Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 3rd Baronet, of Isell
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Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 3rd Baronet of
Isell Isel is a dispersed settlement and area in the valley of the River Derwent within the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. It is an ecclesiastical parish within the civil parish of Blindcrake. Nearby are the hamlets of Setmurthy, Su ...
FRS (1697 – 13 July 1737) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1718 to 1737. Lawson was the son and heir of Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 2nd Baronet, of Isell, Cumbria, and his wife Elizabeth Preston, daughter of George Preston of Holker, Lancashire. He succeeded his father in 1704, inheriting the baronetcy and Isel Hall. He matriculated at
Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...
, in 1713, and was admitted to study law at the
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in 1715. In 1717, Lawson stood for the Cockermouth constituency after Nicholas Lechmere accepted a ministerial position and accordingly resigned the seat. However, the returning officer made a double return, returning both Lord Percy Seymour and Sir Wilfrid Lawson. Both parties immediately petitioned against the result; Lord Percy, on the grounds that Lawson was a minor, (not having attained the age of 21), while Lawson based his petition on the grounds of bribery. Although both petitions were withdrawn, Sir Wilfrid did admit the charge and consequently, Lord Percy took the seat.Furguson pp. 466-7 (1871) In 1718, Lawson became
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 ...
for the Boroughbridge constituency. He made his maiden speech on 11 November, in support of the government on the
Address An address is a collection of information, presented in a mostly fixed format, used to give the location of a building, apartment, or other structure or a plot of land, generally using political boundaries and street names as references, along w ...
, voting for the repeal of the Occasional Conformity and Schism Acts, but against the Peerage Bill. He was one of the backers of the
Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...
, establishing a London opera company which commissioned numerous works from
Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
, Bononcini and others. In 1721, he figured in the report of the South Sea Company committee of the House of Commons as one of the members who had accepted bribes from the company, in his case £1,000 in stock. Lawson was
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to George I from 1720 to 1725 and was elected as
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 1718. In 1722 Lawson was returned for Cockermouth, which he represented until his death. He continued to speak in support of the Government until January 1724, when he supported an opposition motion for disbanding some additional troops taken on in 1723; in February 1725 he supported Pulteney's motion for referring the report on
Lord Macclesfield Earl of Macclesfield is a title that has been created twice. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1679 in favour of the soldier and politician Charles Gerard, 1st Baron Gerard. He had already been created Baron Gerard, of Bra ...
to a select committee instead of proceeding to impeach him; in March 1726 he again supported Pulteney in opposing a vote of credit; and in January 1727 he moved for papers relating to the accession of
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to the treaty of Hanover, the motion being rejected without a division. In the next Parliament Lawson became one of the leading opposition Whigs, speaking against the Government on a vote of credit in 1728 and the
civil list A civil list is a list of individuals to whom money is paid by the government, typically for service to the state or as honorary pensions. It is a term especially associated with the United Kingdom and its former colonies of Canada, India, New Zeal ...
arrears in 1729, when he led for the Opposition on the Address. He again spoke first for them in January 1732 against the
treaty of Seville The Treaty of Seville was signed on 9 November, 1729 between Britain, France, and Spain, formally ending the 1727–1729 Anglo-Spanish War; the Dutch Republic joined the Treaty on 29 November. However, the Treaty failed to resolve underlying te ...
, and in February 1733 on the army estimates. In February 1733 he moved for papers relative to the Spanish depredations, and carried his motion without a division, notwithstanding serious criticism from the then
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
, Sir Robert Walpole. In 1736, he seconded an opposition motion for the repeal of the Test Act. In 1737, he spoke in favour of an increase in the
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...
's allowance. Upon his death at
Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
in 1737 Lawson gave the vicar of Isel church the tithes of
Blindcrake Blindcrake is a village and civil parish within the Isel Valley, in the Lake District National Park, in Cumbria, England, historically part of Cumberland. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 287, increasing to 348 at the 2011 Cen ...
, Sunderland, Isel Old-Park and Isel Gate in lieu of the tithes of Isel demesne.Lysons and Lysons (1816), p. 121 He had married Elizabeth Lucy Mordaunt, daughter of the Hon.
Harry Mordaunt Lieutenant-General Harry Mordaunt (29 March 1663 – 4 January 1720) was an English Army officer and Whig politician who sat in the English House of Commons, English and House of Commons of Great Britain, British House of Commons between 1692 and ...
MP and niece of the Earl of Peterborough, with whom he had two sons and two daughters. He was succeeded in turn by his elder son, Sir Wilfrid Lawson, 4th Baronet (1731–39) and his younger son Sir Mordaunt Lawson, 5th Baronet (1735–43) both of whom died in childhood, thus ending the supremacy of the Isel Lawsons. The eldest daughter Elizabeth, who died in 1759, also deserves a historical footnote. She became a Maid of Honour to the
Princess of Wales Princess of Wales (Welsh: ''Tywysoges Cymru'') is a courtesy title used since the 14th century by the wife of the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. The current title-holder is Catherine (née Middleton). The title was firs ...
and although courted by General James Wolfe, hero of
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, she refused his hand of marriage. As told by Joseph Pennell, writing in ''Highways and Byways in the Lake District''. Stopping on his travels at Isel he recalls: ::"...it was from this remote grey manor house, old enough even then, that the lady came who had such hold upon the affections of the famous General Wolfe as to cast quite a shadow over several years of his too short life."


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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawson, Wilfrid, 3rd Baronet 1697 births 1737 deaths Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford Members of the Inner Temple
Wilfrid Wilfrid ( – 709 or 710) was an English bishop and saint. Born a Northumbrian noble, he entered religious life as a teenager and studied at Lindisfarne, at Canterbury, in Francia, and at Rome; he returned to Northumbria in about 660, and ...
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1734–1741 Fellows of the Royal Society