Ralph Jenison ( – 15 May 1758) of
Elswick Hall near Newcastle, Northumberland and
Walworth Castle, county Durham. was a British politician who sat in the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the 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 parliament. ...
between 1724 and 1758
Early life
Jenison was baptized at
Heighington, County Durham
Heighington ( ) is a village in the borough of Darlington and ceremonial county of County Durham, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 2,395. It is situated between Darlington and Shildon, near Newton Aycliffe. O ...
, on 23 December 1696. From a family of Newcastle merchants, he was the eldest surviving son of Ralph Jenison of Elswick and Walworth, and his wife Elizabeth Heron (daughter of
Sir Cuthbert Heron, 1st Baronet of
Chipchase, Northumberland). He succeeded his father in 1704, and his grandfather Robert Jenison, in 1714.
Jenison was
High Sheriff of Northumberland
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of the English county of Northumberland
Northumberland () is a ceremonial counties of England, county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in t ...
in 1716 and became a freeman of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1718.
[ He was admitted at ]Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...
in March 1719.
Career
Jenison stood for parliament in a very expensive contest at a by-election at Northumberland
Northumberland () is a ceremonial counties of England, county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Ab ...
on 20 February 1723. He was initially unsuccessful, but he petitioned and was seated as Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...
on 16 April 1724. At the 1727 general election he was returned unopposed. He usually supported the Government, but voted for the repeal of the Septennial Act in 1734. He was re-elected MP for Northumberland in another expensive contest at the 1734 general election
Events
January– March
* January 8 – Salzburgers, Lutherans who were expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, Austria, in October 1731, set sail for the British Colony of Georgia in America.
* February 16 – T ...
. He was politically connected with Charles Bennet, 2nd Earl of Tankerville
Charles Bennet, 2nd Earl of Tankerville, KT (21 December 1697 – 14 March 1753), styled Lord Ossulston between 1714 and 1722, was a British peer and politician.
Background
Tankerville was the son of Charles Bennet, 1st Earl of Tankerville, an ...
and succeeded him as Master of the Buckhounds
The Master of the Buckhounds (or Master of the Hounds) was an officer in the Master of the Horse's department of the British Royal Household. The holder was also His/Her Majesty's Representative at Ascot. The role was to oversee a hunting pack; a ...
in 1737.[
Jenison did not stand at the 1741 general election, probably for financial reasons. He had to sell Elswick Hall in 1742 and he gave up the mastership of the buckhounds in 1744. He received a pension of £1,200 as compensation but he recovered the post in 1746. He acted as agent to Lord Ossulston, Tankerville's son, at a by-election for Northumberland in February 1748 and this may have been rewarded by his return as MP for Newport (Isle of Wight) at a by-election on 20 June 1749, when Tankerville's brother-in-law, Lord Portsmouth, was governor of the island.][
At the 1754 general election Jenison was returned unopposed for Newport but incurred high expenses which may have been paid from secret service money. In 1757 he lost his post of as Master of the Buckhounds again and was offered a secret service pension in compensation, which was finally settled at £1,800.]
Personal life
On 10 December 1751, Jenison married Susan Allan, daughter of Thomas Allan of the Flatts, county Durham.[
He died on 15 May 1758 and was buried at Heighington. He left no issue as an only son predeceased him.][
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jenison, Ralph
1696 births
1758 deaths
High Sheriffs of Northumberland
Members of Parliament for Newport (Isle of Wight)
British MPs 1715–1722
British MPs 1722–1727
British MPs 1727–1734
British MPs 1734–1741
British MPs 1747–1754
British MPs 1754–1761