Family and Education

b. 24 June 1780, 1st s. of William Hanbury of Kelmarsh, Northants. and Shobdon Court by Charlotte, da. of Charles James Packe of Prestwold, Leics. educ. Eton 1791-3; Christ Church, Oxf. 1798. m. 16 Aug. 1822, Elizabeth, da. of Lord Spencer Stanley Chichester* of Fisherwick, Staffs., 4s. 4da. suc. fa. 1807, cr. Baron Bateman 30 Jan. 1837 and took name of Bateman Hanbury 14 Feb. 1837.

Offices Held

Sheriff, Herefs. 1819-20, ld. lt. 1841-d.

Cornet Northants. yeomanry 1802, lt. 1810, capt. 1816; capt. Herefs. militia 1803, maj. 1803.

Biography

Hanbury’s father, a Northamptonshire country gentleman descended from the Hanburys of Hanbury, inherited the estates of the Bateman family in 1802. His grandfather twice contested Northampton. He himself was returned for the borough unopposed on the independent interest on a vacancy in 1810. He succeeded a staunch Whig, Edward Bouverie, in the seat. His own politics, so he confessed to his constituents’ after his election ‘as the glass went round’, were the same.1 He never apparently uttered in debate.

Hanbury demonstrated his bias by his votes during the Regency debates. He could not be rallied to an extra-parliamentary meeting of Friends of Constitutional Reform. On 6 June 1811 he opposed the restoration to office of the Duke of York. He was a staunch supporter of Catholic relief in both of his Parliaments. He voted for the critical opposition motions of 4 and 27 Feb. 1812. On behalf of his constituents’ he opposed the additional leather tax, 26 June, 2 July 1812 and 9 May 1816. He was in the minority on the vice-chancellor bill, 11 Feb. 1813. He refused to support his constituents’ petition against the corn bill and stayed away. In an apologia of 24 Mar. 1815, he pointed out that his colleague Earl Compton, who had agreed to present the petition, had voted against the prayer thereof. In a huff, he declared that he would not offer at the next election.2 Meanwhile, he opposed the resumption of hostilities with Buonaparte, 28 Apr., 25 May 1815, and voted for retrenchment that session. In 1816 he was in the minorities against the address and against foreign alliances; he also opposed the property tax, the aliens bill and (by pair) the public revenue bill. In 1817 he voted for the reduction of the Admiralty board, 25 Feb., and twice opposed the suspension of habeas corpus, 26 Feb., 23 June. He was in the minority on the choice of Speaker, 2 June 1817. There was no sign of him in the last session and he retired at the dissolution.

Hanbury unsuccessfully contested the northern division of Northamptonshire in 1832 and December 1835. He died a Whig peer, 22 July 1845.3

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: R. G. Thorne

Notes

• 1. Bucks. RO, Dayrell mss AR39/53/97.
• 2. J. C. Cox, Recs. Northampton, ii. 509.
• 3. Gent. Mag. (1845), ii. 306.