Family and Education

b. 8 Oct. 1759, 1st s. of Samuel Fludyer. educ. Westminster 1771; Grand Tour. m. 5 Oct. 1786, his cos. Maria, da. of Robert Weston, gd.-da. of James Brudenell, 1s. 2da. suc. fa. 18 Jan. 1768.

Offices Held

Biography

There is no evidence to show whether either Fludyer or his younger brother George was ever an active partner in their late father’s firm, though both presumably kept an interest in it.

Fludyer was connected through his mother with a family prominent at court and with which Lord North had an indirect family connexion. He was brought in for Aldborough by the 2nd Duke of Newcastle as a Government supporter; voted with them on 12 Dec. 1781 and 22 Feb. 1782, and possibly also on 20 Feb; but was absent from the divisions of 27 Feb. and 8 Mar., and on the ‘no confidence’ motion, 15 Mar., voted with Opposition. Robinson classed him that day among ‘Persons who were hopeful, who now came and voted against’; and wrote about him in August 1782: ‘was much the friend of Mr. Fox and acted with him’. He did not, however, vote on Shelburne’s peace preliminaries; was again classed by Robinson in March 1783 as a supporter of Fox; but in the published lists appears as absent from the divisions on Fox’s East India bill. In the second week of December Robinson wrote: ‘Sir S. Fludyer is always against [i.e. with Fox]; ... Sir Samuel will scarce be brought in again.’ But John Sinclair wrote in a paper drawn up sometime between 18 Dec. 1783 and 10 Jan. 1784: ‘Sir Samuel, Member for Chippenham, and his brother both voted for the bill, but Mr. Brudenell might still have an influence over them to alter their opinion.’ This probably happened, as Fludyer was classed as ‘pro’ in Robinson’s list of January 1784, and as ‘Administration’ in Stockdale’s list of 19 Mar. He did not stand again in 1784. There is no record of his having spoken in the House.1

He died 17 Feb. 1833.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: I. R. Christie

Notes

• 1. Sandwich mss; Abergavenny mss; Fortescue, v. 390; Laprade, 40, 43, 86; Sinclair mss.