John Bampfylde (8 April 1691 – 17 September 1750) of

Hestercombe Hestercombe House is a historic country house in the parish of West Monkton in the Quantock Hills, near Taunton in Somerset, England. The house is a Grade II* listed building and the estate is Grade I listed on the English Heritage Register ...

in Somerset, was an English landowner and politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, 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 ...

between 1715 and 1741.

Early life and family

Bampfylde was the second son of Colonel Hugh Bampfield (died 1690), (eldest son and heir apparent of

Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, 2nd Baronet Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, 2nd Bt., DL, JP (ca. 1633 – 9 February 1692) of Poltimore and North Molton and Warleigh, Tamerton Foliot, in Devon, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1659 and 168 ...

(c. 1633–1692) of Poltimore and

North Molton North Molton is a village, parish and former Manorialism, manor in North Devon, England. The population of the parish in 2001 was 1,047, decreasing to 721 in the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census. An electoral ward with the same name also ...

, Devon, whom he predeceased) by his wife Mary Clifford, daughter of James Clifford of Ware. His elder brother was

Sir Coplestone Bampfylde, 3rd Baronet Sir Coplestone Warwick Bampfylde, 3rd Baronet (c. 1689 – 7 October 1727) of Manor of Poltimore, Poltimore and Manor of North Molton, North Molton, Devon, was a Great Britain, British landowner and High Tory politician who sat in the British Hou ...

(c. 1689–1727) of Poltimore. The Bampfield family had been seated at Poltimore since about 1300. Bampfylde married Elizabeth Basset, daughter of John Basset (1653–1686) of

Heanton Punchardon Heanton Punchardon ( ) is a village, civil parish and former manor, anciently part of Braunton Hundred. It is situated directly east-southeast of the village of Braunton, in North Devon. The parish lies on the north bank of the estuary of the ...

and

Umberleigh Umberleigh is a former large manor within the historic hundred of (North) Tawton, but today a small village in North Devon in England. It used to be an ecclesiastical parish, but following the building of the church at Atherington it became ...

in Devon, five times MP for

Barnstaple Barnstaple ( or ) is a river-port town and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. The town lies at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool from ...

, Devon but there were no children before she died. He married secondly Margaret Warre (died 1758), daughter and heiress of Sir Francis Warre, 1st Baronet of

, Somerset. He inherited Hestercombe House from his father-in-law in 1718 and began to lay out gardens there. The present gardens are largely the work of his son.

Political career

Bampfyld was returned as Tory Member of Parliament for

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

on the family interest at the 1715 general election. He was absent for some divisions, but voted against the Government on the repeal of the Occasional Conformity and Schism Acts. He was recorded as accepting £1,000 South Sea stock on 22 March 1720 without paying for it. He did not stand again at the 1722 general election. He was returned unopposed as MP for

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

at a by-election on 3 February 1736. He voted against the Spanish convention in 1739 but was absent from other divisions. He retired at the 1741 general election.

Death and legacy

Bampfylde died on 17 September 1750. He had a son and two daughters by his second marriage. *Col. Coplestone Warre Bampfylde (died 29 August 1791), Colonel of the Somerset Militia,Vivian, p.40 who married Mary Knight, 2nd daughter of Edward Knight of Wolverley, Worcestershire, and died without issue. In 1818 John Knight II (died 1850) of Lea Castle, Wolverley, (father of Colonel Sir Frederick Winn Knight (1812-1897) KCB, MP) purchased the former Royal Forest of

Exmoor Exmoor () is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simons ...

, which adjoined the Manor of North Molton, Devon, a seat of the senior line of the Bampfylde family. *Elizabeth Bampfylde (died 1802), who died unmarried. *Margaretta Bampfylde (died December 1792), who on 31 December 1753 married George Tyndale (1704–1771). Their son John Tyndale inherited the Warre estate at Hestercombe

Sources

Matthews, Shirley, biography of ''Bampfylde, John (1691-1750), of Poltimore (sic), nr. Exeter, Devon''
published in The

History of Parliament The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in ...

: the House of Commons 1715-1754, ed. R. Sedgwick, 1970

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bampfylde, John 1691 births 1750 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Exeter British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1734–1741 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Devon

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 * Second E ...