Denzil Onslow (of Pyrford)
Encyclopedia
Denzil Onslow was a British Whig
politician. Through advantageous marriages, he obtained a country estate and became prominent in Surrey
politics of the Hanoverian era, although his nephew Arthur Onslow
, as Speaker
, judged that Denzil knew "no more of the business [of the House of Commons] than one who had been of the standing of a session".
, he inherited little from his father. He was named after Denzil Holles, who stood as his godfather
. Apprenticed in December 1661 to William Peake, of London, he soon turned elsewhere to seek his fortune. His elder brother Arthur
had married Mary, the daughter of Sir Thomas Foote, 1st Baronet
, a wealthy London grocer. Denzil married Mary's sister Sarah Lewis, the widow of Sir John Lewis, 1st Baronet. The money she brought to the match allowed him to buy the estate of Pyrford
in 1677.
in 1679. Standing as a pro-Exclusion Whig, he was returned as Member of Parliament
for the Surrey borough of Haslemere
. (His brother Arthur was simultaneously returned as knight of the shire for Surrey, while Arthur's son Richard
was returned for the borough of Guildford
.) However, a double return was made for the borough, and Denzil was not declared the member until 11 November 1680, triumphing over his rival James Gresham.
Onslow lost his seat in 1681. Around 1686, he was appointed outranger of Windsor Forest, which improved the Onslow influence in the northern part of Surrey and paid Onslow £600 per year. In 1689, in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution
, he recovered his seat at Haslemere. Onslow's political activity is not readily traced; his nephew Foot Onslow seems to have taken a greater part in Parliamentary affairs. He supported Sacheverell's
clause excluding from office members of municipal corporations that had surrendered their charters to James II
; however, during 1693 and 1694, some observers considered him an adherent of the Court party
.
In 1695, he stood alongside his nephew Sir Richard to become a knight of the shire for Surrey, narrowly eking out a victory over Edward Harvey
(which Harvey unsuccessfully appealed to the committee of privileges). Thereafter his votes stamped him as a solid Whig, although his attendance in Parliament was desultory. At the next election in 1698, the Onslow interest was suffering from a scandal involving his nephew Foot's electioneering at Guildford, and the family did not dare attempt to monopolize both the seats for Surrey. He did not return to Parliament until February 1701 in a by-election for Guildford, where Foot had resigned to become an excise
officer.
led to a violent reaction by the county Tories. Onslow was not unseated in the 1710 election, but he faced a difficult contest, and seems to have suffered from ill-health. Despite losing his rangership and commissionership in 1711, he continued to follow his party, voting to uphold the principle of "No peace without Spain" (to end the War of the Spanish Succession
) in December. His nephew Sir Richard had lost his election at Surrey in 1710 and had to be put in for St Mawes to obtain a seat; in the 1713 election, Denzil made way to allow Sir Richard to (successfully) contest Guildford.
, Onslow regained his commissionership of the victualling office.
In 1717, his nephew Richard (who had been made a baron in 1716) died, and was succeeded by his son Thomas, Denzil's great-nephew, triggering a by-election for Surrey. In order to maintain his family's interest there, Denzil arranged to be reappointed Out-Ranger of Windsor Forest
, an office held by Thomas since 1715. As an office of profit under the Crown, this enabled him to vacate his seat at Guildford and contest Surrey, where he was victorious. This is thought to be the second instance where bestowal of an office of profit
under the Crown allowed a Member of Parliament to resign his seat
.
Onslow died four years later, in 1721. His marriage to Sarah Lewis had been childless, as had a second to the widow Jane Yard, sister of John Weston
. Dying without issue, he left his estate to the children of his nephew Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow
; Denzil had been included in the special remainder for the barony of Onslow.
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
politician. Through advantageous marriages, he obtained a country estate and became prominent in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
politics of the Hanoverian era, although his nephew Arthur Onslow
Arthur Onslow
Arthur Onslow was an English politician. He set a record for length of service when repeatedly elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, where he was known for his integrity.-Early life and education:...
, as Speaker
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
, judged that Denzil knew "no more of the business [of the House of Commons] than one who had been of the standing of a session".
