Sir Charles Turner, 1st Baronet (1666 – 24 November 1738) of Warham, Norfolk was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

lawyer and Whig politician who sat in the

and

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 65 ...

for 43 years from 1695 to 1738. He was a brother-in-law of Sir Robert Walpole, and held public office almost continuously from 1707. By 1730 he was the longest serving MP in the House of Commons. Turner was baptised on 11 June 1666, the son of William Turner, attorney-at-law of North Elmham, Norfolk, and his wife Anne Spooner, daughter of John Spooner. He was educated at

Scarning Scarning is a village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It covers an area of and had a population of 2,932 in 1,092 households at the 2001 census, which eased at the 2011 Census to 2,906 in the same number of households. For ...

and

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...

and was admitted at

Caius College, Cambridge Gonville and Caius College, often referred to simply as Caius ( ), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1348, it is the fourth-oldest of the University of Cambridge's 31 colleges and one of t ...

on 29 April 1681. He was also admitted to 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 I ...

on 22 July 1684 and became a country attorney like his father. His fortunes were boosted by the improving success of his own family and his influential connections, which were to include the Walpole family. In April 1689, he married Mary Walpole, daughter of

Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Lea ...

and sister of

Sir Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leade ...

the first Prime Minister. Turner helped his father-in-law's election at the

1695 English general election The 1695 English general election was the first to be held under the terms of the Triennial Act of 1694, which required parliament to be dissolved and fresh elections called at least every three years. This measure helped to fuel partisan rivalry ...

, when he was returned himself as

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

King's Lynn King's Lynn, known until 1537 as Bishop's Lynn and colloquially as Lynn, is a port and market town in the borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk in the county of Norfolk, England. It is located north of London, north-east of Peterborough, nor ...

with his uncle Sir John Turner. He was knighted on 22 March 1696. With his position unassailable, he was returned unopposed at every general election for the rest of his life. He was appointed a

Lord of Trade Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or a ...

in 1707 and was then

Lord of the Admiralty This is a list of Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty (incomplete before the Restoration, 1660). The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of The Board of Admiralty, which exercised the office of Lord High Admiral when it was ...

from 1714 to 1717. In 1720 Turner was appointed

Lord of the Treasury In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of th ...

. He was created a

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

on 27 April 1727. From 1729 he was a

Teller of the Exchequer The Teller of the Receipt of the Exchequer was an office in the English Exchequer. The Tellers of the Exchequer received any money to be paid into the Exchequer, noted the amount in a book, and sent a copy of the entry, called a Teller's Bill, to ...

, retiring as Lord of the Treasury in 1730. He became

Father of the House Father of the House is a title that has been traditionally bestowed, unofficially, on certain members of some legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the title refers to the longest continuously ...

in 1730. Turner's first wife Mary died in 1701 and by 1705 he married secondly Mary Catelyn, widow of Sir Nevil Catelyn of

Kirby Cane Kirby Cane is a scattered village and civil parish centred west northwest of Beccles and northeast of Bungay. It is in south-east Norfolk. It housed 375 people in 152 households as at 2001 – then 434 in 179 households at the 2011 Census, ...

and daughter of Sir William Blois of

Grundisburgh Grundisburgh is a village of 1,584 residents situated in the English county of Suffolk. It is in the East Suffolk district, six north-east from Ipswich and north-west of Woodbridge located on the B1079. Flowing through the village are the ri ...

, Suffolk. He died suddenly on 24 November 1738, at Houghton and was buried at Warham. By his first wife he had a son who predeceased him and four daughters. He was succeeded by his younger brother

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 ...

References

External links

The Peerage.com
1666 births 1738 deaths People from King's Lynn Turner baronets English MPs 1695–1698 English MPs 1698–1700 English MPs 1701 English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1702–1705 English MPs 1705–1707 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1707–1708 British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 People from Warham, Norfolk Lords of the Admiralty {{GreatBritain-baronet-stub