Sir Humphrey Howorth (c.1684–1755), of Maesllwch Castle, Radnorshire, was a British landowner and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons for 33 years from 1722 to 1755. Howorth was the son of Humphrey Howorth and a daughter of Charles Lloyd (died 1698) who brought Maesllwch into the family. He married Sibel Mainwaring daughter of Roger Mainwaring, He or his father rebuilt the house at Maesllwch Castle and established the surrounding park in 1715. Maeslwch castle - geograph

Howorth was receiver of crown rents in Cheshire from 1714 to 1730 and was knighted on 21 August 1715. Because he owned Maesllwch, he had a strong electoral interest in

Radnorshire , HQ = Presteigne , Government = Radnorshire County Council (1889–1974) Radnorshire District Council (1974–1996) , Origin = , Status = historic county, administrative county , Start ...

and as a Whig, he was led to believe that it was impossible for the Tories to put up against him. However the Duke of Chandos, Lord Lieutenant of the county, who also had a strong interest through stewardship of the King’s manors, decided to lead a sustained campaign against him. In 1719 he was one of the original backers of the

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

, establishing a London opera company which commissioned numerous works from

Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...

, Bononcini and others.Thomas McGeary. ''The Politics of Opera in Handel's Britain''. Cambridge University Press, 2013. p.254 At the 1722 general election Howorth was elected convincingly as Whig

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for Radnorshire but it was a fierce and expensive contest. He faced further expensive contests in

1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...

and

1734 Events January– March * January 8 – Salzburgers, Lutherans who were expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, Austria, in October 1731, set sail for the British Colony of Province of Georgia, Georgia in North America ...

which he won but had to counter petitions against the results. By this time, the contests had cost him at least £10,000, and in 1740 he wrote to Walpole petitioning for the Lord Lieutenant to be replaced. This was unsuccessful and at the

1741 Events January–March * January 13 – Lanesborough, Massachusetts is created as a township. * February 13 – Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, popularizes the term "the balance of power" in a spe ...

he again faced an expensive contest, which he won. His financial difficulties were compounded when he was ordered to pay into the Treasury £3,000 arrears from the crown rents which he had collected in Cheshire before he lost the receivership in 1730. As a result, he had to sell much of his estate to his tenants, which affected his political influence. The Duke of Chandos died in 1744 and in 1746 the stewardship of the Kings Manors was passed to the brother of Howorth’s friend and ally, Thomas Lewis, and thus the interests were brought together. At the

1747 general election Events January–March * January 31 – The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital. * February 11 – King George's War: A combined French and Indian force, commanded by Captain Nicolas Antoine II Coul ...

, there was opposition, but no contest. By about 1750 Howorth was described as miserably poor and dependent on any Administration. At the

1754 general election Events January–March * January 28 – Horace Walpole, in a letter to Horace Mann, coins the word ''serendipity''. * February 22 – Expecting an attack by Portuguese-speaking militias in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Pla ...

he was returned unopposed. He voted regularly with the Administration but, for all the expense, seems to have made little impression in Parliament. Howorth’s wife Sibel died on 4 March 1742 and he married as his second wife Mary Williams, widow of Henry Williams of Gwernyfed, Breconshire and daughter of John Walbeoffe of Llanhamlach, Breconshire. He died on 4 February 1755, leaving a son and daughter by his first wife. Maesllwch was encumbered by a mortgage of £26,000, and by the Treasury claim amounting in 1765 to £8,000. It was bought by the Clive family.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Howorth, Humphrey 1680s births 1755 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Welsh constituencies British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 British MPs 1747–1754 British MPs 1754–1761

See also

References