Family and Education

b. ?1696, 2nd s. of Rt. Rev. William Moreton (bp. of Kildare 1681-1705, of Meath 1705-16) by his 2nd w. Mary Harman, wid. of Sir Arthur Jones of Ireland.  educ. Trinity, Dublin 1710-14; I. Temple 1714, called 1722.  m. 21 Dec. 1742, Jane, wid. of John Lawton of Lawton, s.p.  Kntd. 19 Sept. 1755.

Offices Held

Bencher, I. Temple 1752, reader 1758, treasurer 1760-1; recorder, London 15 Feb. 1753- d.

Biography

Lord Chief Justice Willes, hearing of a vacancy at the Duke of Bridgwater’s borough of Brackley, managed at that time by the Duke of Bedford, wrote to him on 19 Mar. 1754:1

I humbly beg leave to recommend the recorder of London to your favour ... who I believe some time since spoke to your Grace about it; and I am sure that your Grace cannot pitch on a worthier gentleman, nor one that will acknowledge any favour that your Grace shall shew him with greater gratitude.

The Duke did not put up Moreton in 1754 but did so on a vacancy in 1755. In the House Moreton presumably adhered to the Bedford group. On 10 Dec. 1755, he voted for the Russian treaty.2 On 2 May 1760, he spoke against the qualification bill.3 Moreton did not stand again in 1761, and died 14 Mar. 1763 in his 67th year.4

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Sir Lewis Namier

Notes

• 1. Bedford mss 30, f. 16.
• 2. Add. 32861, ff. 290-1.
• 3. Add. 32905, f. 246.
• 4. Ormerod, Cheshire, iii (1), pp. 50-51.