JohnParker1stBaronBoringdonByJoshuaReynolds

John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon (1735 – 27 April 1788) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

peer and

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 ...

Origins

Parker was the eldest son of John Parker (1703–1768) of

Boringdon Hall Boringdon Hall is a 16th-century Grade I listed manor house in the parish of Colebrook, about two miles north of Plympton, Devon. Description The oldest parts of the present house were said by John Britton (1771–1857) to have been built about ...

, Plympton, and

Saltram House Saltram House is a grade I listed George II era mansion house located in the parish of Plympton, near Plymouth in Devon, England. It was deemed by the architectural critic Pevsner to be "the most impressive country house in Devon". The ...

, by his wife Catherine Poulett (1706–1758), whom he married in 1725, a daughter of

John Poulett, 1st Earl Poulett John Poulett, 1st Earl Poulett KG (c. 1668 – 28 May 1743) was an English peer. Life Poulett was the son of John Poulett, 3rd Baron Poulett and his second wife, Susan Herbert, daughter of Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke. He was the ...

, by his wife, Bridget Bertie, a granddaughter of

Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey, KG, PC (1608 – 25 July 1666) was an English soldier, courtier, and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1624 and 1626. He was created Baron Willoughby de Eresby by writ of acceleration in ...

. He had a sister Henrietta Parker (d. 1808) and a younger brother, Montagu Edmund Parker (1737–1813) of

Whiteway House Whiteway House in the parish of Chudleigh in Devon is a Grade II* listed Georgian house set in parkland. It was built in the 1770s by John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon (1735–1788) of Saltram House, Plympton, and has early 19th-century alterat ...

, near Chudleigh (purchased by his grandfather George Parker (d. 1743) who also purchased Saltram),

Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Queen's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...

in 1789, who married in 1775 Charity Ourry (1752–1786), daughter of Admiral Paul Ourry, by whom he had issue Montague E. Parker (1778–1831) whose daughter Harriet Parker (1809–1897) married in 1842, as her second husband, her second cousin Edmund Parker, 2nd Earl of Morley (1810–1864).

Career

He was educated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

. John attended Plympton Grammar School where Sir Joshua Reynold's father was headmaster. He was elected to the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

for Bodmin in 1761, a seat he held until 1762, and then represented

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

between 1762 and 1784. The latter year Parker was raised to the peerage as Baron Boringdon, of Boringdon in the County of Devon. Apart from his political career he was also a collector of paintings at his seat

. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in April 1767. In 1783, Parker's horse Saltram won the fourth running of The Derby.

Marriage and progeny

TheresaParkerLadyBoringdonByJoshuaReynolds

Lord Boringdon married twice: *Firstly, in 1764 to Frances Hort (d.1764), daughter of the Right Reverend

Josiah Hort Josiah Hort (c. 1674 – 14 December 1751), was an English clergyman of the Church of Ireland who ended his career as archbishop of Tuam. Born in Marshfield, Gloucestershire, son of John Hort, and brought up as a Nonconformist, Hort went to sch ...

Archbishop of Tuam The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ga, Ard-Easpag Thuama) is an archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Catholic Church. Histor ...

. She died later the same year, without progeny. *Secondly, in 1769, to Theresa Robinson (1744/5-1775), second daughter of

Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham, (c. 169530 September 1770), of Newby, Yorkshire, was a British diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1727 and 1761. Early life Robinson was a younger son of Sir William Robi ...

. Lord Boringdon survived her by thirteen years and they had two children. Their son

John Parker, 1st Earl of Morley John Parker, 1st Earl of Morley FRS (3 May 1772 – 14 March 1840), known as 2nd Baron Boringdon from 1788 to 1815, was a British peer and politician. Origins Morley was the only son of John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon, of Boringdon Hall, P ...

(1772–1840) became Viscount Boringdon and

Earl of Morley Earl of Morley, of Morley in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for John Parker, 2nd Baron Boringdon. At the same time he was created Viscount Boringdon, of North Molton in the County ...

in 1815 and their daughter Theresa Parker (1775–1856) married George Villiers (1759–1827), youngest son of

Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon, PC (1709 – 11 December 1786) was a British politician and diplomat from the Villiers family. Clarendon was the second son of William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey, and his wife Judith Herne, daughter of ...

Death and burial

Lord Boringdon died in April 1788.

Notes

References

* *Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, * *National Trust guide book, Saltram, Devon, 2011, p. 65 {{DEFAULTSORT:Boringdon, John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon, John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon, John Parker, 1st Baron Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Barons Boringdon Boringdon Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Devon Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Bodmin British MPs 1761–1768 British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 Fellows of the Royal Society Owners of Epsom Derby winners