LLOYD, Maurice (d.1796), of Pall Mall, London.

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

9 Sept. 1782 - Feb. 1787

Family and Education

m. 25 Nov. 1784, Mrs. Prowse, wid. of George Prowse of Yeovil, Som. ‘and sole heiress of W. Bragge of Hatfield Peverel, Essex’.1

Offices Held

Biography

Nothing is known about Lloyd before March 1780 when Temple Luttrell, accusing Lord North in the House of Commons of ‘corrupt practices’ at Milborne Port, produced evidence of an agreement between Lloyd and Thomas Medlycott, the borough patron. Lloyd, Luttrell stated, was ‘in all the West of England ... distinguished by the appellation of Lord North’s Lloyd ... He was tenant to Lord North; recruiting officer; lived with him in terms of intimacy, and had been his generally acknowledged agent.’ In this capacity, Luttrell alleged, Lloyd was to advance £3,000 to be used to strengthen Medlycott’s interest at Milborne Port, and Medlycott was to return either Lloyd or ‘such other gentleman as Lord North, Mr. Medlycott, or Mr. Lloyd shall mutually approve’. North himself stated that Lloyd had never been his agent, and that though he had ‘raised some recruits for his sons’, it was ‘not from any lucrative motives but from friendship’.2 Luttrell’s charges against North were dismissed by the House as ‘ill-founded and injurious’ though in fact they seem to have been justified. On 26 Mar. 1781 an accusation by George Byng about Lloyd’s share in the Government loan of that year, was denied by North.3

Lloyd did not attempt to enter Parliament at the general election, but in September 1782 was returned for Gatton by Lord Newhaven. He did not vote on Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783; was classed by Robinson in March 1783 as ‘North, doubtful’, and voted for Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783. His only reported speech in the House was to move on 23 May 1783 ‘that the governor and company of the Bank of England do lay before the House a copy of all the sums of money on which dividends are due and unpaid’.4 Lloyd was counted as ‘pro’ by Robinson in January 1784, but is classed as ‘Opposition’ in Stockdale’s list of 19 Mar., and by Adam in May after his re-election at Gatton; and he voted with them till he vacated his seat in February 1787. The reasons for his leaving Parliament are not known.

He died in May 1796.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Mary M. Drummond

Notes

  • 1. Gent. Mag. 1784, p. 955.
  • 2. Almon, xvii. 358, 368, 369.
  • 3. Debrett ii. 365.
  • 4. Ibid. x. 64-65.