PELHAM, Sir Nicholas (c.1650-1739), of Catsfield Place, Suss.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, ed. D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, S. Handley, 2002
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

23 Feb. 1671 - Jan. 1679
Oct. 1679 - Jan. 1681
1689 - 1690
24 Nov. 1702 - 1705
27 Jan. 1726 - 1727

Family and Education

b. c.1650, 3rd s. of Sir Thomas Pelham, 2nd Bt.†, of Halland, being o. s. by 3rd w. Margaret, da. of Sir Henry Vane†, sec. of state 1640–1, of Fairlawn, Kent; half-bro. of Sir John Pelham, 3rd Bt.*  educ. ?Eton 1661–5; Christ Church, Oxf. matric. 13 May 1665, aged 14, MA 1665.  m. 26 Nov. 1674, Jane, da. and coh. of James Huxley† of Dornford, Oxon., 2s. 1da.  Kntd. 20 Apr. 1661.1

Offices Held

Commr. recusants 1675.2

Asst. Saltpetre Co. 1692.3

Biography

Pelham seems to have had little real interest in political affairs, but from time to time he dutifully occupied one of the family seats to keep out interlopers. He was returned at a by-election for Lewes in 1702, when his nephew, Thomas Pelham I, chose to sit for the county. A Whig, like all his family, Pelham voted on 13 Feb. 1703 for agreeing with the Lords’ amendments to the bill for enlarging the time for taking the oath of abjuration, was forecast as a probable opponent of the Tack and duly voted against it or was absent on 28 Nov. 1704. He was an inactive Member, the Journals only recording a 14-day grant of absence to him on 10 Jan. 1705. He contested the county unsuccessfully in 1710 and sat briefly for Lewes in the reign of George I. Pelham died on 8 Nov. 1739 in his 90th year.4

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Author: Paula Watson

Notes

  • 1. J. Comber, Suss. Geneal. Lewes, 208, 211; Le Neve’s Knights (Harl. Soc. viii), 136; Misc. Gen. et Her. ser. 2, ii. 236.
  • 2. Cal. Treas. Bks. iv. 697.
  • 3. Sel. Charters, 235.
  • 4. Gent. Mag. 1739, p. 605.