Sir Nathaniel Napier, 3rd Baronet (c. 1668 – 24 February 1728), of

Moor Crichel Moor Crichel () is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Crichel, in East Dorset, England situated on Cranborne Chase five miles east of Blandford Forum Blandford Forum ( ), commonly Blandford, is a market town in Dors ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset. Covering an area of ...

, was an English landowner and politician who sat in the

English House of Commons The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons o ...

from 1695 to 1708 and in the British House of Commons from 1710 to 1722.

Early life

Napier was the only surviving son of

Sir Nathaniel Napier, 2nd Baronet Sir Nathaniel Napier, 2nd Baronet (1636–1709) was an English politician, known also as a traveller and dilettante. Early life The third son of Sir Gerrard Napier, 1st Baronet, of More Crichel in Dorset, by Margaret, daughter and co-heiress of ...

, MP and his wife Blanche Wyndham, the daughter and coheiress of judge Sir Hugh Wyndham of Silton, Dorset. He was admitted at Lincoln's Inn in 1683 and matriculated at

Trinity College, Oxford (That which you wish to be secret, tell to nobody) , named_for = The Holy Trinity , established = , sister_college = Churchill College, Cambridge , president = Dame Hilary Boulding , location = Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BH , coordinates ...

10 April 1685, aged 16. In 1709, he succeeded his father to the

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

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 and interiors by James Wyatt. It is surrounded by of parkland, which in ...

. He married Jane Worsley, the daughter of

Sir Robert Worsley, 3rd Baronet Sir Robert Worsley, 3rd Baronet Worsley (1643–1675, Appuldurcombe) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of England during the Cavalier Parliament, representing Newtown on the Isle of Wight from 1666 to 1675. He was counte ...

, MP, of Appuldurcombe, Isle of Wight in July 1691 but she died in 1692. He married secondly on 28 August 1694, Catherine Alington, the daughter of

William Alington, 3rd Baron Alington Major General William Alington, 3rd Baron Alington LL (bef. 1641 – 1 February 1685) was an Irish peer. Alington was the son of William Alington, 1st Baron Alington and Elizabeth Tollemache. He succeeded to the title of 3rd Baron Alington of ...

, MP.

Career

Napier was returned unopposed at the 1695 general election 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 ...

(MP) for Dorchester on the family interest. He was returned unopposed in 1698 and topped the poll in a contest at the first 1701 general election. He was returned unopposed at the second election in 1701 and was joined in Parliament by his father at a subsequent by-election. He and his father were returned unopposed together in 1702. He was elected in a contest at the 1705 general election, but did not stand in

1708 In the Swedish calendar it was a leap year starting on Wednesday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–June * January 1 – Charles XII of Sweden invades Russia, by crossing th ...

. He was re-elected as a Tory in contests in

1710 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Saturday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – In Prussia, Cölln is merged with Alt-Berlin by ...

and

1713 Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take re ...

. He was returned unopposed at the

1715 general election Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire i ...

but retired in

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel ''Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), a ...

Death and legacy

Napier died at More Critchell on 24 February 1728. He and his second wife Catherine had three sons and three daughters: * William * Gerard * Wyndham * Diana * Catherine * Blanch. He was succeeded in the baronetcy successively by his sons William and Gerard. The baronetcy became extinct on the death of Gerard's son. The estates then went to

Humphrey Sturt Humphrey Sturt (''c.'' 1724 – 20 October 1786) was a British landowner, architect and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1754 to 1784. Early life and family Sturt was the son of Humphrey Sturt (1687-1740) of Horton and Diana ...

, son of Diana and her husband Humphrey Sturt.

References

1668 births 1728 deaths Politicians from Dorset Members of Lincoln's Inn Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Baronets in the Baronetage of England Members of the Parliament of England for Dorchester English MPs 1695–1698 English MPs 1698–1700 English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1702–1705 English MPs 1705–1707 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1707–1708 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 {{18thC-England-MP-stub