Samuel Estwick (c. 1736–1795) was a West India planter and 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. ...

from 1779 to 1795. Estwick was the third, but only surviving son of Richard Estwick of

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate ...

and his wife Elizabeth Rous, daughter of John Rous of Barbados. He was possibly educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

and matriculated at

Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...

on 10 October 1753, aged 17. He entered

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in 1752. In 1753 he succeeded to the estates of his father. He married firstly Elizabeth Frere daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel John Frere, Governor of Barbados before 24 March 1763. He became assistant agent for Barbados in 1763. His first wife died in 1766 and he married secondly Grace Langford daughter of Jonas Langford of Theobald’s Park, Hertfordshire and formerly of Antigua, on 11 May 1769. In 1778 he was promoted to agent for Barbados and held the post until 1792. Estwick was a political pamphleteer and his works included “A Vindication of the Ministry’s Acceptance of the Administration” (1765), Consideration on the Nego Cause (1772) and “A Letter to the Rev. Josiah Tucker” (1776). These made him well known and he became acquainted with Lord Abingdon, who shared his views. Abingdon brought him into Parliament 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 ...

for Westbury at a by-election on 20 March 1779. He was returned again unopposed in the 1780 general election. He made his first speech on 23 January 1781, when he presented a petition from Barbados for relief for the sufferers in a hurricane. Two further speeches in this session were on matters connected with Barbados. 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: “He does not possess the gift of oratory, and never delivers his opinion in the House upon any but mercantile subjects, but constantly attends his duty, and votes upon all questions, with Opposition. He enjoys very large possessions in the West India islands, and is said to have been included as a very considerable sufferer in the dreadful calamity which has recently taken place in that quarter. He has not distinguished himself in the political world by any other circumstance, than by the zeal of his opposition to the measures of the present Administration.” Following a change of government in 1782 he was considered for various posts. He was appointed Deputy Paymaster in August 1782 until April 1783 and then again from 1784 until his death. He became registrar of Chelsea Hospital, and searcher of the customs at Barbados in 1783 and from January 1784 until his death. He was returned for Westbury again unopposed in

1784 Events January–March * January 6 – Treaty of Constantinople: The Ottoman Empire agrees to Russia's annexation of the Crimea. * January 14 – The Congress of the United States ratifies the Treaty of Paris with Great Brit ...

and

1790 Events January–March * January 8 – United States President George Washington gives the first State of the Union address, in New York City. * January 11 – The 11 minor states of the Austrian Netherlands, which took p ...

. Nearly all his speeches after 1790 were on the abolition of the slave trade which he recommended be carried out gradually. In 1795 his son

Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bi ...

joined him at Westbury. His daughter Charlotte was the second wife of John Denison, MP for various constituencies 1796-1812. Estwick died on 19 November 1795.

References

External links

The Online Books Page – Online books by Samuel Estwick
{{DEFAULTSORT:Estwick, Samuel 1730s births 1795 deaths Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford Members of the Inner Temple British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1790–1796 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies