COGHILL (formerly MAYNE), John (d.1785), of Richings Park, Bucks.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1780 - 14 Nov. 1785

Family and Education

m. in or after 1764, Hester, da. and h. of James Coghill, LL.D., wid. of Charles Moore, 1st Earl of Charleville [I], s.p. Assumed name of Coghill 6 Mar. 1779. cr. Bt. 24 Mar. 1781.

Offices Held

Cornet 14 Drag. (Ireland) 1734, capt. lt. 1754, maj. 1766; disappears from Army List 1771.

Biography

Coghill was returned unopposed for Newport on the Duke of Northumberland’s interest. Shortly after his election in 1780 the English Chronicle wrote about him:

He ... went to Ireland in the suite of the Duke of Northumberland, when that nobleman was appointed the viceroy. Being remarkably handsome in his person, mild and engaging in his manners, he became in this situation not only an object of general regard amongst the men, but a peculiar favourite with the ladies. Amongst the rest, his personal accomplishments did not escape the attention of the Countess of Charleville, who became deeply enamoured with him, and of course soon yielded to his addresses, when he presented himself her suitor. He got a large fortune with this lady, and enjoys it with great esteem. His connexions in life will necessarily incline him to be ministerial in his political principles. He is not likely to make a distinguished figure as an orator in Parliament.

Coghill voted with the Administration on Lowther’s motion against the war, 12 Dec. 1781, and the censure motion against the Admiralty, 20 Feb. 1782, but did not vote on the motions to end the war, 22 and 27 Feb. 1782, though he again supported North on the censure motions of 8 and 15 Mar. 1782. A letter from his wife to Shelburne, 6 Sept. 1782, states that Coghill believed that New York should be retained.1 He did not vote on Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783, nor on Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783. In Robinson’s list of January 1784, Stockdale’s of 19 Mar., and Adam’s of May he is classed as a Pittite. There is no record of his having spoken in the House.  He died 14 Nov. 1785.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: I. R. Christie

Notes

  • 1. Lansdowne mss.