Hon. William Augustus Montagu (1752–1776) was a British politician who sat in 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. T ...

from 1774 to 1776. Montagu was the second surviving son of

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS (13 November 1718 – 30 April 1792) was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten. During his life ...

and his wife Dorothy (in some sources Judith), daughter of Charles Fane, 1st Viscount Fane, and was baptized on 12 February 1752. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

in 1759 and was admitted at

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. ...

on 16 November 1768. He was also admitted at Lincoln's Inn on 8 December 1768. It was said of Montagu that he possessed great talents, and by good education had every opportunity of cultivating them…. but as ruined bydissipated company, habits of extravagance and total neglect of his health and constitution. It would appear that Lord Sandwich intended to use his son to support his interest in Parliament when the opportunity arose. Montagu was returned unopposed 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

Huntingdon Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...

at a by-election on 28 February 1774. He was returned again at the 1774 general election. He is not recorded as speaking or voting in Parliament. In 1775 for his health Montagu was “obliged to try the air of Lisbon”, “but what could change of air effect, after all the stamina of life were inwardly exhausted?” He died unmarried at Lisbon on 14 January 1776, shortly after his arrival there. His nephew, son of Lord Hinchingbrooke was also called William Augustus Montagu.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montagu, William Augustus 1752 births 1776 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies People educated at Eton College Politics of Huntingdonshire