John Hatsell (22 December 1733 – 15 October 1820) was an English civil servant,

clerk of the House of Commons The clerk of the House of Commons is the chief executive of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and before 1707 in the House of Commons of England. The formal name for the position held by the Clerk of the House of Co ...

, and an authority on parliamentary procedure.

Early life

He was the son of the lawyer Henry Hatsell (1701–1762), a bencher of the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

, and his wife Penelope Robinson, daughter of Sir James Robinson of Cranford Hall,

Kettering Kettering is a market town, market and industrial town, industrial town in the North Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England, west of Cambridge, England, Cambridge, southwest of Peterborough, southeast of Leicester and north- ...

; and grandson of Sir Henry Hatsell, SL, Baron of the Exchequer (1641–1714). He was educated at

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the 16 "old colleges" of the university, and was founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. Its buildings span the R ...

, where he matriculated in 1751, graduating B.A. in 1755 and M.A. in 1760. He studied law in the Middle Temple, where he eventually became senior bencher.

Clerk to the House of Commons

Hatsell owed his appointment as a clerk to the House of Commons to

Jeremiah Dyson Jeremiah Dyson (1722 – 16 September 1776) was a British civil servant and politician. Biography He studied at the University of Edinburgh and matriculated at Leiden University in 1742. He settled a pension on his friend Mark Akenside, the p ...

, who had himself purchased the post of chief clerk in 1748. Dyson was a reformer, and Hatsell was appointed as clerk assistant in 1760 on merit and paid nothing. He was recommended for the place, on his own account, by Dyson's friend

Mark Akenside Mark Akenside (9 November 1721 – 23 June 1770) was an English poet and physician. Biography Akenside was born at Newcastle upon Tyne, England, the son of a butcher. He was slightly lame all his life from a wound he received as a child f ...

. He became chief clerk in May 1768 when he succeeded

Thomas Tyrwhitt Thomas Tyrwhitt (; 27 March 173015 August 1786) was an English writer, classical scholar, and critic. He was best known for his edition of The Canterbury Tales in which he modernized the language and provided extensive notes as well as a glossa ...

, who resigned. On 20 January 1769 Hatsell gave an apology to

John Wilkes John Wilkes (17 October 1725 – 26 December 1797) was an English Radicalism (historical), radical journalist and politician, as well as a magistrate, essayist and soldier. He was first elected a Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlese ...

for describing in a record an information laid against him as "blasphemy"; correctly it was an "impious and obscene libel", an offence only at common law. Two days earlier Wilkes had come from prison to the bar of the House of Commons to make the point. The incident was based on Wilkes's ''Essay on Woman''. Hatsell visited Paris that year, and attended a

royal hunt Royal Hunt is a Danish progressive metal band. The band was founded in 1989 by keyboardist André Andersen in order to combine basic values of classic rock with progressive, current musical elements. The name originated from a painting seen in ...

at Versailles where he became acquainted with Madame Dubarry among others. He then traveled to Strassburg and up the Rhine to Basle and on to Zurich and Lake Geneva. In 1770, he was back in Switzerland and then to Milan in Italy. In 1771 he toured the Orléannais. In 1772 it was Geneva again where he visited

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...

before pressing on for Marseilles, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Paris. Hatsell was involved in the drafting of the 1778 peace commission given to William Eden, an unsuccessful attempt to end the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

: he had responsibility for language on taxation. After his marriage that year, he gave up foreign travel, but visited country houses, and spent winters in

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

Later life

On 11 July 1797 Hatsell retired, with the thanks of the House. He kept his title, however, and his official house, while John Ley (1733–1814) as deputy carried out the normal business of the post. He also divided with Ley the large income accruing to the clerks from the passage of

private bills Proposed bills are often categorized into public bills and private bills. A public bill is a proposed law which would apply to everyone within its jurisdiction. A private bill is a proposal for a law affecting only a single person, group, or are ...

through Parliament.

Henry Addington Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth (30 May 175715 February 1844) was a British Tories (British political party), Tory statesman who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1804 and as Speaker of the House of Commons (U ...

, Speaker of the House of Commons from 1789 to 1801, took advice from both men on procedural matters. His nomination ''de facto'' was in the control of the ministry, as was generally the case during the 18th century; Hatsell, however, is thought by

John Ehrman John Patrick William Ehrman, FBA (17 March 1920 – 15 June 2011) was a British historian, most notable for his three-volume biography of William Pitt the Younger.William Pitt, the Prime Minister, that the election had better appear to arise from the Members, at a time when expectations of the Speaker's independence were rising. Addington was in fact less conservative on procedural points: while Hatsell opposed innovation as such, he allowed some latitude. A correspondence between Hatsell and

Anne Grant Anne Grant often styled Mrs Anne Grant of Laggan (21 February 1755 – 7 November 1838) was a Scottish poet and author best known for her collection of mostly biographical poems ''Memoirs of an American Lady'' as well as her earlier work ''Lette ...

began in 1805. He fell out with Ley, over clerical appointments, from around 1811. Ley died in 1814, and was replaced by Jeremiah Dyson the younger as deputy to Hatsell. Background to the quarrel was resistance to the Ley family influence, in which Charles Abbot—Speaker from 1802 to 1817—sided with Hatsell. In the end, however, Hatsell's own replacement was to be

John Henry Ley John Henry Ley (1770 – 21 August 1850), was an English civil servant who served as Clerk of the House of Commons from 1820 to 1850. Early life He was a son of Henry Ley (1744–1824) and Mary ( Smith) Ley (1748–1834), a daughter of Capt. Smi ...