Early career and marriage
As the sixth son of the Parliamentarian Sir Richard OnslowRichard Onslow (Parliamentarian)
Sir Richard Onslow was an English Member of Parliament and fought on the Parliamentary side during the English Civil War. He was the grandson of one Speaker of the House of Commons and the grandfather of another, both also called Richard Onslow.Onslow was knighted on 2 June 1624...
, he inherited little from his father. He was named after Denzil Holles, who stood as his godfather
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
. Apprenticed in December 1661 to William Peake, of London, he soon turned elsewhere to seek his fortune. His elder brother Arthur
Sir Arthur Onslow, 1st Baronet
Sir Arthur Onslow, 1st Baronet was an English politicianThe eldest son of Sir Richard Onslow, an important Parliamentarian from Surrey, Arthur also took an active role in political affairs during the English Civil War. He represented Bramber in the Long Parliament, and Surrey in the First, Second,...
had married Mary, the daughter of Sir Thomas Foote, 1st Baronet
Thomas Foote
Sir Thomas Foote, 1st Baronet was a wealthy grocer of London.In 1646 he was made a Sheriff of London and in 1649 elected Lord Mayor of London. He represented London in the First and Second Protectorate Parliaments....
, a wealthy London grocer. Denzil married Mary's sister Sarah Lewis, the widow of Sir John Lewis, 1st Baronet. The money she brought to the match allowed him to buy the estate of Pyrford
Pyrford
Pyrford is an English village that for centuries had historical links with the monastery of Westminster, in whose possession it remained between the Norman Conquest and the Dissolution of the Monasteries nearly five hundred years later. It is thirty miles by road from central London and situated...
in 1677.
Rise in Surrey
Onslow worked assiduously to improve his estate, and his situation improved again when Foote died in 1688; his estate was divided between Mary and Sarah, and Denzil's income rose to £2,000 a year. As his fortunes and social status rose, Onslow began to cultivate political ambitions. He found his opportunity in the Exclusion crisisExclusion Bill
The Exclusion Crisis ran from 1678 through 1681 in the reign of Charles II of England. The Exclusion Bill sought to exclude the king's brother and heir presumptive, James, Duke of York, from the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland because he was Roman Catholic...
in 1679. Standing as a pro-Exclusion Whig, he was returned as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for the Surrey borough of Haslemere
Haslemere (UK Parliament constituency)
Haslemere was a parliamentary borough in Surrey, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1584 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-1584-1640:-1640-1832:Notes- References :...
. (His brother Arthur was simultaneously returned as knight of the shire for Surrey, while Arthur's son Richard
Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow
Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow PC was a British Whig Member of Parliament, known as Sir Richard Onslow, 2nd Baronet from 1688 until 1716. He served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1708 until 1710 and as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1714 until 1715...
was returned for the borough of Guildford
Guildford (UK Parliament constituency)
Guildford is a county constituency in Surrey which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first-past-the-post voting system....
.) However, a double return was made for the borough, and Denzil was not declared the member until 11 November 1680, triumphing over his rival James Gresham.
Onslow lost his seat in 1681. Around 1686, he was appointed outranger of Windsor Forest, which improved the Onslow influence in the northern part of Surrey and paid Onslow £600 per year. In 1689, in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
, he recovered his seat at Haslemere. Onslow's political activity is not readily traced; his nephew Foot Onslow seems to have taken a greater part in Parliamentary affairs. He supported Sacheverell's
William Sacheverell
William Sacheverell was an English statesman.He was the son of Henry Sacheverell, a country gentleman. His family had been prominent in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire since the 12th century, the name appearing as Sent Cheveroll in the roll of Battle Abbey; William inherited large estates from his...
clause excluding from office members of municipal corporations that had surrendered their charters to James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
; however, during 1693 and 1694, some observers considered him an adherent of the Court party
Tories (political faction)
The Tories were members of two political parties which existed, sequentially, in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain and later the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from the 17th to the early 19th centuries.-Overview:...
.
In 1695, he stood alongside his nephew Sir Richard to become a knight of the shire for Surrey, narrowly eking out a victory over Edward Harvey
Edward Harvey
Admiral Sir Edward Harvey, GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars and continued in the service during the first half of the nineteenth century during which he participated in the bombardment of Acre in 1840...
