PEIRSE, Henry (?1754-1824), of Bedale, nr. Northallerton, Yorks.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1774 - 14 May 1824

Family and Education

b. ?1754, o.s. of Henry Peirse, M.P., of Bedale by his w. Anne Johnson.  educ. Eton 1764-70; Pembroke, Camb. 3 July 1771, aged 17.  m. 16 Aug. 1777, Hon. Charlotte Grace Monson, da. of John, 3rd Baron Monson, 3da.  suc. fa. 1759.

Offices Held

Biography

The Peirses were an old Yorkshire family, and had controlled one seat at Northallerton since the 17th century. During Henry Peirse’s minority they seem to have left both seats to the Lascelles, which arrangement ended in 1774.

In 1779 the Public Ledger described Peirse as ‘a gentleman of very good character, and attached to Opposition from principle and conviction’. He is known to have voted in 15 divisions against North’s ministry, and not once with them. He did not vote on Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, was classed by Robinson as ‘Fox’, but voted against Fox’s East India bill, and supported Pitt. He voted for parliamentary reform both in 1783 and 1785; and was a member of the St. Alban’s Tavern group which in January 1784 tried to bring about a union between Fox and Pitt. There is no evidence of his having spoken in the House before 1790.

He died 14 May 1824.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: John Brooke

Notes