, a nephew of John Ley. Hatsell died at

Marden Park Woldingham is a village and civil parish high on the North Downs between Oxted and Warlingham in Surrey, England, within the M25, southeast of London. The village has 2,141 inhabitants, many of whom commute to London, making Woldingham part ...

, near

Godstone Godstone is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Tandridge District of Surrey, England. It is east of Reigate, west of Oxted, east of Guildford and south of London. Close to the North Downs, both the North Downs Way ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

, on 15 October 1820; he resided there, but the property was let from

Sir William Clayton, 4th Baronet Sir William Clayton, 4th Baronet (16 April 1762 – 26 January 1834) of Harleyford Manor, near Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire was an English politician. Clayton was the oldest surviving son of William Clayton (died 1783), William Clayton (c. 17 ...

. He was buried in the

Temple Church The Temple Church, a royal peculiar in the Church of England, is a church in the Inner Temple, Inner and Middle Temple, Middle Temple, London, Temples located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built by the Knights Templar for their En ...

Works

Hatsell was the author of: * ''A Collection of Cases of Privilege of Parliament, from the earliest records to 1628'', London, 1776. In the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

there is a copy with copious manuscript notes by

Francis Hargrave Francis Hargrave (c.1741–1821) was an English lawyer and antiquary. He was the most prominent of the five advocates who appeared on behalf of James Somersett in the case which determined, in 1772, the legal status of slaves in England. Althoug ...

. * ''Precedents of Proceedings in the House of Commons, under separate titles; with observations'', 4 vols. London, 1781; second edit. 1785–96; third edit. 1796; fourth edition with additions by Charles Abbot, former Speaker of the House and now elevated as 1st Baron Colchester, 1818. Colchester took Hatsell to be the best authority on parliamentary procedure. At the time of publication of ''Precedents of Proceedings'', the most authoritative source for parliamentary procedure was ''

Lex Parliamentaria ''Lex Parliamentaria; or, A treatise of the law and custom of the Parliaments of England'', was a pocket manual for members of the Parliament of England first published in 1690. It was originally attributed to George Petyt. However, an attribut ...

'' of 1689. Hatsell in parliamentary matters was a follower of

Arthur Onslow Arthur Onslow (1 October 169117 February 1768) was an English politician. He set a record for length of service when repeatedly elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, where he was known for his integrity. Early life and educat ...

, Speaker of the House of Commons in 1760 when Hatsell was first appointed a clerk. Onslow was a stickler for precedent and detailed observance of procedure; and looked out for independent members and minority views. Speaker from 1727 to 1761, Onslow was also the influence behind Hatsell's pioneer codification of that procedure.

Family

Hatsell in 1778 married Elizabeth Barton, widow of Newton Barton of

Irthlingborough Irthlingborough () is a town on the River Nene in North Northamptonshire, England. As of 2021, it has a population of 9,325, and was at one point the smallest town in England to have had a Football League team, Rushden & Diamonds F.C. The pari ...

; she died in 1804 and is buried in the chancel of

All Saints Church, Fulham All Saints' Church is the ancient parish church of Fulham, in the County of Middlesex, pre-dating the Reformation. The parish was founded in the precinct of Fulham Manor, currently adjacent to it, which was in the possession of the Bishops o ...

, alongside her brother Jeffery Ekins,

dean of Carlisle The Dean of Carlisle is based in Carlisle, United Kingdom, and is the head of the Chapter of Carlisle Cathedral in the Church of England's Diocese of Carlisle. There have been 41 previous incumbents. The current dean is Jonathan Brewster; he took ...

. Hatsell erected a fine monument to her in the church in 1805: it is located under the tower of the rebuilt church. She was formerly Elizabeth Ekins, daughter of the Rev. Jeffrey Ekins, Rector of

Barton Seagrave Barton Seagrave is a large village and civil parish in the North Northamptonshire, England. The village is about south-east of Kettering, town centre. The older part of the village is known for its Norman Church and attractive buildings. The ...

, and was mother of Rev. John Barton, chaplain to the House of Commons, and Charles William Newton Barton, private secretary to Addington. Seeman Newton 1726

A noted portrait of

Sir Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton () was an English polymath active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author. Newton was a key figure in the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment that followed. His book (''Mathe ...

, now in the

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London that houses a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. When it opened in 1856, it was arguably the first national public gallery in the world th ...

, was left by Hatsell to the

. His connection by marriage to the Bartons was into the extended family of Isaac Newton, Newton Barton being a great-grandson of Hannah Ayscough, Isaac Newton's mother, by her second marriage, to the Rev. Barnabas Smith.

References

External links

Parliamentary Archives, Papers of John Hatsell (1733-1820), Clerk of the House of Commons
;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Hatsell, John Civil servants from London English lawyers 1733 births 1820 deaths Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Clerks of the House of Commons