John Levett (1721 — 1799) of Wychnor Park, Staffordshire, was an English landowner and investor, and a

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. The ...

politician.

Biography

John Levett was the son of Theophilus Levett (1693-1746), Lichfield attorney and town clerk, and his wife Mary Babington, daughter of

Zachary Babington Zachary Babington (born – 15 October 1745) was an English barrister who served as High Sheriff of Staffordshire in 1713 and 1724. He was the son of John Babington (High Sheriff in 1702), and was named for his grandfather Dr. Zachary Babington ...

. The

Levett Levett is a surname of Anglo-Norman origin, deriving from eLivet, which is held particularly by families and individuals resident in England and British Commonwealth territories. Origins This surname comes from the village of Livet-en-Ouche, no ...

family had common roots in Sussex, and the branch had moved to Staffordshire. Levett was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

and Brasenose College, Oxford, and served for a time as a barrister at the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn ...

and the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

in London. Levett was elected

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

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west o ...

for one term only (1761-1762). After his election to Parliament, Levett is not recorded having spoken or voted while there. Questions were raised about his election and he was unseated after a petition by his opponent

Hugo Meynell Hugo Meynell (June 1735 – 14 December 1808) was an English country landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1762 and 1780. He is generally seen as the father of modern fox hunting, became Master of Fox Hounds for the Q ...

, who re placed him as MP. After being unseated by petition, he is not known to have stood for Parliament again. John Levett lived at Wychnor Park from 1765, when he purchased the estate while living in Lichfield. Levett was a sometime member of the

Lunar Society The Lunar Society of Birmingham was a British dinner club and informal learned society of prominent figures in the Midlands Enlightenment, including industrialists, natural philosophers and intellectuals, who met regularly between 1765 and 1813 ...

, and an early investor in the industrial projects of Birmingham inventor

Matthew Boulton Matthew Boulton (; 3 September 172817 August 1809) was an English manufacturer and business partner of Scottish engineer James Watt. In the final quarter of the 18th century, the partnership installed hundreds of Boulton & Watt steam engin ...

. In his will, John Levett assigned part of the revenues he derived from his

Soho Manufactory The Soho Manufactory () was an early factory which pioneered mass production on the assembly line principle, in Soho, Birmingham, England, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It operated from 1766–1848 and was demolished in 1853. B ...

investments to the Prebendary of Curborough, Staffordshire, to which his mother's family the Babington's had ancestral connections. John Levett never married and is buried in

Whittington, Staffordshire Whittington is a village and civil parish which lies approximately 3 miles south east of Lichfield, in the Lichfield district of Staffordshire, England. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 2,591, increasing to 2,603 at the 2011 C ...

, where his Babington ancestors had resided, and where the Levett family continued to hold land.Levett, Whittington (St. Giles), A Topographical Dictionary of England, Samuel Lewis, 1848, British History Online
/ref> Portrait dr erasmus darwin 17 br hi

References

External links

Funerary monument to John Levett, Whittington, Staffordshire, Flickr.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levett, John 1721 births 1799 deaths People from Burton upon Trent

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

People educated at Westminster School, London Members of the Inner Temple Members of the Middle Temple Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Members of the Lunar Society of Birmingham People of the Industrial Revolution English landowners

Biography

References

Further reading

External links