Family and Education

bap. 7 Nov. 1654, 5th but 2nd surv. s. of Sir Ralph Delaval, 1st Bt.†, of Seaton Delaval by Lady Anne, da. of Alexander Leslie, 1st Earl of Leven [S] and wid. of Hugh Fraser, Master of Lovat.  m. lic. 28 May 1683, Mary (d. 1683), da. of Edward Goodyer of Dogmersfield, Hants, 1da. (d.v.p.).  suc. bro. as 3rd Bt. Aug. 1696.1

Offices Held

Ensign, 1 Ft. Gds. 1680, lt. 1686, capt. 1691–1702, brevet col. 1693.

Biography

A younger son with little expectation of inheriting the family estates, Delaval chose to pursue the profession of arms. He gained his first commission in 1680 and apparently had little difficulty reconciling himself to the Revolution as he continued to pursue a military career during the 1690s, during which period he served with distinction in Flanders. Delaval’s succession to the baronetcy in 1696 was unexpected and followed the early death of his elder brother, but his inheritance was a mixed one. Though he succeeded to the family interests in coal mining, quarrying, salt-panning and the harbour at Seaton sluice, Delaval also inherited sizable debts. Moreover, he did not gain possession of the family seat of Seaton Delaval. The terms of his brother’s marriage settlement had granted the house to his wife for her life, and Delaval was therefore forced to live at the lodge rather than the main house. Delaval’s parliamentary aspirations became evident soon after he succeeded to the family estate, as in 1698 he stood for Northumberland. Defeated at the poll, in late 1700 he again canvassed the county, on this occasion against an anticipated by-election. He did not, however, pursue his candidacy at the January 1701 election, but was returned for Morpeth at the second election of that year. Delaval retained this seat at the 1702 election before transferring to the county in 1705, his own interest in Northumberland being augmented by that of his kinsman, the 3rd Earl of Carlisle (Charles Howard*). Delaval made no significant contribution to the second 1701 Parliament, his energies appearing to have been concentrated during 1702 upon apparently unsuccessful attempts to alter the settlement of the family estates, and he was only slightly more active in the 1702 Parliament. His Whiggery became clear during this Parliament, when he voted on 13 Feb. 1703 in favour of the Lords’ amendments to the bill to enlarge the time for taking the Abjuration. In the autumn of 1704 he was forecast as a likely opponent of the Tack, and on 28 Nov. either voted against or was absent from the division for this measure. His only recorded involvement in legislative matters came the following month (6 Dec.), when he was nominated to draft a bill concerned with Durham and Northumberland estates. In 1705 Delaval was included on a list of placemen by virtue of the captaincy of the foot guards which he had in fact resigned in 1702, and later that year an analysis of the new House classed him as a ‘High Church Courtier’. On 25 Oct. Delaval voted for the Court candidate for Speaker, but he was one of the Whigs missing from the list of those who had supported the Court in the proceedings of February 1706 upon the ‘place clause’ of the regency bill. While he was in the House personal matters appear to have continued at the forefront of his concerns, as in December 1705 he petitioned the Treasury for payment of £1,000 owed to his father in respect of piers built at Seaton, a request which appears to have foundered upon an unfavourable report from the salt duty commissioners. An analysis of the Commons dating from early 1708 classed him as a Whig. He does not appear to have stood at the election of that year, and though he canvassed Morpeth at the 1710 election he withdrew before the poll. Delaval did not retire from public life, being named in 1711 a Northumberland justice and there being a rumour in 1715 that he was to be appointed deputy-governor of Tynemouth. After leaving the Commons he suffered from mounting financial problems. The death of his sister-in-law in October 1713 led him to attempt to repossess Seaton Delaval and Hartley, but his attempts were resisted by the servants of her second husband, Sir Edward Blackett, 2nd Bt.* Blackett’s resistance of Delaval’s claims stemmed from the failure of Delaval to pay the marriage portion of £8,000 which, by the terms of his deceased brother’s marriage settlement, was due to Delaval’s niece upon her marriage to Blackett’s son. The dispute led to a Chancery case in which Blackett was successful and was awarded £14,624 12s. 7d. (the original £8,000 plus interest). In 1718 Delaval was forced to sell the manors of Horton and Seaton Delaval to his kinsman Admiral George Delaval† in order to satisfy this debt. He remained in possession of the manor of Hartley until his death on 4 June 1729. As he died childless, the baronetcy failed and his remaining estates were left to Francis Delaval†, nephew and heir of George Delaval.2

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Author: Eveline Cruickshanks

Notes

• 1. New Hist. Northumb. ix. 171.
• 2. Ibid. 161–3; Northumb. RO (Newcastle), Delaval (Horsley) mss 1De/7/119, poll bk. 1698; Howard mss at Castle Howard, Duke of Somerset to Carlisle, 2 Oct. 1700; CSP Dom. 1700–2, p. 492; 1702–3, p. 507; Party and Management ed. Jones, 80; Cal. Treas. Bks. xx. 488, 633; Cal. Treas. Pprs. 1702–3, p. 438; Add. 70248, Edmund Maine* to Robert Harley*, 14 Oct. 1710; L. K. J. Glassey, Appt. JPs, 211; HMC Townshend, 341.