COOPER, John Hutton (1765-1828), of Royal Crescent, Bath, Som.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1820-1832, ed. D.R. Fisher, 2009
Available from Cambridge University Press

Constituency

Dates

24 Mar. 1825 - 24 Dec. 1828

Family and Education

b. 7 Dec. 1765, 5th s. of Benjamin Cooper of Sleaford, Lincs. and 1st w. Anne, da. and h. of Robert Caudron of Great Hale, Lincs. m. (1) 16 Dec. 1790, Elizabeth Mary (d. 19 July 1793), da. of Edward Ellis of Alnwick, Northumb., 1s. d.v.p.; (2) 11 Nov. 1797,1 Phillis (d. 17 Oct. 1801), da. of William Neate of London, wid. of Charles Meniconi of Sudbury, Suff., s.p.; (3) 1 May 1821, Maria Charlotte, da. of Sir George Baker, 1st bt., physician to George III, of Loventor, Devon, s.p. cr. bt. 19 Feb. 1828. d. 24 Dec. 1828.

Offices Held

Groom of bedchamber to duke of Clarence 1812-d.

Lt.-col. 2 Som. militia.

Biography

Cooper was descended from a Nottinghamshire family, his grandfather Benjamin having been born at Southwell in about 1706 and serving as rector of Kilvington, 1729-30, and of North Scarle, Lincolnshire, 1730-41. His mother was descended from the Dymoke family of Scrivelsby, Lincolnshire. He entered the medical profession and was described, at the time of his second marriage in 1797, as a ‘doctor of medicine’ of Stamford, Lincolnshire.2 He eventually settled at Bath, where he became a member of the corporation and rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Somerset militia. As such he was appointed to the household of George III’s son the duke of Clarence in 1812. In March 1825 he was returned unopposed on a vacancy for Dartmouth on the Holdsworth interest.3

He divided against Catholic relief, 21 Apr., 10 May, and the Irish franchise bill, 26 Apr., 9 May 1825. He voted with Lord Liverpool’s ministry for the duke of Cumberland’s annuity, 30 May, 6, 10 June 1825. No trace of parliamentary activity has been found for the 1826 session. At the general election that summer he was again returned quietly for Dartmouth, after denouncing attempts to promote Catholic claims as ‘an infringement on the great bulwark of our constitution’.4 He voted against relief, 6 Mar., and for Clarence’s annuity, 16 Mar. 1827. Lord Goderich’s ministry proposed him for a baronetcy in November 1827;5 it was conferred on him under the aegis of the duke of Wellington’s administration three months later. In his only known contribution to debate, 24 Mar. 1828, he denied allegations that the Dartmouth harbour bill was a job, and as a member of the corporation he insisted that ‘a more just or equitable bill was never brought under the consideration of [the] House’. He divided against Catholic relief, 12 May, and with government against reduction of the ordnance estimates, 4 July 1828. He died in December 1828 and left his freehold house in Bath and the residue of personal estate sworn under £14,000 to his wife.6

Ref Volumes: 1820-1832

Authors: David R. Fisher / Terry Jenkins

Notes

  • 1. Gent. Mag. (1797), ii. 1126; confirmed by reg. of St. Margaret, Westminster (microfilm at City of Westminster Archives Cent.).
  • 2. St. Margaret, Westminster reg.
  • 3. Trewman’s Exeter Flying Post, 24, 31 Mar. 1825.
  • 4. Ibid. 15 June 1826.
  • 5. Bucks. RO, Buckinghamshire mss, Goderich to George IV [Nov. 1827].
  • 6. PROB 11/1750/10; IR26/1188/31.