James Dawkins (c. 1696–1766) was an English landowner and politician.

Life

He was the second son of Colonel Richard Dawkins of Clarendon, a plantation and slave owner in

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

, member of the Assembly (died c. 1698/1701/1705, of a

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to the north, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire to the south-east, Warw ...

family), and his second wife Mrs. Elizabeth Masters (d. 1702). He matriculated at

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College ( ) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and ...

on 28 March 1713, at age 16. Dawkins, of Rusley Park, Bishopstone,

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...

, bought land at

Over Norton Over Norton is a village and civil parish within the West Oxfordshire district, about north of Chipping Norton Chipping Norton is a market town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cotswolds in the West Oxfordshire district ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

, the Busby estate. In the general election of 1734 he campaigned to become Member of Parliament for

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, but withdrew before the poll, despite having spent heavily. He was brought in unopposed, however, for

New Woodstock New Woodstock is a hamlet in the town of Cazenovia, Madison County, New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located ...

, with the support of the Duchess of Marlborough. In 1747 he lost his seat, to

John Bateman, 2nd Viscount Bateman John Bateman, 2nd Viscount Bateman (April 1721 – 2 March 1802) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1746 to 1784. Bateman was the eldest son of William Bateman, 1st Viscount Bateman MP and his wife Lady Anne Spencer, ...

, who was backed by

Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough Charles Spencer, 3rd Duke of Marlborough, (22 November 170620 October 1758), styled as The Honourable Charles Spencer between 1706 and 1729 and as the Earl of Sunderland between 1729 and 1733, was a British Army officer, politician and peer wh ...

. In the 1750s, Dawkins was considered a Jacobite. He died unmarried on 10 May 1766. His

Over Norton Park Over Norton Park is a farm of 210 acres (85 ha) at Over Norton, lying to the north of Chipping Norton, in the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire, England. It has been in the Dawkins family since the 1720s. Originally a larger country estate, it was inherited ...

estate went to

Henry Dawkins Henry Dawkins (24 May 1728 – 19 June 1814) was a British politician. Background The Dawkins family settled in Jamaica shortly after its seizure from the Spanish in 1655. William Dawkins (d. 1694) acquired plantations in Jamaica, by grant, ...

, his nephew.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawkins, James 1766 deaths 18th-century English landowners Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 Year of birth uncertain Jamaican slave owners

James James may refer to: People * James (given name) * James (surname) * James (musician), aka Faruq Mahfuz Anam James, (born 1964), Bollywood musician * James, brother of Jesus * King James (disambiguation), various kings named James * Prince Ja ...