Family and Education

b. 22 Sept. 1735, 2nd s. of Sir John Bingham, 5th Bt., by Anne, da. of Agmondesham Vesey of Lucan, co. Dublin. m. 25 Aug. 1760, Margaret, da. and coh. of James Smith, M.P., of Cannons Leigh, Devon, 1s. 4da. suc. bro. as 7th Bt. 1752; cr. Baron Lucan of Castlebar [I] 25 July 1776; Earl of Lucan [I] 1 Oct. 1795.

Offices Held

M.P. [I] 1761-76.

Biography

Having become in 1781 the father-in-law of George John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, Lucan was unexpectedly pressed into service as candidate for Northampton to preserve the Spencer interest when Althorp resigned to stand for Surrey.1 He was returned unopposed. Following Althorp, he supported Rockingham’s Government, voted against Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783, and for Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783, and opposed Pitt. Very unpopular with his constituents, at the general election of 1784 he was defeated.

Sir John Blaquière described Lucan as ‘in private life a respectable, amiable man—independent from fortune’.2 Lucan was a zealous champion of the Irish claims to commercial and constitutional liberty put forward during the years 1779-83, and this interest, together with his connexion with Althorp and his fervent admiration for Fox, determined his political line.3

Lucan died 29 Mar. 1799.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: John Brooke

Notes

• 1. HMC 14th Rep. IX, 165.
• 2. Irish Parlt. 1775, ed. Hunt, 4.
• 3. HMC 8th Rep. pt. 1 (1881), p. 207; HMC 14th Rep. IX, 159, 163-4, 168; Lucan to Lady Spencer, 21 Feb. 1783, Spencer mss.