GARTH TURNOUR, Edward Turnour, 1st Baron Winterton [I] (1734-88), of Shillinglee Park, Suss.

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

4 Dec. 1761 - 14 Feb. 1769

Family and Education

b. 1734, o.s. of Joseph Garth by Sarah, da. and h. of Francis Gee of Shillinglee Park, and gd.-da. of Sir Edward Turnour, lord chief baron of the Exchequer 1661-75. educ. Trinity, Oxf. 28 Oct. 1752, aged 18. m. (1) 13 Mar. 1756, Anne (d. 20 June 1775), da. of Thomas, 1st Lord Archer, 6s. 8da.; (2) 18 Feb. 1778, Elizabeth, da. of John Armstrong of Godalming, Surr., 2s. 2da. suc. mother to Turnour property in Suss. and took add. name of Turnour 1744;  cr. Baron Winterton [I] 10 Apr. 1761; Earl Winterton [I] 12 Feb. 1766.

Offices Held

Biography

In 1756 Turnour unsuccessfully applied to Newcastle for an Irish peerage; to obtain it was henceforth his dominant aim. In 1760 his father-in-law, Lord Archer, named him as candidate at Bramber, but next asked Newcastle to make him an Irish viscount, ‘upon which he should not stand at Bramber’, and offered the nomination in return for the peerage.1 Newcastle agreed to these terms, and by 15 Mar., ten days before the election, had obtained a peerage for Turnour, who did not stand. But when his brother-in-law, Andrew Archer, who had been returned for Bramber and Coventry, elected to sit for Coventry, Turnour, now Lord Winterton, was returned for Bramber.

In Parliament Winterton was a faithful follower of Newcastle, and voted consistently against Bute and Grenville. On the formation of the Rockingham Administration, Newcastle, apparently in recognition of Winterton’s fidelity, obtained for him an Irish earldom. He voted against the higher land tax, 27 Feb. 1767; was classed by Newcastle as a friend, 2 Mar. 1767; and voted with Opposition on nullum tempus, 17 Feb. 1768. There is no record of his having spoken in the House.

In 1768 Winterton, in conjunction with Charles Lowndes, stood again at Bramber in opposition to two candidates nominated by Lord Granby, who since 1761 had acquired an interest in the borough. Winterton and Lowndes were returned but unseated by a party vote in the House of Commons. Winterton apparently did not stand again for Parliament.

He died 10 Aug. 1788, aged 54.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Mary M. Drummond

Notes

  • 1. Add. 32919, f. 17.