Sir Robert Marsham, 4th Baronet (16 December 1650 – 25 July 1703) was an English 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 1698 to 1702. Marsham was the son of

Sir John Marsham, 1st Baronet Sir John Marsham, 1st Baronet (23 August 1602 – 25 May 1685) was an English antiquary known as a writer on chronology. He was also a Court of Chancery, chancery clerk and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England, House of C ...

and lived at Bushey Hall, Hertfordshire. 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 ...

in 1666, and entered the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

in 1669. He was one of the six Clerks of Chancery. He succeeded his nephew John (who died a minor) 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 ...

in 1696, inheriting from him the Mote in Maidstone, Kent, where he thereafter lived.John Burke ''A General and heraldic dictionary of the peerage and baronetage of Volume 2''
/ref> Marsham was elected Member of Parliament for

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, l ...

in 1698 and held the seat until 1702. Marsham died in July 1703, aged 52. He had married Margaret Bosvile daughter of Thomas Bosvile of Little Motte, Eynsford, Kent. They had three sons and four daughters. Five of their children were nominated in the first British

tontine A tontine () is an investment linked to a living person which provides an income for as long as that person is alive. Such schemes originated as plans for governments to raise capital in the 17th century and became relatively widespread in the 18 ...

in 1693.Nominees of the first British tontine of 1693 - KLM
/ref> Their son,

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

, who succeeded to the baronetcy, was elevated to the peerage as Baron Romney in 1716 and was the ancestor of

Earl of Romney Earl of Romney (pronounced "Rumney") is a title that has been created twice. It was first created in the Peerage of England in 1694 in favour of the soldier and politician Henry Sydney, 1st Earl of Romney, Henry Sydney. He had been made Baron ...

References

1650 births 1703 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of England English MPs 1698–1700 English MPs 1701 English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1702–1705 Alumni of St John's College, Oxford Members of the Middle Temple {{1698-England-MP-stub