Robert Shirley, Viscount Tamworth (28 December 1692 – 5 July 1714) of Staunton Harold, Leicestershire, was an English nobleman and politician. Staunton Harold Hall - geograph

Robert Shirley was the eldest son of Hon.

Robert Shirley Sir Robert Shirley (or Sherley; c. 1581 – 13 July 1628) was an English traveller and adventurer, younger brother of Sir Anthony Shirley and Sir Thomas Shirley. He is notable for his help modernising and improving the Persian Safavid ...

(1673–1699) and his wife Anne Ferrers (d. 1698). He was born at

Staunton Harold Hall Staunton Harold Hall is a large 18th-century Grade I listed country house built by the Earl Ferrers, Earls Ferrers, situated within the Staunton Harold Park in Staunton Harold, Leicestershire, England, which includes the 17th-century Grade I lis ...

. and inherited

Tamworth Castle Tamworth Castle, a Grade I listed building, is a Norman castle overlooking the mouth of the River Anker into the Tame in the town of Tamworth in Staffordshire, England. Before boundary changes in 1889, however, the castle was within the edge of ...

and other estates in

Staffordshire Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...

upon his mother's death. Furthermore, he became the heir apparent to his grandfather, Lord Ferrers of Chartley, when his father died the following year. He was styled Viscount Tamworth after 1711, when his grandfather was created

Earl Ferrers Earl Ferrers is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1711 for Robert Shirley, 14th Baron Ferrers of Chartley. The Shirley family descends from George Shirley (died 1622) of Astwell Castle, Northamptonshire. In 1611 he w ...

. In 1713, when Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Member of Parliament for

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 ...

was forced to step down due to financial constraints, Tamworth was put forth by the Tories to replace him. At the time, the Tories held both Leicestershire seats; thorough canvassing on the part of Tamworth and some judicious payments quieted the Whig opposition, and Tamworth and the sitting member, Sir Thomas Cave, were returned without a poll. In the new Parliament, he was teller in favour of a

supply bill In the Westminster system (and, colloquially, in the United States), a money bill or supply bill is a bill that solely concerns taxation or government spending (also known as appropriation of money), as opposed to changes in public law. Conv ...

on 22 June to grant Queen Anne 32 years of additional duties on various goods. Two weeks later, he was, like his father, stricken by

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

and died on 5 July. He was buried at Staunton Harold. He left his estates, including Tamworth Castle, to his sister

Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...

, who later married James Compton, 5th Earl of Northampton, and his

personal property Personal property is property that is movable. In common law systems, personal property may also be called chattels or personalty. In civil law (legal system), civil law systems, personal property is often called movable property or movables—a ...

to his aunt, Lady Barbara Shirley (d. 1768).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tamworth, Robert Shirley, Viscount 1692 births 1714 deaths British courtesy viscounts British MPs 1713–1715 Deaths from smallpox Heirs apparent who never acceded Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Leicestershire