David Polhill (1674 – 15 January 1754), of Chipstead, Kent, was an English landowner and Whig politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

at various times between 1710 and 1754. He was one of the signatories of the Kentish petition in 1701.

Early life

Polhill was the second son of Thomas Polhill of Otford, Kent and his wife Elizabeth Ireton, daughter of Henry Ireton, and granddaughter of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

. Polhill's elder brother died, leaving him in possession of his father's inheritance. In December 1692, he was given a licence to travel to Holland which became the start of an extended Grand Tour. He visited Hanover, Brunswick, Zell, Austria, Geneva and Italy where he was at Padua University in 1694. He returned to England in the autumn of 1696.

Career

Polhill was added to the Kentish lieutenancy on 30 July 1697, and also became a Freeman of Dover in 1697. He was appointed to the Commission of the Peace (J.P) in March 1699 and was steward of the honour of Otford from 1700 to 1705. In 1701 he became Freeman of Sandwich when he stood there for Parliament. He became notable as one of the contributors to the Kentish Petition of 1701, which urged unanimity on the House of Commons and the swift vote of supplies for the army.''Parishes: Otford'', The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 3 (1797), pp. 19-31. Date accessed: 15 November 2010
/ref> The others were Thomas Meredith and William Colepeper, Justinian Champneys, and William Hamilton the third son of James Hamilton. He was ordered into custody by the Commons on 8 May 1701 for presenting the petition. On his release, he lost his place on the county bench and his lieutenancy. In 1705 he was freeman of the Company of Free Fishermen of Thames and Medway. After Lord Rockingham became lord lieutenant of Kent in 1705, Polhill was reappointed a deputy lieutenant, and restored to the bench in March 1706. Polhill was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

at a by election on 11 January 1710 but had little time in Parliament to do other than vote for the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell. He became a Freeman of Rochester in 1710. He was defeated at the 1710 British general election and did not stand at the 1713 British general election. He was appointed High Sheriff of Kent for the year 1714 to 1715. Polhill was appointed warden of Rochester Bridge in 1716 and keeper of Walmer Castle in 1718. He was elected MP for Bramber at a by-election on 16 February 1723. At the 1727 British general election, he switched to Rochester, where he was brought in by the Administration as MP. He was returned again in a contest at the

1734 British general election The 1734 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of Great Britain, House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scot ...

but was defeated in 1741. He regained the seat again at a by-ekection 22 February 1743 and was returned again at the 1747 British general election. He was also keeper of the records in the Tower of London from 1731 until his death.

Later life and legacy

Polhill lived at Chipstead but also had a house at Otford which he attempted to rebuild. He died on 15 January 1754, aged 79 and is commemorated by a carved memorial in Otford Church by Sir Henry Cheere, 1st Baronet.St Bartholomews Otford The Polhill's of Otford
/ref> Polhill married Elizabeth Trevor, daughter of Thomas Trevor of Glynde, Sussex on 3 September 1702. She died in 1708 and he married as his second wife, on 20 August 1713, Gertrude Holles, daughter of

Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton Baronet, Bt ( 1653 – 23 February 1712) was a moderate England, English British Whig Party, Whig politician and Member of Parliament for several constituencies. He is best remembered as the fathe ...

and sister of the 1st Duke of Newcastle. Gertrude died in 1714 and he married as his third wife, Elizabeth Borret, daughter of John Borret of Shoreham on 28 July 1719. There were no children from his first two marriages, and he had four sons and one daughter by his last marriage, of whom Charles, who succeeded to his estates, and Elizabeth, survived him.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Polhill, David 1674 births 1754 deaths People from Otford Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 British MPs 1747–1754 High sheriffs of Kent