Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet (25 January 1770 – 23 January 1844) was an English
reformist politician
, the son of Francis Burdett
and his wife Eleanor, daughter of William Jones of Ramsbury manor, Wiltshire
, and grandson of Sir Robert Burdett, Bart
. From 1820 until his death he lived at 25 St James's Place.
of Bramcote and inherited the family baronetcy from his grandfather Sir Robert Burdett
in 1797.
and the University of Oxford
. When young, he was for a long time the notorious lover of Lady Oxford
(according to the journal of Thomas Raikes
), and afterwards travelled in France and Switzerland. He was in Paris
during the earlier days of the French Revolution
.
Returning to England in 1793, he married Sophia Coutts, the second daughter of the wealthy banker Thomas Coutts
. She brought him the large fortune of £25,000. They had a daughter – Angela Burdett-Coutts – who inherited the Burdett family's baronetcy
from his father and became the first Baroness
of the Foremark
Burdett family.
In 1796, he became Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge
, having purchased this seat from the representatives of the Duke of Newcastle
, and in 1797 succeeded his grandfather as 5th Baronet.
and 'the hamlets of Ingleby
and Foremark
(sometimes referred to as a manor
) which were under his Lordship'.
In Parliament he soon became prominent as an opponent of William Pitt the Younger
, and as an advocate of popular rights. He denounced the war with France, the suspension of the Habeas Corpus
Act, and the proposed exclusion of John Horne Tooke
from parliament, and quickly became the idol of the people. In 1797 he made the acquaintance of Horne Tooke, whose pupil he became, not only in politics, but also in philology
. He was instrumental in securing an inquiry into the condition of Coldbath Fields Prison
, and as a result was for a time prevented by the government from visiting any prison in the kingdom.
At the general election of 1802 Burdett was returned as Member of Parliament for the county of Middlesex
, but his return was declared void in 1804 and he lost the ensuing bye-election owing to the machinations of the returning officer. In 1805 this return was amended in his favor, but as this decision was again quickly reversed, Burdett, who had spent an immense sum of money over the affair, declared he would not stand for parliament again.
At the general election of 1806 Burdett was a leading supporter of James Paull, the reform candidate for the City of Westminster
; but in the following year a misunderstanding led to a duel
between Burdett and Paull in which both combatants were wounded. At the general election in 1807, Burdett, in spite of his reluctance, was nominated for Westminster
, and amidst great enthusiasm was returned at the top of the poll.
He took up again the congenial work of attacking abuses and agitating for reform, and in 1810 came sharply into collision with the House of Commons
. A radical named John Gale Jones had been committed to prison by the House, a proceeding that was denounced by Burdett, who questioned the power of the House to take this step and vainly attempted to secure the release of Jones. He then issued a revised edition of his speech on this occasion which was published by William Cobbett
in the Weekly Register.
offered assistance, but, realizing that Cochrane intended to use military tactics during this civil and political affair, Burdett declined. At length the house was entered, and under an escort of soldiers he was conveyed to the Tower of London
. Released when parliament was in recess, he caused his supporters much disappointment by returning to Westminster by water, and so avoiding a demonstration in his honor. He then brought legal actions against the speaker and the sergeant-at-arms, but the courts upheld the action of the House.
In parliament Burdett denounced corporal punishment in the army, and supported all attempts to check corruption, but his principal efforts were directed towards procuring a reform of parliament, and the removal of Roman Catholic disabilities. In 1809 he had proposed a scheme of parliamentary reform, and returning to the subject in 1817 and 1818 he anticipated the Chartist movement by suggesting universal male suffrage
, equal electoral districts, vote by ballot, and annual parliaments; but his motions met with very little support. He succeeded, however, in carrying a resolution in 1825 that the House should consider the laws concerning Roman Catholics. This was followed by a bill embodying his proposals, which passed the Commons but was rejected by the House of Lords
. In 1827 and 1828 he again proposed resolutions on this subject, and saw his proposals become law in 1829. In 1820 Burdett had again come into serious conflict with the government. Having severely censured its action with reference to the Peterloo Massacre
, he was prosecuted at Leicester assizes, fined £1,000, and committed to prison for three months. After the passing of the Reform Bill in 1832 the ardour of the veteran reformer was somewhat abated, and a number of his constituents soon took umbrage at his changed attitude.
