Robert Vyner (1686–1777) of Swakeleys, Middlesex, and Gautby, Lincolnshire, was a British 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 ...

for 27 years between 1710 and 1761.

Early life

Vyner was baptized on 31 October 1686, the only son of Thomas Vyner, of Swakeleys, Middlesex and his wife Anne Leeke, daughter of Sir Francis Leeke, 1st Baronet of Newark, Nottinghamshire. He succeeded his father to Swakeleys in 1707 and inherited his extensive Lincolnshire estates, acquired by his great uncle, Charles II’s banker. He married Margaret Style, daughter of

Sir Thomas Style, 2nd Baronet Sir Thomas Style, 2nd Baronet (1624–1702) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1656 and 1659. Style was the son of Sir Thomas Style, 1st Baronet of Wateringbury, Kent and his wife Elizabeth Foulkes daughter of Rob ...

of Wateringbury, Kent.

Career

Vyner was elected Member of Parliament for

Great Grimsby Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" * Artel Great (bo ...

in a contest at the 1710 general election. His politics were unclear, but the Tory Arthur Moore, who was returned with him he election, wrote that he was sure of his support. Vyner was not an active Member, and little was recorded of him in Parliament. In July 1712 he and Moore presented Grimsby’s address of thanks for the terms of the peace, on behalf of the High Church party. He did not stand in

1713 Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take ...

and next stood in 1721, when he was defeated at Grimsby. He was returned as an independent Whig MP for

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

at a by-election on 12 February 1724. He was a highly prolific speaker, and became a voluble opponent of successive administrations, acting consistently against them. He was returned again at the

1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...

and

1734 Events January– March * January 8 – Salzburgers, Lutherans who were expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, Austria, in October 1731, set sail for the British Colony of Georgia in America. * February 16 – ...

general elections. In February 1741, he voted against the motion for Walpole’s removal. In 1741, Vyner sold the family mansion at Swakeleys to

Benjamin Lethieullier Benjamin Lethieullier (1729-1797), was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1768 and 1797. Lethieullier was the son of Christopher Lethieullier, director of the Bank of England, and his wife Sarah Lascelles who was daug ...

and moved to Gautby Hall in Lincolnshire,. which was probably designed and built for him by

Matthew Brettingham Matthew Brettingham (1699 – 19 August 1769), sometimes called Matthew Brettingham the Elder, was an English architect who supervised the construction of Holkham Hall, and became one of the best-known architects of his generation, despi ...

. Pevsner, Nikolaus; Harris, John; ''The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire'' p. 247; Penguin, (1964); revised by Nicholas Antram in 1989, Yale University Press. Gautby parish church was rebuilt in 1754 as a family chapel of the Vyner family. It is a Grade II*

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

, red brick, incorporating some medieval work. Vyner installed in the church two reclining statues from

St Mary Woolnoth St Mary Woolnoth is an Anglican church in the City of London, located on the corner of Lombard Street, London, Lombard Street and King William Street, London, King William Street near Bank junction. The present building is one of the Commission f ...

London of Thomas Vyner and

Sir Thomas Vyner, 1st Baronet Sir Thomas Vyner, 1st Baronet (15 December 1588 – 11 May 1665) was an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1653. Vyner supplied gold bullion to two English kings and to the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell. ...

, former lord mayor of London. Vyner was returned unopposed for Lincolnshire again at the

1741 Events January–March * January 13 ** Lanesborough, Massachusetts is created as a township. ** Conventicle Act of 1741 is introduced in Denmark-Norway. *February 13 – Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister of Great Britain ...

and

1747 Events January–March * January 31 – The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital. * February 11 – King George's War: A combined French and Indian force, commanded by Captain Nicolas Antoine II ...

general elections. He was described as ‘a whimsical man, full of projects of reformation, especially about the army and militia’. Horace Walpole remarked of him in 1751 that ‘the House generally suffered him to be singular in his opinion’. At the 1754 general election he was again returned unopposed for Lincolnshire. He supported Pitt and his group in opposing the Russian and Hessian subsidy treaties. On 14 June 1758 he and his son were with George Townshend, Edward Montagu, and Thomas Staunton, in a minority of five against an increase of the judges’ salaries and on 26 January 1759 he opposed Pitt’s motion for a subsidy for the King of Prussia. On 30 October 1760 he let himself be put up against Thomas Whichcot, his fellow Member for 20 years, on a joint interest with Sir John Thorold, but this proved unpopular and he withdrew from the contest at the 1761 general election in around the middle of January 1761. He did not stand again.

Later life and legacy

Vyner married, as his second wife, Delicia de Pipre of Upper Brook Street, London on 3 June 1758. He died on 10 April 1777 leaving his son Robert Vyner (1717–1799) and two daughters by his first wife. Gautby Hall was occupied by the Vyner family until 1872 and was destroyed in 1874.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vyner, Robert 1686 births 1777 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Great Grimsby British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 British MPs 1747–1754 British MPs 1754–1761