VANE, Hon. William (1682-1734), of Fairlawn, Kent

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, ed. D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, S. Handley, 2002
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1708 - 1710
1727 - 1734
15 - 20 May 1734

Family and Education

bap. 17 Feb. 1682, 2nd surv. s. of Christopher Vane*, 1st Baron Barnard.  m. settlement 15 Nov. 1703, Lucy (d. 1742), da. and coh. of William Joliffe*, 3s. (2 d.v.p.).  cr. Visct. Vane [I] 13 Sept. 1720; suc. fa. at Fairlawn 1723.1

Offices Held

Biography

When, in the spring of 1703, Vane’s father treated to marry him into a wealthy merchant family it was agreed that the settlement would include Fairlawn, Kent, and lands in Durham, providing Vane with £500 p.a. for himself and £100 p.a. for his lady. After the marriage, however, his father refused to include Fairlawn in the settlement, and when Vane took legal advice on the matter his father took ‘great displeasure’ and stopped his allowance. When the case came before the Lords, the settlement was confirmed and Vane retained possession of Fairlawn. The attempt by Vane’s maternal uncle the Duke of Newcastle (John Holles†) to create an interest at Poole for him prior to the 1708 election came to nothing, but Vane was instead returned at this election for Durham on his father’s interest, and was classed as a ‘gain’ for the Whigs by Lord Sunderland (Charles, Lord Spencer*). On 15 Jan. 1709 he acted as teller against declaring Sir Cleave More, 2nd Bt.*, duly elected for Bramber, and on 22 Mar. was appointed to carry to the Lords a bill concerning the Duke of Newcastle’s estates. His Whig instincts were demonstrated by his votes for the naturalization of the Palatines, and the following session for the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell. He was teller three times during the 1709–10 session: against a motion that Samuel Shepheard I* was duly elected for Cambridge (9 Feb.); against recommitting the address of thanks to the Queen for the prosecution of Dr Sacheverell (4 Mar.); and for bringing up a petition concerning an estate bill (31 Mar.). He did not stand in 1710, his father being ‘persuaded to drop’ him despite the Duke of Newcastle’s offer to pay £1,000 towards his election expenses. He returned to the Commons in 1727, by which time he had been raised to the Irish peerage, and remained a Member until his death, aged 53, on 20 May 1734. He was buried on 5 June at Shipbourne, Kent, and was succeeded by his only surviving son.2

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Author: Eveline Cruickshanks

Notes

  • 1. IGI, Kent; Surtees, Dur. iii. 214; Hutchinson, Dur. iii. 264.
  • 2. HMC Lords, n.s. vi. 341–3; PRO 30/24/20/338–9; HMC Portland, iv. 570; Add. 70278, Robert Price* to Robert Harley*, [Aug. 1710].