Family and Education

b. 25 Nov. 1720, 1st s. of John Proby. educ.Westminster 1736; Jesus, Camb. 1737; I. Temple 1740. m. 22 Aug. 1750, Elizabeth, da. of Joshua Allen, 2nd Visct. Allen [I], sis. and (1745) coh. of John, 3rd Visct. Allen [I], 1s. 1da. suc. to Elton 1749 and fa. 1762; cr. Baron Carysfort [I] 23 Jan. 1752; K.B. 23 Mar. 1761.

Offices Held

Ld. of Admiralty Apr.-July 1757, 1762-5; P.C. [I] 4 Aug. 1758.

Biography

Described by the 2nd Lord Egmont in his electoral survey as the ‘creature’ of Lord Gower, Proby succeeded his father at Stamford in 1747. Classed in the new Parliament as a government supporter, he seconded the Address at the opening of the session of 1751. When later that year he announced that he intended to stand for Huntingdonshire at the next general election, his cousin, Lord Trentham, was asked by Lord Sandwich to use his influence to persuade him to stand jointly with Sandwich’s brother, William Montagu.1 ‘All my friends’, Sandwich told Trentham,

are astonished that Mr. Proby should hesitate a moment about accepting so advantageous an offer but if I may say so, among friends, his vanity leads him to wish to come in upon an independent interest and not to be obliged to me or any one else for his election. This (remember what I say) is what he cannot effect, and if he should be misled so far as to throw us into confusion, nothing is clearer to me that he will be the victim of it.

In the event Proby, now Lord Carysfort, was returned for the county unopposed with Coulson Fellowes, standing as joint candidates with Sandwich’s support.

He died 18 Oct. 1772.

Ref Volumes: 1715-1754

Author: Romney R. Sedgwick

Notes

• 1. Sandwich to Trentham and to the Duke of Bedford, 15 Dec. 1751, Bedford mss.