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
reformist politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, the son of Francis Burdett
Francis Burdett (1743)
Francis Burdett was a member of the noble Burdett Family of Bramcote which had a lineage of Baronetcy. He failed to inherit the hereditary baronetcy as he died; in 1794; before his father did; in 1797, thus he was only the son and father of two Bramcote Burdett Baronets...
and his wife Eleanor, daughter of William Jones of Ramsbury manor, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, and grandson of Sir Robert Burdett, Bart
Sir Robert Burdett, 4th Baronet
Sir Robert Burdett, 4th Baronet was a British politician and member of the English gentry.Burdett was the posthumous son of Robert Burdett, son of Sir Robert Burdett, 3rd Baronet. His mother was the Hon. Elizabeth, daughter of William Tracy, 4th Viscount Tracy...
. From 1820 until his death he lived at 25 St James's Place.
Family
Sir Francis Burdett (5th Bart.) was a member of the Burdett familyBurdett Baronets
There have been three lineages of Baronetcy created for persons with the surname Burdett, two in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of Ireland...
of Bramcote and inherited the family baronetcy from his grandfather Sir Robert Burdett
Sir Robert Burdett, 4th Baronet
Sir Robert Burdett, 4th Baronet was a British politician and member of the English gentry.Burdett was the posthumous son of Robert Burdett, son of Sir Robert Burdett, 3rd Baronet. His mother was the Hon. Elizabeth, daughter of William Tracy, 4th Viscount Tracy...
in 1797.
Education and early life
He was educated at Westminster SchoolWestminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. When young, he was for a long time the notorious lover of Lady Oxford
Jane Elizabeth Scott
Jane Elizabeth Harley , Countess of Oxford and Countess Mortimer was a notable English noblewoman, known as a patron of the Reform movement and a lover of Lord Byron.-Life:...
(according to the journal of Thomas Raikes
Thomas Raikes (dandy)
Thomas Raikes was a British merchant banker, dandy and diarist.- Biography :Raikes was born in 1777, the eldest son of Thomas Raikes the Elder and his wife, Charlotte...
), and afterwards travelled in France and Switzerland. He was in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
during the earlier days of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
Thomas Coutts
Thomas Coutts was an Anglo-Scottish banker who was the founder of the banking house of Coutts & Co.He was the fourth son of John Coutts , who carried on business in Edinburgh as a corn factor and negotiator of bills of exchange, and who in 1742 was elected lord provost of the city...
. She brought him the large fortune of £25,000. They had a daughter – Angela Burdett-Coutts – who inherited the Burdett family's baronetcy
Burdett Baronets
There have been three lineages of Baronetcy created for persons with the surname Burdett, two in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of Ireland...
from his father and became the first Baroness
Baroness
Baroness is the female equivalent of the nobility title Baron.Baroness or The Baroness may also refer to:* Baroness , a metal band from Savannah, Georgia* Baroness , a fictional villain in the G.I...
of the Foremark
Foremark
Foremark is a small manor and hamlet with a ruling Lord's country house - Foremarke Hall - in southern Derbyshire, England.-Location:...
Burdett family.
In 1796, he became Member of Parliament for Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge is a small town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of York. Until its bypass was built, it was on the main A1 road from London to Edinburgh...
, having purchased this seat from the representatives of the Duke of Newcastle
Henry Pelham-Clinton, 4th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
Henry Pelham Fiennes Pelham-Clinton, 4th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne KG was a British nobleman and politician who played a leading part in British politics in the late 1820s and early 1830s.-Early life:...
, and in 1797 succeeded his grandfather as 5th Baronet.
