John Pennington, 1st Baron Muncaster (c. 1740 – 8 October 1813), known as John Pennington until 1783, was a British peer and Tory politician.

Background

Muncaster was the eldest son of Sir Joseph Pennington, 4th Baronet, of Muncaster Castle

Muncaster Castle

Muncaster Castle is a privately owned castle overlooking the Esk river, about a mile south of the west-coastal town of Ravenglass in Cumbria, England.-History:...

, Cumberland

Cumberland

Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....

, and Sarah, daughter of John Moore.

Political career

Muncaster was returned to Parliament as one of two representatives for Milborne Port

Milborne Port (UK Parliament constituency)

Milborne Port is a former parliamentary borough located in Somerset. It elected two members to the unreformed House of Commons between 1298 and 1307 and again from 1628, but was disenfranchised in the Reform Act 1832 as a rotten borough.- MPs 1640–1832 :...

 in 1781, a seat he held until 1796, and then sat for Colchester

Colchester (UK Parliament constituency)

Colchester is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...

 until 1802. In 1783, ten years before he succeeded his father in the baronetcy, he was elevated to the Peerage of Ireland

Peerage of Ireland

The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...

as Baron Muncaster, with remainder in default of male issue of his own to his younger brother Lowther Pennington and the heirs male of his body.

Family

Lord Muncaster married Penelope, daughter of James Compton, in 1778. She died in November 1806. Muncaster survived her by seven years and died in October 1813. He had no sons and was succeeded in the baronetcy and barony (in the barony according to the special remainder) by his younger brother, Lowther.