Sir Cordell Firebrace, 3rd Baronet (20 February 1712 – 28 March 1759), of Long Melford, Suffolk, was a British landowner and

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

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 ...

from 1735 to 1759.

Biography

Firebrace was the only son of Sir Charles Firebrace, 2nd Baronet, of Stoke Golding, Leicestershire and his wife Margaret Cordell, daughter of Sir John Cordell, 2nd Baronet, MP, of Long Melford, Suffolk. His grandfather was a London vintner. In 1727, 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. He matriculated at

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its foun ...

on 9 May 1729. He married Bridget Evers, widow of Edward Evers of Ipswich, and Washingley, Lincolnshire and daughter of Philip Bacon of Ipswich on 25 October 1737. Firebrace was returned unopposed as a Tory Member of Parliament for

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

at a by-election on 5 March 1735. He was probably unwell at the time of the divisions on the Convention of Pardo in 1739 and the place bill in 1740 when he was absent. At the

1741 British general election The 1741 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 9th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election saw suppo ...

he was returned unopposed again for Suffolk. After the Jacobite rebellion in 1745, in response to insinuations, he was at pains to argue that he never was in the least disposed to the Pretender's interest but 'did associate and subscribe to support his Majesty' with his 'life and fortune' during the late rebellion. He voted against the Government in all recorded divisions except on the Hanoverians in 1746, when he was absent again. He spoke against the Heritable Jurisdictions in Scotland bill on 14 April 1747. At the

1747 British general election The 1747 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 10th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election saw Hen ...

, he was returned for Suffolk in a contest. He also had a considerable interest at Ipswich and elsewhere, which he gave to

Frederick, Prince of Wales Frederick, Prince of Wales (Frederick Louis, German: ''Friedrich Ludwig''; 31 January 1707 – 31 March 1751) was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen C ...

. In Egmont's lists of people who would receive office on the accession of Frederick, Firebrace was marked down to become a lord of the Admiralty. His only recorded speech in this Parliament was made in the debate of 19 February 1753 on Nova Scotia. In 1740, in his capacity as local magistrate in Long Melford, he oversaw the interview of Edward Humfrey in connection to the murder of Charles John Frew. Firebrace was returned unopposed as a Tory again for Suffolk at the

1754 British general election The 1754 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 11th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. Owing to the exten ...

. No speech by him is recorded after 1754, but he was included in Newcastle's list of 1757 of 'speakers and efficient men' and was placed in Pitt's group. Firebrace died without issue on 28 March 1759 and the baronetcy became extinct.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Firebrace, Sir Cordell, 3rd Baronet 1712 births 1759 deaths British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 British MPs 1747–1754 British MPs 1754–1761 English justices of the peace Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Baronets in the Baronetage of England Tory MPs (pre-1834)