Baronet and Member of Parliament
His inheritance included the family seat of Foremarke HallForemarke Hall
Foremarke Hall is a Georgian-Palladian country house . Completed in 1762, the Hall is located at the manor of Foremark, near the hamlets of Ingleby, Ticknall, Milton, and the village of Repton in South Derbyshire, England....
and 'the hamlets of Ingleby
Ingleby, Derbyshire
Ingleby is a hamlet and civil parish in South Derbyshire, England. Situated on the south of the River Trent on a rise between Stanton by Bridge and Repton, Ingleby contains the privately owned John Thompson public house and the Ingleby Art Gallery....
and Foremark
Foremark
Foremark is a small manor and hamlet with a ruling Lord's country house - Foremarke Hall - in southern Derbyshire, England.-Location:...
(sometimes referred to as a manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
) which were under his Lordship'.
In Parliament he soon became prominent as an opponent of William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
, and as an advocate of popular rights. He denounced the war with France, the suspension of the Habeas Corpus
Habeas corpus
is a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
Act, and the proposed exclusion of John Horne Tooke
John Horne Tooke
John Horne Tooke was an English politician and philologist.-Early life and work:He was born in Newport Street, Long Acre, Westminster, the third son of John Horne, a poulterer in Newport Market. As a youth at Eton College, Tooke described his father to friends as a "turkey merchant"...
from parliament, and quickly became the idol of the people. In 1797 he made the acquaintance of Horne Tooke, whose pupil he became, not only in politics, but also in philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
. He was instrumental in securing an inquiry into the condition of Coldbath Fields Prison
Coldbath Fields Prison
Coldbath Fields Prison was a prison in the Mount Pleasant area of Clerkenwell, London. Founded during the reign of James I , the prison was completely rebuilt in 1794 and extended in 1850. It was used to house prisoners on short sentences of up to two years...
, and as a result was for a time prevented by the government from visiting any prison in the kingdom.
His last election?
Middlesex (UK Parliament constituency)
Middlesex is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885....
, but his return was declared void in 1804 and he lost the ensuing bye-election owing to the machinations of the returning officer. In 1805 this return was amended in his favor, but as this decision was again quickly reversed, Burdett, who had spent an immense sum of money over the affair, declared he would not stand for parliament again.
At the general election of 1806 Burdett was a leading supporter of James Paull, the reform candidate for the City of Westminster
Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster was a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of England to 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain 1707-1800 and the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. It returned two members to 1885 and one thereafter....
; but in the following year a misunderstanding led to a duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
between Burdett and Paull in which both combatants were wounded. At the general election in 1807, Burdett, in spite of his reluctance, was nominated for Westminster
Westminster (UK Parliament constituency)
Westminster was a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of England to 1707, the Parliament of Great Britain 1707-1800 and the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801. It returned two members to 1885 and one thereafter....
, and amidst great enthusiasm was returned at the top of the poll.
He took up again the congenial work of attacking abuses and agitating for reform, and in 1810 came sharply into collision with 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...
. A radical named John Gale Jones had been committed to prison by the House, a proceeding that was denounced by Burdett, who questioned the power of the House to take this step and vainly attempted to secure the release of Jones. He then issued a revised edition of his speech on this occasion which was published by William Cobbett
William Cobbett
William Cobbett was an English pamphleteer, farmer and journalist, who was born in Farnham, Surrey. He believed that reforming Parliament and abolishing the rotten boroughs would help to end the poverty of farm labourers, and he attacked the borough-mongers, sinecurists and "tax-eaters" relentlessly...
in the Weekly Register.
