Edward Legge
Encyclopedia
Edward Legge FRS was a British
Royal Navy
captain who achieved a distinction when he was returned as Member of Parliament
for Portsmouth
on December 15, 1747 – an honour which meant little to him as he had died 87 days before.
Legge was the fifth son of the Earl of Dartmouth
. He joined the Royal Navy in 1726 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1734 and to Captain in 1738. The First Lord of the Admiralty, the Duke of Bedford
, named him in command of a squadron in the West Indies in 1747.
After the 1747 general election, a vacancy occurred in Portsmouth because one of the elected MPs was Thomas Gore who chose to sit for Bedford. Portsmouth was under the control of the Admiralty and the Duke thought of nominating Legge. Legge's brother George (Viscount Lewisham) had been an MP until his death from smallpox, and his brother Henry
was sitting on the Bedford interest in Orford. Henry wrote back to the Duke on August 4, 1747 to say:
With Edward duly returned unopposed as a supporter of the Pelham
administration, the Legge family was distressed to learn four days later that he had died three months previously. Legge was not the only Member of Parliament returned posthumously, but he is the one returned the longest time after his death.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
captain who achieved a distinction when 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 Portsmouth
Portsmouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Portsmouth was a borough constituency based upon the borough of Portsmouth in Hampshire. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.- History :...
on December 15, 1747 – an honour which meant little to him as he had died 87 days before.
Legge was the fifth son of the Earl of Dartmouth
William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth
William Legge, 1st Earl of Dartmouth , only son of George Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth, succeeded to his father's barony in 1691. In 1702 he was appointed a member of the Board of Trade and Plantations, and eight years later he became Secretary of State for the Southern Department and joint keeper of...
. He joined the Royal Navy in 1726 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1734 and to Captain in 1738. The First Lord of the Admiralty, the Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford
John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford KG, PC, FRS was an 18th century British statesman. He was the fourth son of Wriothesley Russell, 2nd Duke of Bedford, by his wife, Elizabeth, daughter and heiress of John Howland of Streatham, Surrey...
, named him in command of a squadron in the West Indies in 1747.
After the 1747 general election, a vacancy occurred in Portsmouth because one of the elected MPs was Thomas Gore who chose to sit for Bedford. Portsmouth was under the control of the Admiralty and the Duke thought of nominating Legge. Legge's brother George (Viscount Lewisham) had been an MP until his death from smallpox, and his brother Henry
Henry Bilson Legge
Henry Bilson-Legge PC was an English statesman. He notably served three times as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the 1750s and 1760s.-Background and education:...
was sitting on the Bedford interest in Orford. Henry wrote back to the Duke on August 4, 1747 to say:
- The least return the Legges can make for the many instances of partiality they have received from your Grace, is to do all in their power to make the effects of that favour as little troublesome to their benefactor as possible; and for my own part I can see no objection to the declaring Ned a candidate for Portsmouth since your Grace is so kind as to see none to accepting of him in that light yourself.
With Edward duly returned unopposed as a supporter of the Pelham
Henry Pelham
Henry Pelham was a British Whig statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 27 August 1743 until his death in 1754...
administration, the Legge family was distressed to learn four days later that he had died three months previously. Legge was not the only Member of Parliament returned posthumously, but he is the one returned the longest time after his death.