Sir Charles Whitworth
Member of Parliament for Saltash
In office
1775–1778
Serving with Grey Cooper
Preceded byThomas Bradshaw
Grey Cooper
Succeeded byGrey Cooper
Henry Strachey
Member of Parliament for East Looe
In office
1774–1775
Serving with John Buller
Preceded byJohn Buller
John Burling
Succeeded byJohn Buller
Thomas Graves
Member of Parliament for Minehead
In office
1768–1774
Preceded byHenry Shiffner
The Earl of Thomond
Succeeded byHenry Fownes-Luttrell
John Fownes Luttrell
Member of Parliament for Bletchingley
In office
1761–1768
Serving with Sir Kenrick Clayton
Preceded bySir Kenrick Clayton
William Clayton
Succeeded bySir Kenrick Clayton
Robert Clayton
Member of Parliament for Minehead
In office
1747–1761
Serving with Percy Wyndham-O'Brien, Daniel Boone
Preceded byThomas Carew
John Periam
Succeeded byHenry Shiffner
The Earl of Thomond
Personal details
Bornc. 1721
Died21 August 1778(1778-08-21) (aged 56–57)
Spouse
Martha Shelley
​
​
(m. 1749; died 1778)​
RelationsCharles Whitworth, 1st Baron Whitworth (uncle)
Sir Henry Russell, 2nd Baronet (grandson)
Charles Russell (grandson)
Parent(s)Francis Whitworth
Joan Windham
EducationWestminster School

Sir Charles Whitworth (c. 1721 – 21 August 1778)[1] was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons for 31 years from 1747 to 1778. He was known for his expertise in statistics and finance.

Early life

Whitworth was the son of Joan Windham of Clarewell, Gloucestershire, and Francis Whitworth, Member of Parliament for Minehead from 1723 to 1742 and was educated at Westminster School and at Lincoln's Inn. His paternal uncle was Charles Whitworth, 1st Baron Whitworth.[2]

Career

Whitworth represented the constituencies of Minehead from 1747 until 1761, and Bletchingley until 1768, in which year he was knighted. He then represented Minehead until 1774, East Looe until 1775 and Saltash until his death in 1778. He served in the army for a short time and was made lieutenant-governor of Gravesend and Tilbury for life in 1758. [3] Whitworth was Chairman of Ways and Means from 1768 until his death.[4]

The major contribution made by Sir Charles to the statistics of Great Britain consisted of the production of the first complete Balance of Trade (Visible trade) for the country together with individual commercial accounts of Great Britain and all known countries during the period 1697–1773, a major task he completed two years before his death.[5]

Whitworth was an active early member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in 1754.

Personal life

In 1749, Whitworth married Martha Shelley (d. 1786), the daughter of Richard Shelley, a commissioner of the stamp office. Together, they had three sons and four daughters, including:[3]

Sir Charles died on 22 August 1778.[8]

Descendants

Through his youngest daughter Anna, he was a grandfather of Sir Henry Russell, 2nd Baronet,[7] Charles Russell (MP for Reading),[9] Francis Whitworth Russell (who married Jane Anne Catherine Brodie),[7] Rev. Whitworth Russell (who married Frances Carpenter),[7] George Lake Russell (who married Lady Caroline Pery, a daughter of the 1st Earl of Limerick),[7] Katherine Russell (who married Henry Jones),[7] Caroline Russell (who married Commander Henry Fortescue, grandson of the 2nd Baron Fortescue),[7] Rose Aylmer Russell (who married Henry Porter),[7] and Henrietta Russell (who married Thomas Greene of Whittington Hall, MP for Lancaster).[7]

References

  1. ^ "St Swithin, Bath: memorial (68)". Geograph. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  2. ^ "WHITWORTH, Francis (1684-1742), of Leybourne, Kent and Blackford, nr. Minehead, Som". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b "WHITWORTH, Charles (c.1721-78), of Leybourne, Kent and Blackford, nr. Minehead, Som". History of Parliament. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  4. ^ W. R. Williams (1900). "Whitworth, Charles (1714?-1778)" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 61. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  5. ^ Whitworth, Sir Charles (1776). State of the Trade of Great Britain in its Imports and Exports, Progressively from the Year 1697: also of the Trade to each particular Country during the above period, distinguishing each Year. London: G. Robinson. pp. 1–250. ISBN 9780576531887.
  6. ^ a b c G.E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors, The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910-1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume I, page 369.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, volume 3, pp. 3442-3443.
  8. ^ Pages 418 to 423, Lewis Namier, The Structure of Politics at the Accession of George III (2nd edition – London: St Martin's Press, 1957)
  9. ^ Fisher, David R. "RUSSELL, Charles (1786-1856), of 27 Charles Street, St. James's Square, Mdx". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
Parliament of Great Britain Preceded byThomas CarewJohn Periam Member of Parliament for Minehead 1747–1761 With: Percy Wyndham-O'Brien 1747–54Daniel Boone 1754–61 Succeeded byHenry ShiffnerThe Earl of Thomond Preceded bySir Kenrick ClaytonWilliam Clayton Member of Parliament for Bletchingley 1761–1768 With: Sir Kenrick Clayton Succeeded bySir Kenrick ClaytonRobert Clayton Preceded byHenry ShiffnerThe Earl of Thomond Member of Parliament for Minehead 1768–1774 With: Henry Fownes-Luttrell Succeeded byHenry Fownes-LuttrellJohn Fownes Luttrell Preceded byJohn BullerJohn Burling Member of Parliament for East Looe 1774–1775 With: John Buller Succeeded byJohn BullerThomas Graves Preceded byThomas BradshawGrey Cooper Member of Parliament for Saltash 1775–1778 With: Grey Cooper Succeeded byGrey CooperHenry Strachey


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