Lionel Tollemache, 3rd Earl of Dysart
Encyclopedia
Lionel Tollemache, 3rd Earl of Dysart (30 January 1649 – 23 February 1727 n.s.), styled Lord Huntingtower from 1651 to 1698, was a British
Tory
Member of Parliament
and nobleman.
Dysart was the son of Sir Lionel Tollemache, 3rd Baronet, and Elizabeth, 2nd Countess of Dysart
. Educated at Queens' College, Cambridge
, Lionel succeeded to his father's baronetcy in 1669. The encumbrance of his paternal estate by debt bred in him a habit of frugality which was not shed in later years. In 1673, he contested Suffolk
as a Tory; defeated by Sir Samuel Barnardiston, 1st Baronet
, he had the return falsified by the sheriff, Sir William Soame, and took his seat in Parliament. An election committee declared Barnardiston elected, and he obtained 1,000 pounds damages from Huntingtower in a suit before the King's Bench
, but the verdict was overturned by the Court of Exchequer Chamber
. Huntingtower was made a freeman of Eye
in 1675. He briefly served as Member of Parliament
for Orford
in 1679 as a member of the Habeas Corpus Parliament
. In 1685, he was again returned for that borough and made portman of Orford
, an office he held until about 1709.
On 30 September 1680, he married Grace Wilbraham, the daughter and coheir of Sir Thomas Wilbraham, 3rd Baronet. They had five children:
Huntingtower went out of Parliament again upon the fall of James II
. However, he was returned for Suffolk in 1698, and generally supported Tory principles. In that year, he succeeded his mother to become Earl of Dysart
. In 1702, he was appointed Vice-Admiral of Suffolk and became (until 1716) a freeman of Dunwich
, and in 1703, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
. He was also named High Steward of Ipswich
that year, an office he held until his death. As Lord Lieutenant, he purged moderate Churchmen from lieutenancy offices. He was Mayor of Orford during the summer of 1704. His support for the "Tack" of the Occasional Conformity Bill led to his removal from his county offices in 1705. Campaigning on the basis of his support for the Tack, he was returned for Suffolk again in 1705. As a Scottish peer, he was forced to leave the House of Commons
by the Acts of Union 1707
. He was offered a barony in the Peerage of Great Britain
by Queen Anne
upon her accession, but declined.
Predeceased by his only son in 1712, Dysart remained a Tory, and was considered a possible Jacobite
, until his death in 1727. He was succeeded by his grandson Lionel Tollemache, 4th Earl of Dysart
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and nobleman.
Dysart was the son of Sir Lionel Tollemache, 3rd Baronet, and Elizabeth, 2nd Countess of Dysart
Elizabeth Maitland, Duchess of Lauderdale
Elizabeth Maitland, Duchess of Lauderdale was an influential British noblewoman. She is famous for the political influence she held, which was unusual for women of the period, and for her support of Charles II during his exile as a member of the secret organisation known as the Sealed Knot.-Early...
. Educated at Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College, Cambridge
Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou , and refounded in 1465 by Elizabeth Woodville...
, Lionel succeeded to his father's baronetcy in 1669. The encumbrance of his paternal estate by debt bred in him a habit of frugality which was not shed in later years. In 1673, he contested Suffolk
Suffolk (UK Parliament constituency)
Suffolk was a county constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1290 until 1832, when it was split into two divisions.-Boundaries and franchise:...
as a Tory; defeated by Sir Samuel Barnardiston, 1st Baronet
Sir Samuel Barnardiston, 1st Baronet
Sir Samuel Barnardiston, 1st Baronet was an English Whig Member of Parliament and deputy governor of the East India Company, defendant in some high-profile legal cases and involved in a highly contentious parliamentary election.-Life:...
, he had the return falsified by the sheriff, Sir William Soame, and took his seat in Parliament. An election committee declared Barnardiston elected, and he obtained 1,000 pounds damages from Huntingtower in a suit before the King's Bench
King's Bench
The Queen's Bench is the superior court in a number of jurisdictions within some of the Commonwealth realms...
, but the verdict was overturned by the Court of Exchequer Chamber
Court of Exchequer Chamber
The Court of Exchequer Chamber was an English appellate court for common law civil actions, prior to the reforms of the Judicature Acts of 1873-1875....
