Colonel John Granville, 1st Baron Granville of Potheridge PC (12 April 1665 – 3 December 1707), styled The Honourable John Granville until 1703, was an English soldier, landowner and politician.

Background and education

Granville was the second son of John Granville, 1st Earl of Bath, by Jane Wyche, daughter of Sir Peter Wyche. He was the grandson of Sir Bevil Grenville and the younger brother of Charles Granville, 2nd Earl of Bath.[1][2] He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford.[1]

Political career

Granville fought alongside his elder brother in the Imperial Army during the Battle of Vienna in 1683.[1] Two years later he was returned to Parliament for Launceston, a seat he held until 1687.[1][2] He welcomed the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and led a force of Grenadiers in support of William of Orange at the Siege of Cork in September, 1690. He had been appointed Captain of Deal Castle in February, 1690, but lost the position for political reasons, along with his colonelcy in the Guards and his captaincy of a man-of-war, in December of that year.[1]

In 1689 he was elected to Parliament for Plymouth.[1][2] He notably made four speeches attacking the conditions of the Royal Navy and was a member of the committee set up to make recommendations on relieving wounded seamen.[1] He continued to sit for Plymouth until 1698, and then represented Newport until 1700, Fowey from January to December 1701 and Cornwall from 1701 to 1703.[1][2] He was in opposition during the whole reign of William III.[1] When Queen Anne succeeded to the throne in 1702, Granville was sworn of the Privy Council.[1][2] In 1703 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Granville of Potheridge, of Potheridge in the County of Devon,[2] and appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Cornwall, Lord Warden of the Stannaries and Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance, posts he held until 1705.[1][2] The latter year he again went into opposition.[1]

Family

Lord Granville of Potheridge married Rebeccah Child, daughter of Sir Josiah Child, 1st Baronet, and widow of Charles Somerset, Marquess of Worcester, in 1703. They had no children. He died in December 1707 after an apoplectic seizure, aged 42. As he had no children the barony died with him. He was buried at St Clement Danes, London.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Members Constituencies Parliaments Surveys. "www.historyofparliamentonline.org GRANVILLE (GRENVILLE), Hon. John (1665-1707), of Stowe, Cornw. (originally published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983". Historyofparliamentonline.org. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk Granville of Potheridge, Baron (E, 1703 - 1707) Archived 11 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
Parliament of England Preceded bySir Hugh PiperWilliam Harbord Member of Parliament for Launceston 1685–1687 With: Sir Hugh Piper Succeeded byWilliam HarbordEdward Russell Preceded bySir John MaynardArthur Herbert Member of Parliament for Plymouth 1689–1698 With: Sir John Maynard 1689–1690John Trelawny 1690–1695George Parker 1695–1698 Succeeded byCharles TrelawnySir John Rogers, Bt Preceded byJohn MoriceThe Viscount Newhaven Member of Parliament for Newport, Cornwall 1698–1700 With: John Morice 1698–1699Francis Stratford 1699–1700 Succeeded byFrancis StratfordJohn Prideaux Preceded byThomas VivianSir Bevil Granville Member of Parliament for Fowey January–December 1701 With: John Williams Succeeded byJohn WilliamsJohn Hicks Preceded byJohn SpeccotRichard Edgcumbe Member of Parliament for Cornwall 1701–1703 With: James Buller Succeeded byJames BullerSir Richard Vyvyan, Bt Political offices Preceded bySir Henry Goodricke, Bt Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance 1702–1705 Succeeded byThomas Erle Honorary titles Preceded byThe Earl of Radnor Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of Cornwall 1702–1705 Succeeded byThe Earl of Godolphin Lord Warden of the Stannaries 1702–1705 Succeeded byViscount Rialton Peerage of England New creation Baron Granville of Potheridge 1703–1707 Extinct
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