Moral reformers and philanthropists in the Commons

The biographies of the following Members show some involvement outside the House with the movement for the reformation of manners, with the evangelical work of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (S.P.C.K.), or with other charitable or philanthropic activities (the endowment of schools, establishment of workhouse schemes, and so on) possessing a distinctive religious tinge.1 Those appearing in the lists of Protestant Dissenters in Appendix 11, whether their identification as Dissenters is certain, ‘probable’ or ‘possible’, are marked with the symbol ‡.

Sir James Abercromby

Sir Thomas Abney‡

John Arnold‡

Henry Ashurst‡

Francis Barrell

Robert Benson

John Birch II‡

Anthony Bowyer‡

William Brockman‡

John Cass

Thomas Clarke‡

Sir Robert Clayton‡

Maynard Colchester

William Colemore I

Edward Colston II

John Comyns

Sir John Cotton, 4th Bt.

Rowland Cotton

Thomas Crosse

Sir Thomas Day

Price Devereux

William Digby, 5th Baron Digby [I]

Gilbert Dolben

Charles Duncombe

William Farrer

Thomas Foley I‡

Sir Stephen Fox

Ralph Freman II

Hon. Dodington Greville

Thomas Guy‡

Sir Rowland Gwynne

Sir Edward Harley‡

Edward Harley‡

Gilbert Heathcote‡

Sir William Hustler

John Hutton I‡

Richard Kent

John Laugharne

William Lowndes

Sir Humphrey Mackworth

Sir Robert Marsham, 5th Bt.

Hon. Harry Mordaunt

Grey Neville‡

Arthur Owen II‡

John Phillipps

Alexander Pitfield‡

Sir Walter St. John, 3rd Bt.‡

Edward Seyward

Arthur Shallett‡

Sir Bartholomew Shower

Hugh Smithson

Edward Southwell

William Thursby

Hon. James Thynne

Sir William Turner

James Vernon I

James Vernon II

Hon. Thomas Watson Wentworth

Francis Wyndham

Robert Yate‡

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Author: D. W. Hayton

End Notes

• 1. This list should be compared with the list of ‘moral reformers in the Parliaments of 1689-1702’, based not only on Members’ extra-parliamentary activities but also their involvement in legislation of a reforming nature (against ‘immorality’, blasphemy, duelling, gaming etc.), in Past and Present, no.128, pp. 89-91.