841	Succeeded by: Edward Stanley
Baronetage of Ireland
Preceded by: John Augustus Parnell	Baronet (of Rathleague)	Succeeded by: John Vesey Parnell
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by: New Creation	Baron Congleton	Succeeded by: John Vesey Parnell