Hon. ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific Style (ma ...

John Damer (25 June 1744 – 15 August 1776) was a British Whig politician.

Family

John was the first of three sons of

Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester (12 March 1718 – 12 January 1798) was a country landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1741 to 1762 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Milton. He was particularly associated w ...

by the Lady Caroline Sackville. His mother was the daughter of

Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of Dorset (18 January 168810 October 1765) was an English political leader and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Life He was the son of the 6th Earl of Dorset and 1st Earl of Middlesex, and the former Lady Mar ...

and his wife Elizabeth Colyear. His maternal grandmother was the daughter of Lieutenant-General Walter Philip Colyear, and the niece of David Colyear, 1st Earl of Portmore. His younger brothers were the Hon.

Lionel Damer Hon. Lionel Damer (16 September 1748 – 28 May 1807) was a British Whig politician. Family Lionel Damer was the third son of Joseph Damer, 1st Earl of Dorchester by Lady Caroline Sackville (daughter of Lionel Cranfield Sackville, 1st Duke of ...

and the

George Damer, 2nd Earl of Dorchester George Damer, 2nd Earl of Dorchester, PC, PC (Ire) (28 March 1746 – 7 March 1808), styled Viscount Milton between 1792 and 1798, was a British politician. He served as Chief Secretary for Ireland between 1794 and 1795. Background Dorchest ...

Education

Damer was educated at Eton (1755–61) and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

(1762).

Marriage

He married the future sculptor Anne Seymour-Conway, daughter of Field Marshal Rt. Hon.

Henry Seymour Conway Field Marshal Henry Seymour Conway (1721 – 9 July 1795) was a British general and statesman. A brother of the 1st Marquess of Hertford, and cousin of Horace Walpole, he began his military career in the War of the Austrian Succession. He ...

and Lady Caroline Campbell, on 14 June 1767. She separated from him seven years later.

Political career

Damer was the

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 o ...

for Gatton (1768–1774).

Death

Damer got heavily into debt and his father refused to help him financially. He shot himself on 15 August 1776 at the Bedford Arms, Covent Garden.Alison Yarrington, "Damer, Anne Seymour (1749–1828)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, January 200
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Legacy

Damer is mentioned in the lyrics of the traditional Irish song " Limerick Rake".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Damer, John 1744 births People educated at Eton College Whig (British political party) MPs 1776 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1768–1774 Heirs apparent who never acceded Dawson-Damer family Suicides by firearm in England