MANNERS (afterwards MANNERS SUTTON), Lord George (1723-83), of Kelham, Notts.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1754 - 1780
1780 - 7 Jan. 1783

Family and Education

b. 8 Mar. 1723, 3rd s. of John, 3rd Duke of Rutland, and bro. of John, Mq. of Granby and Lord Robert Manners Sutton.  educ. Eton 1739-40.  m. (1) 5 Dec. 1749, Diana (d. 13 May 1767), da. of Thomas Chaplin of Blankney, Lincs., 7s. 6da.; (2) 5 Feb. 1768, Mary, da. of Joshua Peart, 1da.  suc. bro. Lord Robert Manners Sutton in the Lexinton estates 1762, and took add. name of Sutton.

Offices Held

Biography

In Bute’s list Manners was classed as a follower of Newcastle. He does not appear in Henry Fox’s list of Members favourable to the peace preliminaries, December 1762, but in autumn 1763 was described by Jenkinson as ‘pro’. Rockingham, July 1765, also considered him as ‘pro’, but he voted against the repeal of the Stamp Act, 22 Feb. 1766. He did not vote on the land tax, 27 Feb. 1767, but was classed by Newcastle, 2 Mar. 1767, as ‘Administration’.

In 1762 he inherited large estates in Nottinghamshire from his brother; took the additional name of Sutton (by which he was usually known); and in 1768 thought of standing for Nottinghamshire or Leicestershire,1 but apparently was not nominated, and was again returned unopposed for Grantham. His attendance during this Parliament was infrequent. He voted with the court on the Middlesex election, 8 May 1769; but with Opposition when the question was renewed on 25 Jan. 1770; was described as ‘doubtful present’ by Robinson in his survey on the royal marriage bill, March 1772, and in his electoral survey of 1774 as ‘contra’. He remained in opposition during the next Parliament, but again attended infrequently, and was absent from Dunning’s motion, 6 Apr. 1780, and the motion against prorogation, 24 Apr., in spite of his friends’ vigorous attempts to get him to attend.

In 1780 Manners Sutton successfully contested Newark in place of his son, George Manners Sutton, who was returned unopposed at Grantham. Manners Sutton remained in opposition till the fall of North. There is no record of his having spoken in the House. On 5 Apr. 1782 he asked his nephew the Duke of Rutland to recommend to the new ministers his succession to the titles and honours of his grandfather Lord Lexinton, but without success.2

He died 7 Jan. 1783.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Mary M. Drummond

Notes

  • 1. Recs. Cust Fam. (ser 3), 85, 89.
  • 2. Rutland mss.