WINNINGTON, Edward (1749-1805), of Stanford Court, Worcs.

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

Constituency

Dates

27 Nov. 1777 - 9 Jan. 1805

Family and Education

b. 14 Nov. 1749, o.s. of Sir Edward Winnington, 1st Bt., of Stanford Court by Mary, da. of John Ingram of Bewdley. educ. Eton 1763-5; Christ Church, Oxf. 1767. m. at St. Marylebone, Mdx. 9 May 1776, Hon. Anne Foley, da. of Thomas Foley, 1st Baron Foley, 5s. 5da. suc. fa. as 2nd Bt. 9 Dec. 1791.

Offices Held

Biography

By his marriage Winnington had painlessly regained the Droitwich seat which his family had lost to the Foleys. He was secure in it for the rest of his life. Like his wife’s family he was a Whig, who joined Brooks’s Club, 7 Feb. 1786, sponsored by his brother-in-law Lord Foley. Like Edward Foley* he remained a Foxite and had nothing to say in debate. He was counted favourable to repeal of the Test Act in Scotland in April 1791. He voted against Pitt’s Russian policy, 1 Mar. 1792, and against war with revolutionary France, 18 Feb. 1793. In the session of 1794 he voted steadily with Fox against war and repression and he did so again on 27 May, 29 Oct., 10 and 25 Nov. 1795. He supported the abolition of the slave trade, 15 Mar. 1796. In the Parliament of 1796 he voted for inquiry into the Bank stoppage, 28 Feb., 1 Mar. 1797, and into the state of defence in Ireland, 3 Mar.; for censure of the naval mutiny, 10 May; and against the triple tax assessment, 4 Jan. 1798. He avoided the reform issue. In the session of 1800 he voted against the refusal to negotiate with Buonaparte, 3 Feb., for inquiry into the failure of the Helder expedition, 10 Feb., and against the duration of the income tax, 5 June. He voted for the censure motions of 27 Nov. 1800 and 25 Mar., and against the continued suspension of habeas corpus, 14 Apr. 1801. He voted his thanks for Pitt’s removal from office, 7 May 1802.

Winnington took a month’s leave for health reasons, 14 Mar. 1803. He was in the minority on the resumption of hostilities, 24 May 1803, and voted against Addington on the defence motions that brought him down, 16, 23, 25 Apr. 1804. Listed ‘Fox’ in March and May, he voted against Pitt’s additional force bill in June and was listed ‘Fox and Grenville’ in September 1804. He died 9 Jan. 1805. He was

eminent for his attainments in literature; an amiable, entertaining, and instructive companion, affectionate and indulgent in all his domestic relations; an ornament to his native county and to all his connexions.1

According to John William Ward* his life story was ‘like a novel’.2

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: M. J. Williams

Notes

  • 1. Gent. Mag. (1805), i. 91.
  • 2. Letters to ‘Ivy’, 32.