ADEANE, James Whorwood (1740-1802), of Chalgrove, Oxon. and Babraham, Cambs.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820, ed. R. Thorne, 1986
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1780 - May 1789
19 May 1789 - 15 Apr. 1802

Family and Education

bap. 14 Dec. 1740, o.s. of Simon Adeane of Chalgrove by Mary, da. of Rev. the Hon. Henry Brydges, DD, bro. of James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos. educ. ?Westminster 1750-4. m. 5 Mar. 1763, Anne, da. and h. of Robert Jones of Babraham, 1s. 3da. suc. fa. 1747.

Offices Held

Entered army 1755; lt. 71 Ft. 1757; capt. 67 Ft. 1761; lt. and capt. 1 troop Horse Gren. Gds. 1763, maj. 1768, capt. and lt.-col. 1770; a.d.c. to the King 1779; maj.-gen. 1782; col. 45 Ft. 1788-d.; lt.-gen. 1796; gen. 1801.

Groom of bedchamber Aug. 1784-d.; avener and clerk marshal to the King 1789-Feb. 1801.

Biography

Adeane, with the support of the Duchess of Rutland and Pitt’s goodwill, had exchanged the borough for the county seat in 1789. He was thought by some of the gentry to be unsuited, as a courtier, to this honour. His holding the seat unopposed until his death was due as much to the active support of Lord Hardwicke, whose half-brother held the other seat, as to the passive consent of the Manners family during the 5th Duke’s minority. In Parliament he gave a silent support to administration after 1790. His hostility to the repeal of the Test Act in Scotland was noted in 1791, but his only known votes were for the abolition of the slave trade, 15 Mar. 1796, and in favour of Pitt’s assessed taxes, 4 Jan. 1798. His chief interest was the realization of his ‘expectations in the military line’, which he had informed Pitt, 9 Mar. 1788, when his troop of horse guards was disbanded, could not be satisfied by a pension. As ‘the eldest major general in the brigade’, who had spent near £8,000 on commissions, he wished to be compensated with another command: this he received soon afterwards. He died 15 Apr. 1802 at Bath, having latterly enjoyed such poor health as to cause Sir Henry Peyton* to announce his candidature for the county whether Adeane survived to contest another election or not.

PRO 30/8/107, f. 170; Add. 35701, f. 137.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: R. G. Thorne

Notes