SALUSBURY BRERETON, Owen (?1715-98), of Shotwick Park, nr. Chester

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

14 Dec. 1775 - 1780

Family and Education

b. ?1715, s. of Thomas Salusbury, formerly Brereton by his 1st w.  educ. Westminster Jan. 1725, aged 9; Trinity, Camb. 17 June 1734, aged 19; L. Inn 1734; M. Temple June 1738, called Nov. 1738; re-adm. L. Inn 1746.  m. 13 Dec. 1755, Catherine, da. of William Whitmore, 5 children, all d. inf.  suc. fa. to Salusbury estates in Flintshire 1756 and took name of Salusbury before Brereton.

Offices Held

Recorder, Liverpool 1742- d.; bencher L. Inn 1758, treasurer 1776.

Biography

For many years Salusbury Brereton was vice-president of the Society of Antiquaries and contributed essays to their Archaeologia, which presumably earned him his place in the DNB. On his father’s death in 1756 Salusbury Brereton thought of standing in his place for Liverpool,1 ‘where his vast expenses and services, and my connexions as recorder for 14 years must have established certain success’; but not wishing to divide the Government interest he was going to support Charles Pole.2 In a letter to Newcastle, 9 Apr., asking for ‘some mark of his Majesty’s favour’, he recounts how after he had at Henry Pelham’s request resigned several important appointments in Wales, he failed to obtain promotion.3 In another letter of 1 Oct. he applied, unsuccessfully, for a Welsh judgeship. (John Nichols’s story that he ‘never practised law’ is contradicted by his own statement that he was a counsel on the Welsh circuit.)4

In 1775 Salusbury Brereton successfully contested Ilchester. Throughout the Parliament he voted regularly with Administration. There is no record of his having spoken in the House. He did not stand again in 1780.

He died 9 Sept. 1798.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Sir Lewis Namier

Notes

  • 1. Add. 32863, f. 238.
  • 2. Add. 32863, f. 238.
  • 3. Add. 32864, f. 200.
  • 4. Add. 32868, f. 18.