Sir Archer Croft, 2nd Baronet on:
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Sir Archer Croft, 2nd Baronet (c. 2 March 1683 – 10 December 1753), of
Croft stood unsuccessfully for
Sir Archer Croft, 2nd Baronet (c. 2 March 1683 – 10 December 1753), of Croft Castle
Croft Castle is a country house in the village of Croft, Herefordshire, England. Owned by the Croft family since 1085, the castle and estate passed out of their hands in the 18th century, before being repurchased by the family in 1923. In 195 ...
, near Leominster, Herefordshire, 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 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 parliament. ...
from 1722 to 1734.
Early life
Croft was the eldest son ofSir Herbert Croft, 1st Baronet
Sir Herbert Croft, 1st Baronet ( – 3 November 1720) was a British politician.
Family
Croft was the only son of the Right Reverend Herbert Croft, Bishop of Hereford and Anne Browne, the only daughter of the Very Rev. Dr. Jonathan Browne and ...
and his wife Elizabeth Archer, daughter of Thomas Archer, MP of Umberslade, Warwickshire. He matriculated at New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at ...
on 15 April 1702. In 1720 he succeeded to the baronetcy
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
on the death of his father on 3 November. He married Frances Waring, daughter of Brigadier-General Richard Waring of Dunston Park, Berkshire on 10 January 1723.
Career
Croft stood unsuccessfully for Leominster
Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster is t ...
at the 1713 British general election. He was returned as Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...
for Leominster at the top of the poll at the 1722 British general election. On the death of King George I in 1727 he expected Walpole to be ousted by Sir Spencer Compton whom he backed. On Walpole's continuance in office Croft wrote an apology and begged for a post in the Treasury. However he was defeated at the 1727 British general election although returned on the Treasury interest for Winchelsea
Winchelsea () is a small town in the non-metropolitan county of East Sussex, within the historic county of Sussex, England, located between the High Weald and the Romney Marsh, approximately south west of Rye and north east of Hastings. The ...
at a by-election in 1728. He was also returned as MP for Bere Alston
Bere Alston is a village in West Devon in the county of Devon in England. It forms part of the civil parish of Bere Ferrers.
History and geography
With a population of about 2,000, the village lies in the Bere peninsula, between the river ...
on the Drake interest at a by-election on 2 March 1728 and chose to sit at Bere Alston. He then applied for posts through Mrs Clayton, the Queen's favourite, but was unsuccessful. In Parliament, he made a number of speeches for the government and was rewarded with a post as Lord of Trade
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ar ...
in 1730. At the 1734 general election
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 – T ...
, he was unable to find a seat. However he was allowed to retain his post as Lord of Trade until the fall of Walpole in 1742 when he resigned with a pension of £1,000 a year.
Death and legacy
Croft died on 10 December 1753, having had three sons and a daughter. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son Archer Croft.References