(which Harvey unsuccessfully appealed to the committee of privileges). Thereafter his votes stamped him as a solid Whig, although his attendance in Parliament was desultory. At the next election in 1698, the Onslow interest was suffering from a scandal involving his nephew Foot's electioneering at Guildford, and the family did not dare attempt to monopolize both the seats for Surrey. He did not return to Parliament until February 1701 in a by-election for Guildford, where Foot had resigned to become an excise
Excise
Excise tax in the United States is a indirect tax on listed items. Excise taxes can be and are made by federal, state and local governments and are far from uniform throughout the United States...
officer.
Difficult years
Safely established at Guildford, Onslow remained a dependable, if not assiduous, supporter of Whig interests, and was rewarded in 1706 with the post of commissioner of victualling, worth £400 a year. The income was of some importance to him, as he had been financially impaired by the death of his wife Sarah, who revenged herself for his extramarital affairs by leaving most of her estate to the Lewis relatives from her first marriage. During the next several years, Onslow showed considerable interest in promoting the affairs of Surrey in Parliament. However, his support for the impeachment of Henry SacheverellHenry Sacheverell
Henry Sacheverell was an English High Church clergyman and politician.-Early life:The son of Joshua Sacheverell, rector of St Peter's, Marlborough,...
led to a violent reaction by the county Tories. Onslow was not unseated in the 1710 election, but he faced a difficult contest, and seems to have suffered from ill-health. Despite losing his rangership and commissionership in 1711, he continued to follow his party, voting to uphold the principle of "No peace without Spain" (to end the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
) in December. His nephew Sir Richard had lost his election at Surrey in 1710 and had to be put in for St Mawes to obtain a seat; in the 1713 election, Denzil made way to allow Sir Richard to (successfully) contest Guildford.
Return to Parliament
Sir Richard subsequently won the Surrey poll of 1713 as well, and chose to sit for the county. Denzil returned to Parliament in the resulting by-election in 1714. Although his rival John Walter contested the return before the Committee for Privileges, Onslow was ultimately accepted as victor after a long debate. With the Whigs re-ascendant under George IGeorge I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
, Onslow regained his commissionership of the victualling office.
In 1717, his nephew Richard (who had been made a baron in 1716) died, and was succeeded by his son Thomas, Denzil's great-nephew, triggering a by-election for Surrey. In order to maintain his family's interest there, Denzil arranged to be reappointed Out-Ranger of Windsor Forest
Out-Ranger of Windsor Forest
The Out-Ranger of Windsor Forest was an official post associated with the royal forest of Windsor.The nominal duties of the out-ranger were to preserve any deer which escaped the bounds of Windsor Forest...
, an office held by Thomas since 1715. As an office of profit under the Crown, this enabled him to vacate his seat at Guildford and contest Surrey, where he was victorious. This is thought to be the second instance where bestowal of an office of profit
Office of profit
An office of profit is a term used in a number of national constitutions to refer to executive appointments. A number of countries forbid members of the legislature from accepting an office of profit under the executive as a means to secure the independence of the legislature and preserve the...
under the Crown allowed a Member of Parliament to resign his seat
Resignation from the British House of Commons
Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons in the United Kingdom are technically forbidden to resign. To circumvent this prohibition, a legal fiction is used...
.
Onslow died four years later, in 1721. His marriage to Sarah Lewis had been childless, as had a second to the widow Jane Yard, sister of John Weston
John Weston
Sir John Weston KCMG is a retired British diplomat. He was the UK Permanent Representative on the North Atlantic Council from 1992 to 1995, and the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1995 to 1998.-Early life:Weston was educated at Sherborne School and Worcester College,...
. Dying without issue, he left his estate to the children of his nephew Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow
Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow
Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow PC was a British Whig Member of Parliament, known as Sir Richard Onslow, 2nd Baronet from 1688 until 1716. He served as the Speaker of the House of Commons from 1708 until 1710 and as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1714 until 1715...
; Denzil had been included in the special remainder for the barony of Onslow.