Legh Master (c.1694–1750) of New Hall, Ashton in Makerfield, Lancashire. and

Codnor Castle Codnor Castle is a ruined 13th-century castle in Derbyshire, England. The land around Codnor came under the jurisdiction of William Peverel after the Norman Conquest. The building is registered as a Scheduled Ancient Monument a Grade II Listed B ...

, Derbyshire, was a British Tory 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 ...

from 1727 to 1747.

Early life

Master was the eldest son of

Sir Streynsham Master Sir Streynsham Master (28 October 1640 – 28 April 1724) was an English colonial administrator who was one of the 17th-century pioneers of the English colonial empire, English East India Company. He served as the Agent of Madras from 27 Janua ...

governor of Madras This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947. English Agents In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized ...

from 1677 to 1681, and director of the East India Company, of Codnor Castle, Derbyshire and his second wife Elizabeth Legh, daughter of Richard Legh, M.P., of Lyme, Cheshire. He was educated at Isleworth school Middlesex, and was admitted at

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...

23 June 1711. He married Margaret Launder daughter of Thomas Launder of New Hall Ashton in Makerfield on. 26 April 1716. His wife Margaret died on 25 July 1733. He succeeded his father at Codnor Castle and Stanley Grange, Derbyshire in 1724.

Career

Master was Mayor of Wigan in 1726. At the

1727 British general election The 1727 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 7th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election was trigg ...

he was returned as Tory Member of Parliament for

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: People * Newton (surname), including a list of people with the surname * ...

by his uncle, Peter Legh of Lyme, the proprietor of the borough. He was returned again 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 ...

. He voted regularly against the Government. Master married as his second wife (with £15,000), Anne Smith, daughter of Charles Smith of Isleworth, Middlesex on. 10 July 1739. His attendance in Parliament began to be less reliable. He was absent from the division on the place bill in 1740. He was returned again for Newton at the

1741 British general election The 1741 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 9th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election saw suppo ...

, but on 16 December 1741, he was again absent from a division on the chairman of committees. Sir Watkin Williams Wynn scathingly wrote at the end of December that a small fit of illness, and slight fit of the gout could not be a plea, when the fate of the country may very possibly turn upon a single vote. However, he continued to be absent from all subsequent recorded divisions. He was not put up for Newton again at the

1747 British general election The 1747 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 10th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election saw Hen ...

Death and legacy

Master died on 2 April 1750. He and his first wife Margaret had eight children:Codnor and District Local history and heritage website The Master Family
/ref> * Legh Master (1717-1796) *. Richard Master (1718-1745) *. Streynsham Master (1720-1741) *. Thomas Master (1723-1742) *. Elizabeth Master (1724-1810) *. Robert Master (1726-1798) * James Master (1728-1729) *. Ann Master (1730-1734) His son Legh went to Maryland in America, where his life and death gave rise to folklore and legend.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Master, Legh 1690s births 1750 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 British MPs 1747–1754 Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge