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Sir Nathaniel Napier, 2nd Baronet (1636–1709) was an English politician, known also as a traveller and
dilettante Dilettante or dilettantes may refer to: * Amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidactic ...
.


Early life

The third son of Sir Gerrard Napier, 1st Baronet, of More Crichel in
Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...
, by Margaret, daughter and co-heiress of John Colles of Barton St David, Somerset, he matriculated at
Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is Colleges of the University of Oxford, a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title for ...
, 16 March 1654, as a fellow-commoner. He presented the college with a bronze eagle lectern; but, being in bad health, did not take a degree. After his marriage in 1656, he lived quietly at
Edmondsham Edmondsham is a village in Dorset, England. It is north west of Verwood and north of Bournemouth, near the source of a small stream which flows into the River Crane, Dorset; both are Sites of Special Scientific Interest. In the 2001 census i ...
, Dorset.


In politics

Napier was knighted on 16 January 1662, and spent some time travelling. In 1673 he succeeded his father as second baronet, and settled down as a country gentleman. He renovated Middlemarsh Hall and
Crichel House Crichel House is a Grade I listed Classical Revival country house near the village of Moor Crichel in Dorset, England. The house has an entrance designed by Thomas Hopper (architect), Thomas Hopper and interiors by James Wyatt. It is surrounded ...
, and represented
Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...
in the House of Commons from April 1677 to February 1678, before he was unseated. Napier sat as member for
Corfe Castle Corfe Castle is a fortification standing above the Corfe Castle (village), village of the same name on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula in the English county of Dorset. Built by William the Conqueror, the castle dates to the 11th century and ...
in the two parliaments of 1679, and in those of 1681 and 1685–87. In 1689, he took his seat in the Convention parliament as member for
Poole Poole () is a coastal town and seaport on the south coast of England in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area in Dorset, England. The town is east of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east ...
, for which town he had procured the restoration in 1688 of the charter forfeited in 1687; but a double return had been made for the second seat for that borough, and a committee of the House of Commons reported, 9 February 1689, that Thomas Chafin, who had a majority of the votes of the commonalty paying
scot and lot Scot and lot is a phrase common in the records of English, Welsh and Irish medieval boroughs, referring to local rights and obligations. The term ''scot'' comes from the Old English word '' sceat'', an ordinary coin in Anglo-Saxon times, eq ...
, was entitled to the seat. The House, however, decided that the franchise should be confined to the "select body", i.e. the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses, who had voted for Napier by a majority of 33 to 22. Napier continued to represent Poole till 1698. He later sat for Dorchester from February 1702 until 1705. His party affiliations in mid-life were unclear to contemporaries, but at the end he was an outright Tory.historyofparliamentonline.org, ''Napier, Sir Nathaniel, 2nd Bt. (c.1636-1709), of More Critchell, Dorset''.
/ref>


Later life

In 1697, Napier began to travel again, with a tour in France and Italy, keeping a journal. In France, he kept company with the deposed
James II of England James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...
and his son, the future
Old Pretender James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs or the King over the Water by Jacobites, was the House of Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Ireland and Scotland from 1701 until ...
. In October 1701, Napier revisited Holland, and, in 1704, spent three months in
Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
, intending to go on to
Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
. From March 1706 to September 1707, Napier was at
Spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...
for his health; and eventually died in England on 21 January 1709. He was buried with his ancestors at Great Minterne, Dorset, where he had erected a monument during his lifetime. A mural inscription was added by his son.


Works

In 1667 Napier went for three months to Holland with his mother's brother-in-law,
Henry Coventry Henry Coventry (1619–1686), styled "The Honourable" from 1628, was an English politician who was Secretary of State for the Northern Department between 1672 and 1674 and the Southern Department between 1674 and 1680. Origins and education Co ...
, a diplomat sent to negotiate the Treaty of Breda. On his return, he wrote a ''Particular Tract'' describing his travels. In 1671–2 he paid a visit to France, and wrote another ''Tract''. He had a reputation for drawing.


Family

In 1656 Napier's father married him to Blanche, daughter and coheiress of Sir
Hugh Wyndham Hugh Wyndham may refer to: * Sir Hugh Wyndham (judge) (1602–1684), English judge of the Common Pleas and Baron of the Exchequer * Hugh Wyndham (Minehead MP) (c. 1624–71), MP for Minehead 1661–71 * Sir Hugh Wyndham (diplomat) (1836–1916), ...
, justice of the
Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...
and his first wife Jane Wodehouse. Lady Napier died in 1695, and, their first four sons having also died before 1690, Sir Nathaniel married a Gloucestershire lady, Susanna Guise, in 1697. A daughter, Elizabeth, married
Sir John Guise, 3rd Baronet Sir John Guise, 3rd Baronet ( 1677–1732) of Elmore Court, Gloucestershire was a British landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1705 and 1727. Guise was the only son of Sir John Guise, 2nd Baronet and his wife Eliza ...
of the same family.historyofparliamentonline.org, ''Guise, Sir John, 3rd Bt. (c.1677-1732), of Elmore and Rendcombe, Glos., and Harleyford, in Great Marlow, Bucks.''
/ref> Napier was succeeded by his only surviving son,
Nathaniel Nathaniel is an English variant of the biblical Hebrew name A name is a term used for identification by an external observer. They can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. ...
, who was member for Dorchester in nine parliaments between 1695 and 1722. On the death of his grandson, the sixth baronet, in 1765, the estates passed to a cousin,
Humphry Sturt Humphrey Sturt (''c.'' 1724 – 20 October 1786) was a British landowner, architect and politician who sat in the British House of Commons, House of Commons from 1754 to 1784. Early life and family Sturt was the son of Humphrey Sturt (1687- ...
, who built up
Crichel House Crichel House is a Grade I listed Classical Revival country house near the village of Moor Crichel in Dorset, England. The house has an entrance designed by Thomas Hopper (architect), Thomas Hopper and interiors by James Wyatt. It is surrounded ...
there.


Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Napier, Sir Nathaniel Napier, 2nd Baronet 1636 births 1709 deaths Knights Bachelor Members of the Parliament of England for Dorchester 302 English MPs 1679 English MPs 1681 English MPs 1685–1687 English MPs 1689–1690 English MPs 1690–1695 English MPs 1695–1698 English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1702–1705 English travel writers