William Wolryche-Whitmore
Encyclopedia
William Wolryche-Whitmore (16 September 1787 – 11 August 1858) was a Shropshire
landowner and British Whig politician. He held a seat in the House of Commons from 1820 to 1835, representing first Bridgnorth
and later Wolverhampton
.
, at Quatt
in Shropshire, from a relative, who was distantly related to the widow of the penultimate Wolryche baronet
. His mother was Frances Lister, who played an important part in reshaping the grounds of Dudmaston. She died in 1792, and the elder William Whitmore remarried Marie Louisa Thomas: from this later marriage are derived the Whitmore Jones family of Chastleton House
.
In 1810 he married Lady Lucy Bridgeman, daughter of the Earl of Bradford
. The couple set out on a Grand Tour
, which included a visit to Napoleon Bonaparte, exiled on Elba
. On the death of his father in 1815, William inherited Dudmaston. At this point, he added Wolryche, the name of the historic owners of Dudmaston, to his own surname to produce the double-barrelled name
by which he is generally known. Five years later he took up the family's parliamentary seat.
as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for Bridgnorth
in Shropshire
, and was re-elected at the next three general elections, holding the seat until 1832. Bridgnorth was a pocket borough, controlled by the owners of the Dudmaston estate and, despite its small electorate and modest importance, had two seats in Parliament. Hitherto, the majority of its members had supported the Tory governments of the period: Isaac Hawkins Browne (coalowner)
, who had resigned in 1812, had been opposed to parliamentary reform and Catholic Emancipation
, and was associated with the pro-slavery West Indies lobby. Wolryche-Whitmore took a diametrically opposed stance.
Wolryche-Whitmore quickly became a major spokesman for the liberal
causes of Parliamentary Reform and Catholic Emancipation
. He spoke against the power of the West Indian sugar planters and looked forward to the ending of Caribbean slavery. He warned of the disastrous consequences for the Indian economy of British colonialism.
as one of the two members for the newly-enfranchised borough of Wolverhampton
, and held that seat until he stood down at the 1835 general election
.
Despite the fact that it could be considered against the interest of himself and his class, Wolryche-Whitmore campaigned long and hard for repeal of the Corn Laws
. The great majority of his contributions in parliament were on this subject. He continued to campaign even after he left parliament. His successor in the Wolverhampton seat was Charles Pelham Villiers
, another radical Whig who continued his anti-Corn Law work. The repeal was not achieved until 1846, when the Tory leader, Robert Peel
, split his party to force the measure through with Whig support.
One of his major concerns was providing new opportunities for working class people through emigration, and he strongly opposed the use of convict and slave labour everywhere. Wolryche-Whitmore introduced the South Australia Colonisation Act 1834 to the House of Commons, and Whitmore Square in Adelaide city centre
is named after him. His last parliamentary contribution was on the subject of emigration to South Australia.
. His wife died in 1840. He spent heavily on remodelling the house and the estate on more modern lines, diversifying the economic activities and improving conditions for his workers and tenants. He left mortgage
s totalling £60,000 to his nephew, Rev. Francis Laing, who inherited the estate on his death, and changed his surname to Wolryche-Whitmore.
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
landowner and British Whig politician. He held a seat in the House of Commons from 1820 to 1835, representing first Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth (UK Parliament constituency)
Bridgnorth was a parliamentary borough in Shropshire which was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1295 until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until its abolition in 1885.It...
and later Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
.
Background
William Wolryche-Whitmoreoriginally plain William Whitmore. His father was also called William Whitmore, a former-sailor and businessman from Southampton, who inherited Dudmaston HallDudmaston Hall
Dudmaston Hall is a 17th century country house in the care of the National Trust in the Severn Valley, Shropshire, England, United Kingdom....
, at Quatt
Quatt
Quatt is a small village in Shropshire, England in the Severn Valley. The civil parish, formally known as Quatt Malvern, has a population of 219 according to the 2001 census.It lies on the A442 south of Bridgnorth....
in Shropshire, from a relative, who was distantly related to the widow of the penultimate Wolryche baronet
Wolryche Baronets
The Wolryche Baronetcy, of Dudmaston in the County of Shropshire, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 4 August 1641 for Thomas Wolryche, previously Member of Parliament for Wenlock...
. His mother was Frances Lister, who played an important part in reshaping the grounds of Dudmaston. She died in 1792, and the elder William Whitmore remarried Marie Louisa Thomas: from this later marriage are derived the Whitmore Jones family of Chastleton House
Chastleton House
Chastleton House is a Jacobean country house situated at Chastleton near Moreton-in-Marsh, Oxfordshire, England . It has been owned by the National Trust since 1991....
.
In 1810 he married Lady Lucy Bridgeman, daughter of the Earl of Bradford
Earl of Bradford
Earl of Bradford is a title that has been created twice, once in the Peerage of England and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was first created in 1694 for Francis Newport, 2nd Baron Newport. However, all the Newport titles became extinct on the death of the fourth Earl in 1762. The...
. The couple set out on a Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
, which included a visit to Napoleon Bonaparte, exiled on Elba
Elba
Elba is a Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. The largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago, Elba is also part of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia...
. On the death of his father in 1815, William inherited Dudmaston. At this point, he added Wolryche, the name of the historic owners of Dudmaston, to his own surname to produce the double-barrelled name
Double-barrelled name
In English speaking and some other Western countries, a double-barrelled name is a family name with two parts, which may or may not be joined with a hyphen and is also known as a hyphenated name. An example of a hyphenated double-barrelled surname is Bowes-Lyon; an example of an unhyphenated...
by which he is generally known. Five years later he took up the family's parliamentary seat.
M.P. for Bridgnorth
He was elected at the 1820 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1820
The 1820 UK general election, held shortly after the Radical War in Scotland and the Cato Street Conspiracy. In this atmosphere, the Tories under the Earl of Liverpool were able to win a substantial majority over the Whigs....
as a 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,...
(MP) for Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth (UK Parliament constituency)
Bridgnorth was a parliamentary borough in Shropshire which was represented in the House of Commons of England from 1295 until 1707, then in the House of Commons of Great Britain until 1800, and in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until its abolition in 1885.It...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, and was re-elected at the next three general elections, holding the seat until 1832. Bridgnorth was a pocket borough, controlled by the owners of the Dudmaston estate and, despite its small electorate and modest importance, had two seats in Parliament. Hitherto, the majority of its members had supported the Tory governments of the period: Isaac Hawkins Browne (coalowner)
Isaac Hawkins Browne (coalowner)
Isaac Hawkins Browne was a British Tory politician, industrialist, essayist, and a lord of the manor of Badger, Shropshire.-Family and education:...
, who had resigned in 1812, had been opposed to parliamentary reform and Catholic Emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
, and was associated with the pro-slavery West Indies lobby. Wolryche-Whitmore took a diametrically opposed stance.
Wolryche-Whitmore quickly became a major spokesman for the liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
causes of Parliamentary Reform and Catholic Emancipation
Catholic Emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th century which involved reducing and removing many of the restrictions on Roman Catholics which had been introduced by the Act of Uniformity, the Test Acts and the penal laws...
. He spoke against the power of the West Indian sugar planters and looked forward to the ending of Caribbean slavery. He warned of the disastrous consequences for the Indian economy of British colonialism.
M.P. for Wolverhampton
After the Reform Act of 1832, he was then elected at the 1832 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1832
-Seats summary:-Parties and leaders at the general election:The Earl Grey had been Prime Minister since 22 November 1830. His was the first predominantly Whig administration since the Ministry of all the Talents in 1806-1807....
as one of the two members for the newly-enfranchised borough of Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton (UK Parliament constituency)
Wolverhampton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Wolverhampton in Staffordshire. It elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
, and held that seat until he stood down at the 1835 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1835
The 1835 United Kingdom general election was called when Parliament was dissolved on 29 December 1834. Polling took place between 6 January and 6 February 1835, and the results saw Robert Peel's Conservatives make large gains from their low of the 1832 election, but the Whigs maintained a large...
.
Despite the fact that it could be considered against the interest of himself and his class, Wolryche-Whitmore campaigned long and hard for repeal of the Corn Laws
Corn Laws
The Corn Laws were trade barriers designed to protect cereal producers in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland against competition from less expensive foreign imports between 1815 and 1846. The barriers were introduced by the Importation Act 1815 and repealed by the Importation Act 1846...
. The great majority of his contributions in parliament were on this subject. He continued to campaign even after he left parliament. His successor in the Wolverhampton seat was Charles Pelham Villiers
Charles Pelham Villiers
Charles Pelham Villiers was a British lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1835 to 1898, making him the longest-serving Member of Parliament .-Background and education:...
, another radical Whig who continued his anti-Corn Law work. The repeal was not achieved until 1846, when the Tory leader, Robert Peel
Robert Peel
Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Baronet was a British Conservative statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 December 1834 to 8 April 1835, and again from 30 August 1841 to 29 June 1846...
, split his party to force the measure through with Whig support.
One of his major concerns was providing new opportunities for working class people through emigration, and he strongly opposed the use of convict and slave labour everywhere. Wolryche-Whitmore introduced the South Australia Colonisation Act 1834 to the House of Commons, and Whitmore Square in Adelaide city centre
Adelaide city centre
The Adelaide city centre is the innermost locality of Greater Adelaide, known by locals simply as "The City" or "Town". The locality is split into two key geographical distinctions: the city "square mile", bordered by North, East, South and West Terraces; and that part of the Adelaide Parklands...
is named after him. His last parliamentary contribution was on the subject of emigration to South Australia.
After Parliament
Wolrych-Whitmore continued to support liberal political campaigns after leaving parliament, particularly the Anti-Corn Law LeagueAnti-Corn Law League
The Anti-Corn Law League was in effect the resumption of the Anti-Corn Law Association, which had been created in London in 1836 but did not obtain widespread popularity. The Anti-Corn Law League was founded in Manchester in 1838...
. His wife died in 1840. He spent heavily on remodelling the house and the estate on more modern lines, diversifying the economic activities and improving conditions for his workers and tenants. He left mortgage
Mortgage
A mortgage is a security interest in real property held by a lender as a security for a debt, usually a loan of money. A mortgage in itself is not a debt, it is the lender's security for a debt...
s totalling £60,000 to his nephew, Rev. Francis Laing, who inherited the estate on his death, and changed his surname to Wolryche-Whitmore.