Family and Education

b. 3 Nov. 1771, 3rd s. of John Graham of Yatton, Som., member of supreme council, Bengal by Mary, da. of William Shewen, collector of customs, of Swansea, Glam. educ. Harrow 1779-85. m. 5 July 1794, Mary, da. and h. of Rev. John Foster, DD, provost of Eton, 3s. 3da. Took additional names of Foster Pigott 12 Mar. 1827.

Offices Held

Cornet, 3 Drag. 1788, lt. 1791; capt. 22 Drag. 1794, ret. 1795; lt.-col. S. Lewes vols. 1803; commdt. centre regt. Suss. militia 1810.

Biography

Graham, a former army officer who had served in Flanders, was a nephew of Thomas Graham of Kinross and hoped that his uncle, as a friend of the Portland ministry, would sponsor his candidature for the county in 1807. In this, as also in his hope that ministers would find him a borough seat ‘in the north’, he was disappointed. When it was subsequently intended to petition against the return of William Adam, Graham appealed to Lord Melville to uphold the family interest, ‘as we flatter ourselves it will soon be again wanted to be brought forward in favour of Lt.-Col. Park or myself as the locum tenens of my uncle Mr Thomas Graham, at present in Calcutta’. Nothing came of this and, as his uncle himself occupied the seat at the next opportunity, Graham had to wait until his death to come in for the county. His support of administration was unobtrusive in his one short session in that Parliament and he had to wait until 1826 to come in again. He died 5 Nov. 1831.

SRO GD51/1/198/13/1, 2, 6.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: R. G. Thorne

Notes