JohnParker1stBaronBoringdonByJoshuaReynolds

John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon (1735 – 27 April 1788) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

peer and Member of Parliament.

Origins

Parker was the eldest son of John Parker (1703–1768) of

Boringdon Hall Boringdon Hall is a 16th-century Grade I listed manor house in the parish of Colebrook, about two miles north of Plympton, Devon. Description The oldest parts of the present house were said by John Britton (1771–1857) to have been built about ...

, Plympton, and

Saltram House Saltram House is a listed building, grade I listed George II of Great Britain, George II era house in Plympton, Devon, England. It was deemed by the architectural critic Nikolaus Pevsner to be "the most impressive country house in Devon". ...

, by his wife Catherine Poulett (1706–1758), whom he married in 1725, a daughter of

John Poulett, 1st Earl Poulett John Poulett, 1st Earl Poulett KG (c. 1668 – 28 May 1743) was an English peer. Life Poulett was the son of John Poulett, 3rd Baron Poulett and his second wife, Susan Herbert, daughter of Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke. He was the most ...

, by his wife, Bridget Bertie, a granddaughter of

Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey, KG, PC (1608 – 25 July 1666), was an English soldier, courtier, and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1624 and 1626. He was created Baron Willoughby de Eresby by writ of acceleration in ...

. He had a sister Henrietta Parker (d. 1808) and a younger brother,

Montagu Edmund Parker Montagu Edmund Parker (1737–1813) of Whiteway House, near Chudleigh and of Blagdon, Paignton, Blagdon in the parish of Paignton, both in Devon, was Sheriff of Devon in 1789. Portraits of him by Sir Joshua Reynolds (educated at Plympton Gram ...

(1737–1813) of

Whiteway House Whiteway House in the parish of Chudleigh in Devon is a Listed buildings, Grade II* listed Georgian house set in parkland. It was built in the 1770s by John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon (1735–1788) of Saltram House, Plympton, and has early 19t ...

, near

Chudleigh Chudleigh () is an ancient wool town located within the Teignbridge District Council area of Devon, England; it is sited between Newton Abbot and Exeter. The electoral ward with the same name had a population of 5,919 at the 2021 United Kingdo ...

(purchased by his grandfather George Parker (d. 1743) who also purchased Saltram),

Sheriff of Devon The High Sheriff of Devon is the Kings's representative for the County of Devon, a territory known as his/her bailiwick. Selected from three nominated people, they hold the office for one year. They have judicial, ceremonial and administrative f ...

in 1789, who married in 1775 Charity Ourry (1752–1786), daughter of Admiral Paul Ourry, by whom he had issue Montague E. Parker (1778–1831) whose daughter Harriet Parker (1809–1897) married in 1842, as her second husband, her second cousin Edmund Parker, 2nd Earl of Morley (1810–1864).

Career

He was educated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

. John attended Plympton Grammar School where Sir Joshua Reynold's father was headmaster. He was elected to 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 ...

for

Bodmin Bodmin () is a town and civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated south-west of Bodmin Moor. The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character. It is bordered ...

in 1761, a seat he held until 1762, and then represented

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 ...

between 1762 and 1784. The latter year Parker was raised to the peerage as Baron Boringdon, of Boringdon in the County of Devon. Apart from his political career he was also a collector of paintings at his seat

. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in April 1767. In 1783, Parker's horse

Saltram Saltram House is a grade I listed George II era house in Plympton, Devon, England. It was deemed by the architectural critic Nikolaus Pevsner to be "the most impressive country house in Devon". The house was designed by the architect Ro ...

won the fourth running of The Derby.

Marriage and progeny

TheresaParkerLadyBoringdonByJoshuaReynolds

Lord Boringdon married twice: *Firstly, in 1764 to Frances Hort (d.1764), daughter of the Right Reverend

Josiah Hort Josiah Hort (c. 1674 – 14 December 1751), was an English clergyman of the Church of Ireland who ended his career as archbishop of Tuam. Born in Marshfield, Gloucestershire, son of John Hort, and brought up as a Nonconformist, Hort went to sc ...

Archbishop of Tuam The Archbishop of Tuam ( ; ) is an Episcopal polity, archbishop which takes its name after the town of Tuam in County Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The title was used by the Church of Ireland until 1839, and is still in use by the Cathol ...

. She died later the same year, without progeny. *Secondly, in 1769, to Theresa Robinson (1744/5-1775), second daughter of

Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham, (c. 169530 September 1770), of Newby, Yorkshire, was a British diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1727 and 1761. Early life Robinson was a younger son of Sir William Robin ...

. Lord Boringdon survived her by thirteen years and they had two children. Their son

John Parker, 1st Earl of Morley John Parker, 1st Earl of Morley Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (3 May 1772 – 14 March 1840), known as 2nd Baron Boringdon from 1788 to 1815, was a British peer and politician. Origins Morley was the only son of John Parker, 1st Baron Bo ...

(1772–1840) became Viscount Boringdon and

Earl of Morley Earl of Morley, of Morley in the County of Devon, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for John Parker, 2nd Baron Boringdon. At the same time he was created Viscount Boringdon, of North Molton in the County o ...

in 1815 and their daughter Theresa Parker (1775–1856) married George Villiers (1759–1827), youngest son of

Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon, Privy Council of the United Kingdom, PC (1709 – 11 December 1786) was a Kingdom of Great Britain, British politician and diplomat from the Villiers family. Clarendon was the second son of William Villie ...

Death and burial

Lord Boringdon died in April 1788.

Notes

References

* *Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). ''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'' (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, * *National Trust guide book, Saltram, Devon, 2011, p. 65 {{DEFAULTSORT:Boringdon, John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon, John Parker, 1st Baron Boringdon, John Parker, 1st Baron Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Barons Boringdon Boringdon Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Devon Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Bodmin British MPs 1761–1768 British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 Fellows of the Royal Society Owners of Epsom Derby winners