Family and Education

b. 25 Feb. 1795, 4th but 2nd surv. s. of Sir John Scott*, 1st Earl of Eldon, and bro. of Hon. John Scott*. educ. Univ. Coll. Oxf. 1813; M. Temple 1810, called 1816. unm.

Offices Held

Commr. of bankrupts 1816-21; receiver of fines 1816-d., sec. of decrees and injunctions 1816-21, clerk of patents and registrar of affidavits, ct. of Chancery 1819-d.; cursitor and commr. of lunacy 1821-d.

Biography

Scott’s indulgent father said of him ‘if I had not been chancellor, William Henry might’. His legal sinecures, worth a mere £3,000 p.a. as his father indignantly informed critics who exaggerated their value, were underpinned by the reversion to others. He was invited to stand for his father’s native Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1818, as ministerial candidate, but Eldon advised him not to do so. Instead he was a guest of (Sir) William A’Court* at Heytesbury. He made no speeches in his first Parliament. He voted with government against Tierney’s censure motion, 18 May 1819, and for the foreign enlistment bill, 10 June, staying in town also in support of their repressive measures against radicalism, 23 Dec. 1819. In 1820 he came in for a Treasury borough, but never exerted himself in Parliament. He died 6 July 1832.

Twiss, Eldon, ii. 317, 556; iii. 170, 186.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: R. G. Thorne

Notes