William Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower (1766–1833)

William Manners Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower (19 May 1766 11 March 1833), known as Sir William Manners, Bt, between 1793 and 1821, was a British nobleman and Tory politician.

Background

Born William Manners, he was the eldest son of John Manners and Louisa Tollemache, 7th Countess of Dysart. On 12 January 1793, at the age of 26, he was created a Baronet, of Hanby Hall in the county of Lincoln. On his mother's succession to the earldom in 1821, he was styled Lord Huntingtower, and adopted the surname of Talmash or Tollemache.

Political career

Huntingtower was known for his high-handed manipulation of the Parliamentary vote in Ilchester. He owned most of the borough, and represented it from 1803–1804 and 1806–1807. In 1818 his candidates, one of whom was his son, were not elected, and he had the workhouse pulled down. A petition to Parliament stated:

163 men, women, and children, from one month to upwards of 80 years, were all turned out into the street, without knowing of a place of shelter themselves at the most inclement season of the year. Some of them were able to get together some straw in the town-hall. Some of them betook themselves to the fields. Among the people so turned out, there were several pregnant women, and one daily expected the pangs of child birth.[1]

Parliament offered no amelioration. In the severe winter of 1828–1829 he engaged in a large public relief project, hiring 528 workers in the vicinity of his estates in Buckminster.

He served as High Sheriff of Leicestershire in 1809.

Family

Portrait of Catherine Gray, Lady Manners, by Thomas Lawrence
Three Graces in High Wind by James Gillray, believed to be Louisa, Emily and Catherine Manners[2]

On 12 January 1790, he married Catherine Rebecca Gray (d. 1852), by whom he had six sons and six daughters:

Lionel's surviving siblings were granted precedence as the children of an earl on 6 November 1840.[3]

He suffered a stroke at Buckminster Park on 7 March 1833 and died on the 11th.[4]

References

  1. Hansard, first series volume 39 (January–April 1819), column 1353. Text on Google Books
  2. "The graces in a high wind - A scene taken from nature, in Kensington Gardens". University of Princeton. 1809. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
  3. The London Gazette: no. 19912. p. 2480. 1840-11-10.
  4. "Obituaries". The Gentleman's Magazine: 369–370. 1833. Retrieved 2008-01-12.

See also

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
William Hunter
Thomas Plummer
Member of Parliament for Ilchester
1803–1804
With: Charles Brooke
Succeeded by
Charles Brooke
John Manners
Preceded by
Charles Brooke
John Manners
Member of Parliament for Ilchester
18061807
With: Nathaniel Saxon
Succeeded by
Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Michael Angelo Taylor
Baronetage of Great Britain
New creation Baronet
(of Hanby Hall)
1793–1833
Succeeded by
Lionel Tollemache
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