Charles Bathurst PC (1754 – 13 August 1831), known as Charles Bragge from 1754 to 1804, was a British politician of the early 19th century.

Background and education

Born Charles Bragge, Bathurst was the son of Charles Bragge, of Cleve Hill in Gloucestershire, and his wife Anne Bathurst, the granddaughter of Sir Benjamin Bathurst, younger brother of

Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst Allen Bathurst, 1st Earl Bathurst, (16 November 168416 September 1775), of Bathurst in the County of Sussex, known as The Lord Bathurst from 1712 to 1772, was a British Tory politician. Bathurst sat in the English and British House of Commons f ...

. He was educated at Winchester School and New College, Oxford and studied law at Lincoln's Inn in 1772, being called to the bar in 1778. In 1804 he assumed by Royal licence the surname of Bathurst in lieu of Bragge when he inherited

Lydney Park Lydney Park is a 17th-century country estate surrounding Lydney House, located at Lydney in the Forest of Dean district in Gloucestershire, England. It is known for its gardens and Roman temple complex. House and gardens Lydney Park wa ...

in Gloucestershire from his maternal uncle Poole Bathurst.

Political career

Bathurst sat as a member of parliament (MP) for Monmouth from 1790 to 1796, for

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

from 1796 to 1812, for Bodmin from 1812 to 1818 and for Harwich from 1818 to 1823. He was invested a member of the Privy Council in 1801 and held office under Henry Addington as

Treasurer of the Navy The Treasurer of the Navy, originally called Treasurer of Marine Causes or Paymaster of the Navy, was a civilian officer of the Royal Navy, one of the principal commissioners of the Navy Board responsible for naval finance from 1524 to 1832. ...

from 1801 to 1803 and as

Secretary at War The Secretary at War was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. Afte ...

from 1803 to 1804. He also served under the

Duke of Portland Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

Master of the Mint Master of the Mint is a title within the Royal Mint given to the most senior person responsible for its operation. It was an important office in the governments of Scotland and England, and later Great Britain and then the United Kingdom, between ...

(1806–07) and under

Lord Liverpool Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, (7 June 1770 – 4 December 1828) was a British Tory statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1827. He held many important cabinet offices such as Foreign Secret ...

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a ministerial office in the Government of the United Kingdom. The position is the second highest ranking minister in the Cabinet Office, immediately after the Prime Minister, and senior to the Minist ...

(1812–23) and President of the Board of Control (1821–22). In 1796 Bathurst was made an honorary freeman of the Society of Merchant Venturers, due to his support for the slave trade.

Family

Bathurst died in August 1831. He had married Charlotte, daughter of

Anthony Addington Anthony Addington (1713 – 22 March 1790) was an English physician. Life Born in Twyford, Addington was educated at Winchester College. He went up to Trinity College, Oxford, where he took the degree of M.A. on 13 May 1740 and of M.D. on 24 ...

, in 1781 and with her had 2 sons and 2 daughters. He was succeeded in turn by their eldest son Charles and their younger son, Reverend William Hiley Bathurst who became the grandfather of

Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe Charles Bathurst, 1st Viscount Bledisloe, (21 September 1867 – 3 July 1958) was a British Conservative politician and colonial governor. He was Governor-General of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935. Early life Bathurst was born in London, the sec ...

. His wife survived him by eight years and died in May 1839.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bathurst, Charles 1754 births 1831 deaths People educated at Winchester College Alumni of New College, Oxford Members of Lincoln's Inn Masters of the Mint Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies UK MPs 1801–1802 UK MPs 1802–1806 UK MPs 1806–1807 UK MPs 1807–1812 UK MPs 1812–1818 UK MPs 1818–1820 UK MPs 1820–1826 Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Cornwall Charles Members of the Society of Merchant Venturers Presidents of the Board of Control