Sir Sitwell Sitwell, 1st Baronet JP (' Hurt; September 1769 – 14 July 1811) was a British politician and landowner.

Early life

Born as Sitwell Hurt on 14 July 1811, he was the eldest son of Mary ( Warneford) Hurt and Francis Hurt (1728–1793) of Mount Pleasant,

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

, who changed his surname to Sitwell in 1777, when he inherited the

Renishaw Hall Renishaw Hall is a country house in Renishaw in the parish of Eckington in Derbyshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building and has been the home of the Sitwell family for nearly 400 years. The hall is southeast of Sheffield, and north of ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

estates of his mother's cousin. Among his siblings were younger brother was

Francis Sitwell Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) * Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie29 ...

, MP for

Berwick-upon-Tweed Berwick-upon-Tweed (), sometimes known as Berwick-on-Tweed or simply Berwick, is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, south of the Anglo-Scottish border, and the northernmost town in England. The 2011 United Kingdom census recor ...

(who married Ann Campbell, a daughter of Ilay Campbell of Succoth), and sister, Mary Sitwell, who married Sir William Wake, 9th Baronet (after Mary's death, Sir William married Jenny Gambier, daughter of Vice-Admiral

James Gambier Admiral of the Fleet James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier, (13 October 1756 – 19 April 1833) was a Royal Navy officer and colonial administrator. After seeing action at the capture of Charleston during the American Revolutionary War, he saw act ...

). His paternal grandparents were Jonathan Hurt and Catherine ( Sitwell) Hurt (daughter of William Sitwell). Sitwell was a great-great grandson of ironmaster

George Sitwell Sir George Reresby Sitwell, 4th Baronet (27 January 1860 – 9 July 1943) was a British antiquarian writer and Conservative politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1885 and 1895. Early life Sitwell was born in London, the son of Sir ...

, "who first put the Sitwell family on the map." His maternal grandparents were Mary ( Stainforth) Warneford and the Rev. Richard Warneford of

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

. Sitwell was educated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

, matriculating in 1788, before commencing his Grand Tour.

Career

Sitwell inherited his father's estates in 1793, including

. He had Joseph Badger of Sheffield make substantial alterations and an addition of the west and east ranges of

between 1793 and 1808. His brother Francis inherited

Barmoor Castle Barmoor Castle ( ) is a privately owned 19th-century country house built on an ancient site in Northumberland. It is a Grade II* listed building. As at 2008 the decaying building is officially listed on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk ...

from their father's cousin, Samuel Phipps, and engaged architect John Paterson of

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

in 1801 to build the present substantial

castellated A battlement, in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at intervals t ...

Gothic revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

mansion there, incorporating some existing stonework of the old house. He was Member of Parliament for West Looe from 1796 to 1802. He also was a Justice of the Peace for Derbyshire. From 4 February 1807 to 24 February 1808, he served as

High Sheriff of Derbyshire This is a list of Sheriffs of Derbyshire from 1567 until 1974 and High Sheriffs since. The ancient Sheriff title originating in the time of the Angles, not long after the invasion of the Kingdom of England, which was in existence for around ...

before he was created 1st Baronet Sitwell, of Renishaw in the County of Derby, on 3 October 1808.

Personal life

Sitwell was twice married. His first marriage was on 1 August 1791 to Alice Parke (d. 1797), daughter of Anne ( Preston) Parke and Thomas Parke of Highfield House, West Derby, Liverpool (previously owned by

Charlotte Murray, Duchess of Atholl Charlotte Murray, Duchess of Atholl, ''suo jure'' 8th Baroness Strange (born Lady Charlotte Murray; 13 October 1731 – 13 October 1805) was a Scottish peeress. Early life and background Born Lady Charlotte Murray, she was the daughter of Jame ...

). Her elder brother was

Baron of the Exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was ...

James Parke, 1st Baron Wensleydale James Parke, 1st Baron Wensleydale PC (22 March 1782 – 25 February 1868) was a British barrister and judge. After an education at The King's School, Macclesfield and Trinity College, Cambridge he studied under a special pleader, before b ...

