Family and Education

b. 8 June 1756,1 1st s. of Michael Macnamara of Dublin by Bridget, da. of William Waters of Waters-town, co. Cork.  educ.? M. Temple 1769;  m. 20 Jan. 1780, Mary, da. and h. of Arthur Jones of Llangoed Castle, Brec., 2s. 2da.

Offices Held

Sheriff, Brec. 1797-8.

Biography

In a letter to Arthur Jones, 6 Dec. 1779, asking permission to propose to his daughter, Macnamara gave an account of his property which amounted to over £30,000, exclusive of ‘anything that I may expect from the West Indies’; but only after Jones’s death on 12 Jan. 1780 did Macnamara marry her at Gretna Green.2

In December 1783 he contested Hindon, but polled no votes. In 1784, though ‘totally unconnected’ with Leicester,3 he was returned on the Duke of Rutland’s interest. He was a follower of Pitt and closely associated with him. On 15 June 1785 he accompanied Pitt from the House to Downing Street, through a mob protesting against the shop tax, and was slightly hurt.4 He was again hurt, this time more seriously, by another mob during the riots at the Westminster by-election of 1788, and received a very cordial letter from Pitt. In 1802 he canvassed Sudbury, and was defeated for Radnorshire in 1802 and for Leicester in 1807.

He died 3 May 1818.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Sir Lewis Namier

Notes

• 1. R. W. Twigge, Ped. of John Macnamara (1908).
• 2. Macnamara mss, in the possession of Wing Cdr. A. R. Macnamara Scrase-Dickins.
• 3. Ld. Stamford to Rutland, 3 Apr. 1784, Rutland mss.
• 4. HMC Rutland, iii. 216.