Robert Vyner (1717–1799), was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1754 and 1796.

Early life

Vyner was the only son of Robert Vyner of

Gautby Gautby ( ) is a village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The village is situated north-west from the town of Horncastle, and is part of the Minting civil parish. Gautby parish church is dedicated to All Saints, and is a ...

and his wife Margaret Style, daughter of Sir Thomas Style, 2nd Baronet, and was born on 27 June 1717. He was educated by private tutor at home and was admitted at

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

on 3 April 1738 and at Inner Temple on 18 November 1741.

Political career

Vyner was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for Okehampton as the Duke of Bedford's candidate in the

1754 general election Events January–March * January 28 – Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word ''serendipity''. * February 22 – Expecting an attack by Portuguese-speaking militias in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Pla ...

. He did not stand in

1762 Events January–March * January 4 – Britain enters the Seven Years' War against Spain and Naples. * January 5 – Empress Elisabeth of Russia dies, and is succeeded by her nephew Peter III. Peter, an admirer of Frederick t ...

and was defeated at Lincoln in the

1768 general election The 1768 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election took plac ...

. He married Eleanor Anderson, daughter of Thomas Carter of Redbourne, Lincolnsire, and widow of Francis Anderson on 5 May 1768. She was the mother of Charles Anderson-Pelham and

Francis Evelyn Anderson Francis Evelyn Anderson (1752–1821) was a British Army officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1784. Early life and army Anderson was the second son of Francis Anderson of Manby and his wife Eleanor Carter, daughter ...

who both joined him in Parliament. In

1774 Events January–March * January 21 – Mustafa III, List of Ottoman Sultans, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dies and is succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I. * January 27 ** An angry crowd in Boston, Massachusetts seizes, tars, and f ...

Vyner was elected MP for Lincoln after a contest. He retained his seat at Lincoln at the 1780 general election. The

English Chronicle ''The English Chronicle'' was a thrice-weekly evening newspaper founded in London in 1779. History and profile ''The Chronicle'' was founded in 1779 although the founders are not known. In 1781 it was given the supplementary title ''Or, Universal ...

wrote about him in 1781 as follows. “He enjoys an estate of eight or ten thousand a year in Lincolnshire, is generally esteemed proud and imperious to inferiors, notwithstanding the apparent softness of his interior contexture in the House, and is not at all popular even in the place he represents.” Vyner did not seek re-election at Lincoln in 1784 but instead was returned as MP for Thirsk on the Frankland interest at by-election in 1785. He held the seat in the 1790 general election but did not seek re-election in 1796. He was passed over for a peerage.

Nathaniel Wraxall Sir Nathaniel William Wraxall, 1st Baronet (8 April 1751 – 7 November 1831) was an English author and politician. Life He was born in Queen Square, Bristol, the son of a Bristol merchant, Nathaniel Wraxall, and his wife Anne, great-niece of S ...

described him as "endowed with very good common sense, and of an unimpeachable character".

Later life and legacy

Vyner died on 19 July 1799. He had one son Robert who was born in 1762, before he married Eleanor, in addition to his step-children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vyner, Robert 1717 births 1799 deaths Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Members of the Inner Temple Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1754–1761 British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1790–1796 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Okehampton