FLUDYER, George (1761-1837), of Ayston Hall, Rutland.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820, ed. R. Thorne, 1986
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

28 Feb. 1783 - 1802
1818 - Apr. 1819

Family and Education

b. Sept. 1761, 2nd s. of Sir Samuel Fludyer, 1st Bt. of Lee, Kent by 2nd w. Caroline, da. of Hon. James Brudenell, niece of George, 3rd Earl of Cardigan. educ. Westminster 1771; Grand Tour. m. 16 June 1792, Lady Mary Fane, da. of John Fane, 9th Earl of Westmorland, 3s. 4da.

Offices Held

Capt. Rutland yeoman cav. 1794, maj. 1801.

Sheriff, Rutland 1814-15.

Biography

Fludyer, son of one of the richest London clothiers of his day, seems never to have taken any part in the conduct of the business. He inherited his father’s parliamentary interest at Chippenham, which he represented in the Parliaments of 1790 and 1796 as a mute supporter of Pitt. In 1791 he was listed hostile to the repeal of the Test Act in Scotland. In 1802 he was accused of breaking the agreement with the corporation by which he was bound to grant leases of at least seven years to the occupants of his burgages. This suggestion that he was attempting to strengthen his interest in the borough was not borne out by subsequent events. He did not stand when threatened with a contest, but gave his interest to John Maitland* and ceased to be of consequence in the borough. He evidently let his property there to Maitland, a partner in the firm of Fludyer, Marsh and Hudson, who henceforth represented the Fludyer interest.

Fludyer was Lady Lonsdale’s brother-in-law and there seems to have been some question of returning him for Cockermouth on the Lonsdale interest in 1812, but he was not chosen. In 1818 Lonsdale returned him as a stopgap for Appleby. Once again he was an inactive Member, taking three weeks’ leave of absence on 24 Feb. 1819. He vacated in April. He died 15 Apr. 1837. ‘He was for over fifty years an active and valuable magistrate’, wrote the Gentleman’s Magazine, ‘highly respected in his neighbourhood as one of the true "old English gentlemen".'

Lonsdale mss, Lowther to Lonsdale, 5 Nov. 1812; Gent. Mag. (1837), i. 655.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: R. G. Thorne

Notes