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LUSHINGTON, Stephen (1744-1807), of Southill Park, Beds.
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Biography Detail
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Constituency
Dates
Family and Education
b. 17 June 1744, 3rd s. of Rev. Henry Lushington, vicar of Eastbourne, Suss. by his 1st w. Mary, da. of Rev. Roger Altham, archdeacon of Mdx. m. 6 June 1771, Hester, da. of John Boldero of Darrington, Yorks., 3s. 6da. cr.Bt. 26 Apr. 1791.
Offices Held
Director, E.I. Co. 1782-6, 1787-91, 1792-6, 1797-1801, 1802-5, dep. chairman 1789-90, chairman 1790-1791, 1795-6, 1799-1800.
Biography
Lushington was closely connected with Henry Fletcher, a follower of the Duke of Portland and in 1783 the leader of the Foxite party in the East India Company. On 17 Nov. 1783 Portland wrote to Lord Fitzwilliam about a vacant seat at Hedon:1
I have two candidates to propose to you, Mr. Adey a banker and Mr. Lushington, both excellent men, and though I should believe the latter would be the most useful of the two by being able to assist us with his voice as well as his vote, there are reasons which oblige me to prefer the former ... They are both equally to be depended upon as to their politics and their means, which are ready to the extent required by Beilby Thompson [on whose interest Lushington stood].
In Fox’s East India bill Lushington was named one of the assistant commissioners, but on 5 Dec. the bill was amended to make them ineligible to sit in Parliament. He had now to choose between accepting the place or a seat in the House, and the bill’s unpopularity with East India proprietors led him to refuse Fox’s offer. He was returned for Hedon without a contest.
His first speech, on 14 Jan. 1784, was on Pitt’s India bill:2
The two things for which he thought it chiefly exceptionable were, the appointments of the several officers ... and the very enormous influence it placed on that account in the hands of the Crown. On these two accounts he strongly condemned the bill, and hoped no such flimsy, half-formed measure, the mere bantling of a faction, could ever deserve the confidence of this House.
His only other speech in this Parliament, 11 Mar. 1784, was also on East India affairs.
In 1784 he contested Hastings but was defeated. His subsequent career lies outside our period. He died 12 Jan. 1807.