. Before her death on 3 May 1797, they were the parents of:Mosley, Charles, editor. ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes.''

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd Burke's Peerage Limited is a British genealogical publisher, considered an authority on the order of precedence of noble families and information on the lesser nobility of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1826, when the Anglo-Irish geneal ...

, 2003, vol. 3, p. 3635. * Mary Alice Sitwell (–1816), who married her cousin, Sir Charles Wake, 10th Baronet, son of Sir William Wake, 9th Baronet and Mary Sitwell, in 1815. After her death, he married his sister-in-law's sister, Charlotte Tait, daughter of

Craufurd Tait Craufurd is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Craufurd baronets, baronetcies created for people with the surname Craufurd * Charles Craufurd GCB (1761–1821), Scottish soldier *Charles Craufurd Fraser VC KCB (1829–1895), Briti ...

, in 1822. * Anne Elizabeth Sitwell (1793–1856), who married Gen. Sir Frederick Stovin, a son of James Stovin, in 1815. Frederick was the younger brother of Anne's stepmother, Sarah Caroline Stovin, which made Anne Frederick's step-niece. * Sir George Sitwell, 2nd Baronet (1797–1853), who married Susan Murray Tait, a daughter of

Crauford Tait Crauford Tait WS (8 April 1766 – 2 May 1832) was a 17th/18th century Scottish lawyer, improver and landowner and also a contemporary and friend of Robert Burns. Early life Tait was born in Blairlogie in central Scotland on 8 April 1766. H ...

and Susan ( Campbell) Tait (a daughter of

Ilay Campbell, Lord Succoth Sir Ilay Campbell, 1st Baronet, Lord Succoth, (23 August 1734 – 28 March 1823) was a Scottish advocate, judge and politician. He rose to be Lord President of the Court of Session. Early life Campbell's birthplace is given as either Argyll or ...

), in 1818. Sitwell married, secondly, to Sarah Caroline Stovin (1779–1860), on 23 July 1798 at

Warmsworth Warmsworth is a village and civil parish of Doncaster in the City of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. Its population was estimated at 3,908 in 2019. The village lies along the A1(M) Doncaster Bypass and the A630. The River Don is close ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

. She was a daughter of James Stovin of Whitgift Hall, Yorkshire, and elder sister to Gen. Sir Frederick Stovin and Lt.-Gen.

Richard Stovin Lieutenant General Richard Stovin (1761 – 1825) was a British Army officer during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He originally joined the army as an ensign in 1780, and saw service in the American War of Independence, whe ...

. They had one daughter, who died young. Sir Sitwell died "of gout in the head" on 14 July 1811 and was succeeded by his only son,

George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...

. A memorial to the 1st Baronet is in

St Peter and St Paul's Church, Eckington St Peter and St Paul's Church, Eckington is a Grade I listed parish church in the Church of England in Eckington, Derbyshire. History The church dates from the 12th century with elements from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. The south aisle p ...

. After his death, his widow married John Smith Wright of Rempstone Hall,

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated ''Notts.'') is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. The county is bordered by South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. Th ...

, on 19 August 1821. She later died at

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...

on 2 November 1860.

Descendants

Through his son

, he was a grandfather of Sitwell Reresby Sitwell (1820–1862), who became the 3rd Baronet and was, himself, the father of noted eccentric Sir George Sitwell, 4th Baronet and grandfather of Dame

Edith Louisa Sitwell Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell (7 September 1887 – 9 December 1964) was a British poet and critic and the eldest of the three literary Sitwells. She reacted badly to her eccentric, unloving parents and lived much of her life with her governess ...

(1887–1964), Sir Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell, 5th Baronet (1892–1969), and Sir Sacheverell Reresby Sitwell, 6th Baronet (1897–1988).

References

External links

Sitwell family history
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sitwell, Sitwell, 1st Baronet Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom 1769 births 1811 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1796–1800 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for constituencies in Cornwall Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for constituencies in Cornwall UK MPs 1801–1802 Sitwell family High sheriffs of Derbyshire