KNIGHTLEY, Lucy (1742-91), of Fawsley, Northants.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

21 Nov. 1763 - 1768
14 Jan. 1773 - 1784

Family and Education

b. 23 Feb. 1742, 1st s. of Valentine Knightley.  educ. Rugby 1748; Eton 1755-9; B.N.C. Oxf. 1760.  suc. fa. 2 May 1754.  m. 14 Apr. 1764, Catherine, 3rd da. of Sir James Dashwood, 2nd Bt., s.p.

Offices Held

Sheriff, Northants. 1770-1.

Biography

Knightley was returned for Northampton in 1763 on the Compton interest, but did not stand at the general election of 1768. During this period he is only known to have voted once—against the Government on the land tax, 27 Feb. 1767. He is generally described in parliamentary lists as ‘country gentleman’ or ‘Tory’.

In January 1773 he was returned unopposed for Northamptonshire. His voting record shows him to have been very independent. Though Robinson counted him on the contractors bill, 12 Feb. 1779, as a friend, and at the end of the Parliament as ‘hopeful’, all his recorded votes were against Administration. On 18 Feb. 1783 he voted for Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, on 27 Nov. against Fox’s East India bill, and in the early weeks of 1784 he supported Pitt. At the general election of 1784 he declined to stand owing to ill-health. Apparently he never spoke in the House.

He died 28 Jan. 1791.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: I. R. Christie

Notes