Sir George Oxenden, 5th Baronet (26 October 1694 – 20 January 1775) was an English Whig 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 1720 to 1754.

Early life

Oxenden was the son of

George Oxenden George Oxenden may refer to: * Sir George Oxenden (governor) (1620–1669), first governor of the Bombay Presidency * George Oxenden (lawyer) George Oxenden (October 1651 – 21 February 1703) was an English academic, lawyer and politician w ...

LLD master of

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge, colloquially "Tit Hall" ) is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1350, it is th ...

and his wife Elizabeth Dixwell daughter of Sir Basil Dixwell Bt. In April 1720 he succeeded his brother Sir Henry Oxenden, 4th Baronet in 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 ...

John Burke ''A General and heraldic dictionary of the peerage and baronetage Volume 2''
/ref> and in May 1720, he married Elizabeth Dunch, daughter of Edmund Dunch of

Little Wittenham Little Wittenham is a village and civil parish on the south bank of the River Thames, northeast of Didcot in South Oxfordshire. In 1974 it was transferred from Berkshire to the county of Oxfordshire and from Wallingford Rural District to the d ...

then in Berkshire.

Political career

Oxenden was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for

Sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

at a by-election on 9 May 1720 and was re-elected at the 1722 general election. He was appointed Lord of Admiralty in 1725. In

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 ...

he was re-elected MP for Sandwich and became Lord of Treasury in that year. He contested Kent as well as Sandwich in 1734. He was defeated at Kent but elected again for Sandwich. He lost his post as Lord of Treasury in June 1737 and became a supporter of the Prince of Wales faction at Leicester House. He was elected again for Sandwich at the general elections of

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 ...

but stood down in 1754 on the promise of a government post for his son which never materialized.

Personal life

Oxenden was party to at least two scandals and earned a very bad reputation. On the death of his uncle Sir Basil Dixwell, 2nd Baronet, who died in 1750, without any sons, Oxenden inherited the Dixwell estate, or what remained of it after debts had been paid. As a condition of the inheritance he was required to take on the surname of Dixwell, but although he procured an Act of Parliament in 1751, to this effect,Deed Poll Office: Private Act of Parliament 1751 (25 Geo. 2). c. 1
/ref> it is not clear if he took the surname on in practice.

Death and legacy

Oxenden died on 20 January 1775 aged 80 leaving three sons and three daughters. His son

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

succeeded in the baronetcy.

References

External links

Artnet
Portrait by

Edward Byng Edward Byng (''ca.'' 1676 – 1753), sometimes spelt Bing, was an English portrait artist. Thought to be a native of Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire t ...

1694 births 1775 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of England Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 British MPs 1747–1754 Lords of the Admiralty {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub