Family and Education

b. 14 Apr. 1753, 2nd but 1st surv. s. of Rt. Rev. John Egerton, bp. of Durham, and gt.-gd.-s. of John, 3rd Earl of Bridgwater by Lady Anne Sophia Grey, da. and coh. of Henry, 1st Duke of Kent. educ. Eton 1764-8, Ch. Ch. Oxf. 1770. m. 14 Jan. 1783, Catherine Anne, da. and h. of Samuel Haynes, s.p. suc. his 2nd cos. Francis, 3rd Duke of Bridgwater, as 7th Earl of Bridgwater, 8 Mar. 1803.

Offices Held

Cornet 7 Drag. 1771, capt. 1776; maj. 22 Lt. Drag. 1779; lt.-col. 7 Drag. 1790; col. in army 1793; maj.-gen. 1795; col. 14 Lt. Drag. 1797-d.; lt.-gen. 1802; gen 1812.

Biography

Egerton was returned unopposed for Morpeth on the interest of his distant relative, Lord Carlisle. In Parliament he, like Carlisle, regularly supported Administration until the fall of North.

At the general election of 1780 he was returned by the Duke of Bridgwater for his pocket borough of Brackley. He voted against Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783; in Robinson’s list of March 1783 he was counted as a follower of North. He did not vote on Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783; was classed as a supporter of Pitt in Robinson’s list of January 1784, Stockdale’s of 19 Mar., and by Adam in May, and though his first recorded vote was against Administration on Pitt’s Irish proposals, 13 May 1785, his other recorded votes were in support of Administration.

Egerton is only twice reported to have spoken in the House: on 22 Feb. 17791 against Barne’s motion for limiting the time of army service, and on 20 Nov. 1780, when he denied that the riots at Coventry had swayed the election results.2

He died 31 Mar. 1823.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Sir Lewis Namier

Notes

• 1. Fortescue, iv. 287.
• 2. Debrett, i. 119.