James Bertie
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James Bertie (13 March 1674 – 18 October 1735) of Stanwell and Westminster, Middlesex, was a British Tory politician who sat in the English and
British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...
for 34 years between 1695 and 1734.


Early life and marriage

Bertie was born in 1674, the second son of James Bertie, 5th Baron Norreys, later created
Earl of Abingdon Earl of Abingdon is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created on 30 November 1682 for James Bertie, 1st Earl of Abingdon, James Bertie, 5th Baron Norreys of Rycote. He was the eldest son of Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey by his seco ...
, and his wife Eleanor Lee, the elder daughter of Sir Henry Lee, 3rd Baronet and his wife Ann Danvers. A younger brother was Henry Bertie, MP, one of the
Lords Proprietors of Carolina A lord proprietor is a person granted a royal charter for the establishment and government of an English colony in the 17th century. The plural of the term is "lords proprietors" or "lords proprietary". Origin In the beginning of the Europe ...
. On 5 January 1692, he married Hon. Elizabeth Willoughby, the daughter of George Willoughby, 7th Baron Willoughby of Parham. Elizabeth had been left an extensive legacy by her great-uncle John Cary (died 1686), including the manor of
Stanwell Stanwell is a village in the Borough of Spelthorne, Spelthorne district, in Surrey, England. It is west of central London. A small corner of its land is used as industrial land for nearby Heathrow Airport. The rest of the village is made up o ...
, on the condition that she would marry Lord Guilford within three years of his death; the inheritance otherwise to go to Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount of Falkland (died 1694), John's first cousin twice removed, and his heirs and afterwards to
Edward Cary Edward Cary or Carey or Carye (died 1618) was an English courtier and Master of the Jewel Office for Elizabeth I and James VI and I. Family background He was a son of John Cary or Carey of Pleshey (died 1551) and Joyce, daughter of Edmund De ...
(died 1692), John's first cousin, and his heirs. Her trustees came to an agreement with Falkland and Edward Cary to allow her to enjoy the estate for life, notwithstanding her failure to marry Lord Guilford, and she afterwards married Bertie. However, the agreement ended upon the deaths of Edward Cary and Falkland, and when Edward's son
Lucius Lucius is a masculine given name derived from Lucius (Latin ; ), abbreviated L., one of the small group of common Latin forenames () found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius probably derives from Latin word ( gen. ), meaning "light" (<
succeeded Anthony in the peerage, his guardian sued Elizabeth to claim the estate. The
Court of Chancery The Court of Chancery was a court of equity in England and Wales that followed a set of loose rules to avoid a slow pace of change and possible harshness (or "inequity") of the Common law#History, common law. The Chancery had jurisdiction over ...
found in favour of Lord Falkland in 1698, and Bertie appealed the decree to the
House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
. He was successful in obtaining a life interest for Elizabeth in the Stanwell estate, with reversion to Lord Falkland, but a paper circulated by his brother
Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
on his behalf abused Lord Chancellor Somers in such terms as to create a scandal, for which Lord Abingdon was compelled to apologise in the Lords.


Career

Bertie was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for New Woodstock at the 1695 general election, and was returned unopposed again in 1698 and at the two general elections of 1701. He was elected in a contest at the 1702 general election, but stood down in favour of his brother
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
in 1705. He did not stand in 1708. At the 1710 general election Bertie was elected MP for
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
. In 1712 he was appointed Commissioner for sewers for Tower Hamlets. He was returned unopposed at Middlesex in
1713 Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take ...
. In 1714, he became a Commissioner for the Trent navigation, and also steward of Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle in the
Duchy of Lancaster The Duchy of Lancaster is an estate of the British sovereign. The estate has its origins in the lands held by the medieval Dukes of Lancaster, which came under the direct control of the monarch when Henry Bolingbroke, the then duke of Lancast ...
, a post he held until 1720. He was elected for Middlesex in a contest at the 1715 general election and thereafter opposed the Whig Government in all votes of record. Although the Stanwell estate passed to Lord Falkland upon his wife's death that year, Bertie's personal electoral influence in Middlesex remained strong. In the 1722 election, he was returned both in
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
, where he headed the poll, and at Westbury, where his brother Lord Abingdon was
lord of the manor Lord of the manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England and Norman England, referred to the landholder of a historical rural estate. The titles date to the English Feudalism, feudal (specifically English feudal barony, baronial) system. The ...
. He and Francis Annesley, also standing on the Bertie interest, were returned in place of the sitting members, Lord Carbery and Charles Allanson; while Carbery and Allanson had a better claim to the seat, their
election petition An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...
was disqualified on technical grounds. Bertie chose to sit for Middlesex, and Carbery was returned for Westbury at the ensuing by-election. On 2 December 1724, Bertie seconded a motion by
John Barnard John Edward Barnard, (born 4 May 1946) is an English engineer and racing car designer. Barnard is credited with the introduction of two new designs into Formula One: the carbon fibre composite chassis first seen in with McLaren, and the sem ...
for a committee to inquire into the crimes committed in
Wapping Wapping () is an area in the borough of Tower Hamlets in London, England. It is in East London and part of the East End. Wapping is on the north bank of the River Thames between Tower Bridge to the west, and Shadwell to the east. This posit ...
, where debtors fleeing bailiffs had gathered and terrorised the neighbourhood after the abolition of their former sanctuaries. He served on the committee of inquiry, which reported out the bill that became the Shelterers in Wapping, Stepney, etc. Act 1724. He again headed the poll in Middlesex at the 1727 election, but did not stand for that borough in the 1734 election. He appears to have been the James Bertie who was defeated at Westbury in that election; he petitioned against the election result, but this was disallowed when he failed to produce the requisite property qualification.


Later life and legacy

Some time after his first wife's death in 1715, Bertie married Elizabeth Calvert, the daughter of Rev. George Calvert, rector of Stanwell. Bertie died on 18 October 1735. He had ten sons and four daughters by his first wife, although five of the sons and three of the daughters predeceased him. He had no children by his second wife. His children included: *
Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon (28 November 1692 – 10 June 1760), of Wytham Abbey, Berkshire and Rycote, Oxfordshire, was an English people, English landowner and Tory politician who sat briefly in the British House of Commons, House ...
(1692–1760) *Edward Bertie (d. 21 September 1733), barrister *Rev. William Bertie (d. 29 August 1757), rector of
Albury Albury (; ) is a major regional city that is located in the Murray River, Murray region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the twin city of Albury–Wodonga, Albury-Wodonga and is located on the Hume Highway and the northern side of ...
, married his first cousin Hon. Anne Bulkeley, daughter of Richard Bulkeley, 4th Viscount Bulkeley and had issue *Henry Bertie *Rev. John Bertie (d. 1 February 1774), rector of Kenn, prebendary of
Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The presen ...
, married Mary Nicholas and had issue *Bridget Bertie (d. 1734), married Robert Coytmore (c.1691–1725) and had issue


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bertie, James 1674 births 1735 deaths Younger sons of earls English MPs 1695–1698 English MPs 1698–1700 English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1702–1705 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies James