Robert Hucks (1699–1745) of

Clifton Hampden Clifton Hampden is a village and civil parish on the north bank of the River Thames, just over east of Abingdon in Oxfordshire. Since 1932 the civil parish has included the village of Burcot, east of Clifton Hampden. The 2011 Census record ...

near Abingdon, and

Aldenham House Aldenham House is an English country house in Elstree, just south-east of Aldenham village and west of Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England. It was the seat of the Gibbs family, who were the Baron Aldenham, Barons Aldenham, and is now a main build ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

, was an English brewer 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 ...

from 1722 to 1741.

Early life

Hucks was baptised on 5 March 1699, the eldest surviving son of

William Hucks William Hucks (1672–1740) was an English brewer and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1709 and 1740. Early life Hucks was baptized on 22 October 1672, the eldest son of William Hucks, brewer of St Giles-in-the-Fields and ...

brewer of

St Giles-in-the-Fields St Giles in the Fields is the Anglicanism, Anglican parish church of the St Giles, London, St Giles district of London. The parish stands within the London Borough of Camden and forms part of the Diocese of London. The church, named for Saint ...

and his wife Elizabeth Selwood, daughter of Robert Selwood of Abingdon,

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

. He was admitted at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

on 6 January 1717 and at

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

on 11 January 1720. He married Sarah Coghill, daughter of Henry Coghill of Pennes Place, in

Aldenham Aldenham is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the borough of Hertsmere in Hertfordshire, England. The parish includes Radlett and Letchmore Heath as well as Aldenham village itself. The village of Aldenham lies north-eas ...

on 22 December 1730. She brought him Aldenham House, which was built on the estate of Penns Place.Historic England - Aldenham House
/ref>

Career

Hucks was elected as Member of Parliament for Abingdon at the 1722 general election and consistently voted with the government. In 1726, he purchased Clifton manor from the trustees of the profligate Edmund Dunch. He was re-elected in a contest at the 1727 general election. In 1733 he was appointed Recorder of Wallingford. He faced another contested election in

1734 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 – ...

and was elected again as MP for Abingdon. Hucks was an enemy of religious establishments and in 1736 he opposed a grant to repair the

Henry VII Chapel The Henry VII Lady Chapel, now more often known just as the Henry VII Chapel, is a large Lady chapel at the far eastern end of Westminster Abbey, England, paid for by the will of King Henry VII. It is separated from the rest of the abbey by br ...

and promoted a mortmain bill to prevent land being alienated to religious and charitable institutions. In 1737 he resigned as a councillor of the Georgia Trustees over plans to endow land for a church there. He succeeded his father to the brewery in 1740 and assumed his father's office as King’s brewer. He did not stand at the 1741 general election. In 1743 he presented the Treasury with a petition on behalf of London victuallers which sought the repeal of the Pot Act, which imposed a levy on publicans. He became treasurer of the

Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital (formally the Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted Young Children) was a children's home in London, England, founded in 1739 by the philanthropy, philanthropic Captain (nautical), sea captain ...

in 1744.

Death and legacy

Hucks died aged 46 on 21 December 1745 and was buried on 30 December at St John the Baptist, Aldenham, where there is a monumental inscription. He and his wife had two sons and six daughters. Clifton passed to his son Robert who became a lunatic, and on his death it passed by inheritance to Anne and Sarah Noyes, nieces of Robert Hucks.

External links

Hertfordshire Church Monuments Aldenham Church, St John the Baptist, in Hertfordshire

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hucks, Robert 1699 births 1745 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Members of the Inner Temple Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Abingdon British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741