. Huntingtower was made a freeman of Eye
Eye, Suffolk
Eye is a small market town in the county of Suffolk, East Anglia, England, south of Diss, and on the River Dove.Eye is twinned with the town of Pouzauges in the Vendée Departement of France.-History:An island...
in 1675. He briefly served as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Orford
Orford (UK Parliament constituency)
Orford was a constituency of the House of Commons. Consisting of the town of Orford in Suffolk, it elected two Members of Parliament by the bloc vote version of the first past the post system of election until it was disenfranchised in 1832.-History:...
in 1679 as a member of the Habeas Corpus Parliament
Habeas Corpus Parliament
The Habeas Corpus Parliament, also known as the First Exclusion Parliament, was a short-lived English Parliament which assembled on 6 March 1679 during the reign of Charles II of England, the third parliament of the King's reign. It is named after the Habeas Corpus Act, which it enacted in May,...
. In 1685, he was again returned for that borough and made portman of Orford
Orford, Suffolk
Orford is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.Like many Suffolk coastal towns it was of some importance as a port and fishing village in the Middle Ages. It still has a fine mediaeval castle, built to dominate the River Ore.The main geographical feature of the...
, an office he held until about 1709.
On 30 September 1680, he married Grace Wilbraham, the daughter and coheir of Sir Thomas Wilbraham, 3rd Baronet. They had five children:
- Lionel Tollemache, Lord Huntingtower (1682–1712)
- Lady Elizabeth Tollemache (d. 6 August 1746), married Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton, 3rd Baronet
- Lady Catherine Tollemache (d. 17 January 1754), married John Brydges, Marquess of Carnarvon (15 Jan 1703 – 08 Apr 1727) on 1 September 1724
- Lady Mary Tollemache (d. 2 December 1715)
- Lady Grace Tollemache (d. 27 May 1719)
Huntingtower went out of Parliament again upon the fall of James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
. However, he was returned for Suffolk in 1698, and generally supported Tory principles. In that year, he succeeded his mother to become Earl of Dysart
Earl of Dysart
Earl of Dysart is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1643 for William Murray, who had earlier represented Fowey and East Looe in the English House of Commons. He was made Lord Huntingtower at the same time, also in the Peerage of Scotland. He was succeeded by his daughter, the...
. In 1702, he was appointed Vice-Admiral of Suffolk and became (until 1716) a freeman of Dunwich
Dunwich
Dunwich is a small town in Suffolk, England, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB.Dunwich was the capital of East Anglia 1500 years ago but the harbour and most of the town have since disappeared due to coastal erosion. Its decline began in 1286 when a sea surge hit the East Anglian coast, and...
, and in 1703, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
This is a list of people who have served as Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk. Since 1642, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Suffolk.-Lord Lieutenants of Suffolk:*Sir Anthony Wingfield 1551–1552 jointly with*? 1551–?...
. He was also named High Steward of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
that year, an office he held until his death. As Lord Lieutenant, he purged moderate Churchmen from lieutenancy offices. He was Mayor of Orford during the summer of 1704. His support for the "Tack" of the Occasional Conformity Bill led to his removal from his county offices in 1705. Campaigning on the basis of his support for the Tack, he was returned for Suffolk again in 1705. As a Scottish peer, he was forced to leave the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
by the Acts of Union 1707
Acts of Union 1707
The Acts of Union were two Parliamentary Acts - the Union with Scotland Act passed in 1706 by the Parliament of England, and the Union with England Act passed in 1707 by the Parliament of Scotland - which put into effect the terms of the Treaty of Union that had been agreed on 22 July 1706,...
. He was offered a barony in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
by Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
upon her accession, but declined.
Predeceased by his only son in 1712, Dysart remained a Tory, and was considered a possible Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
, until his death in 1727. He was succeeded by his grandson Lionel Tollemache, 4th Earl of Dysart
Lionel Tollemache, 4th Earl of Dysart
Lionel Tollemache, 4th Earl of Dysart KT , styled Lord Huntingtower from 1712 to 1727, was a Scottish nobleman.In 1729, he was elected High Steward of Ipswich....
.