A warrant for his arrest
The House voted this action a breach of privilege, and the speaker issued a warrant for Burdett's arrest. The charge was libelling the House of Commons. Barring himself in his house for two days, he defied the authorities, while a mob gathered in his defence. Burdett's colleague Thomas CochraneThomas Cochrane
Thomas Cochrane may refer to:*Thomas Cochrane, 8th Earl of Dundonald , Scottish nobleman and politician*Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald , Marquis of Maranhão, naval officer and radical politician...
offered assistance, but, realizing that Cochrane intended to use military tactics during this civil and political affair, Burdett declined. At length the house was entered, and under an escort of soldiers he was conveyed to the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
. Released when parliament was in recess, he caused his supporters much disappointment by returning to Westminster by water, and so avoiding a demonstration in his honor. He then brought legal actions against the speaker and the sergeant-at-arms, but the courts upheld the action of the House.
Reform
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
, equal electoral districts, vote by ballot, and annual parliaments; but his motions met with very little support. He succeeded, however, in carrying a resolution in 1825 that the House should consider the laws concerning Roman Catholics. This was followed by a bill embodying his proposals, which passed the Commons but was rejected by the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. In 1827 and 1828 he again proposed resolutions on this subject, and saw his proposals become law in 1829. In 1820 Burdett had again come into serious conflict with the government. Having severely censured its action with reference to the Peterloo Massacre
Peterloo Massacre
The Peterloo Massacre occurred at St Peter's Field, Manchester, England, on 16 August 1819, when cavalry charged into a crowd of 60,000–80,000 that had gathered to demand the reform of parliamentary representation....
, he was prosecuted at Leicester assizes, fined £1,000, and committed to prison for three months. After the passing of the Reform Bill in 1832 the ardour of the veteran reformer was somewhat abated, and a number of his constituents soon took umbrage at his changed attitude.
His legacy and death
Consequently he resigned his seat early in 1837, but was re-elected. However, at the general election in the same year he forsook Westminster and was elected member for North Wiltshire, which seat he retained, acting in general with the Conservatives, until his death. He was nicknamed by fellow conservatives as "Old Glory". His wife, Lady Burdett, to whom he was devoted, died on 13 January 1844. Sir Francis, then 74, became inconsolable and felt he had nothing left to live for. He refused all food and died just ten days later on 23 January 1844. He and his wife were buried at the same time in the same vault at Ramsbury Church, Wiltshire. He left a son, Robert, who succeeded to the baronetcy, and who inherited his very large fortune, and five daughters, the youngest of whom became the celebrated Baroness Burdett-Coutts after inheriting the Coutts fortune from her grandfather's widow Harriet (Duchess of St Albans) and appending the Coutts surname under the terms of Harriet's will. He was a member of the Literary Association of the Friends of PolandLiterary Association of the Friends of Poland
Literary Association of the Friends of Poland is a British organization of solidarity with Poles, co-founded February 25, 1832 in United Kingdom by Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski and the Scottish poet Thomas Campbell.-History:...
.
See also
- Burdett BaronetsBurdett BaronetsThere have been three lineages of Baronetcy created for persons with the surname Burdett, two in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of Ireland...
- Francis Burdett (1743)Francis Burdett (1743)Francis Burdett was a member of the noble Burdett Family of Bramcote which had a lineage of Baronetcy. He failed to inherit the hereditary baronetcy as he died; in 1794; before his father did; in 1797, thus he was only the son and father of two Bramcote Burdett Baronets...
- Baroness Burdett-CouttsAngela Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-CouttsAngela Georgina Burdett-Coutts, 1st Baroness Burdett-Coutts , born Angela Georgina Burdett, was a nineteenth-century philanthropist, the daughter of Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Baronet and the former Sophia Coutts, daughter of banker Thomas Coutts...
- Thomas CouttsThomas CouttsThomas Coutts was an Anglo-Scottish banker who was the founder of the banking house of Coutts & Co.He was the fourth son of John Coutts , who carried on business in Edinburgh as a corn factor and negotiator of bills of exchange, and who in 1742 was elected lord provost of the city...
- Foremarke HallForemarke HallForemarke Hall is a Georgian-Palladian country house . Completed in 1762, the Hall is located at the manor of Foremark, near the hamlets of Ingleby, Ticknall, Milton, and the village of Repton in South Derbyshire, England....