John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge Erle-Drax
Encyclopedia
John Samuel Wanley Sawbridge Erle-Drax (6 October 1800 – 5 January 1887) was a British
Member of Parliament
(MP) during the Victorian era
.
, of Olantigh
, and grandson of John Sawbridge
, Lord Mayor of London
in 1775. John married Jane Frances Erle-Drax-Grosvenor, daughter of Richard Erle-Drax-Grosvenor
, in 1827. On 13 August 1828, his wife's brother Richard Erle-Drax-Grosvenor
died unmarried, and he succeeded to her family estates, including Charborough House
, assuming the surname of Erle-Drax.
He was a captain in the East Kent Militia, and raised a troop of the Dorsetshire Yeomanry in 1830 to deal with the Disturbances or Swing Riots
of that year; he held the patronage of five church livings
, and was a deputy-lieutenant of Dorset in the late 1850s.
Erle-Drax built his mausoleum, located beside Holnest church in the Blackmore Vale
, fifteen years before his death. He included in the Byzantine
-style design a letter box
, through which he arranged to have The Times
delivered daily. He died on 5 January 1887, at which time the date was added to the epitaph. The mausoleum was demolished in 1935 and replaced by a flat memorial stone.
in 1840 Erle-Drax was the Conservative
(Tory
) Member of Parliament for Wareham
for three periods between 1841 and 1880. Wareham was a pocket borough with just 342 electors, controlled jointly by Erle-Drax and John Hales Calcraft, who arranged for one or the other of them to be returned at each election. Immediately prior to the opening of the polls at one election, he made the following statement to the electors of Wareham: "I understand that some evil-disposed person has been circulating a report that I wish my tenants, and other persons dependent upon me, to vote according to their conscience. This is a dastardly lie, calculated to injure me. I have no wish of the sort. I wish, and intend, that these people should vote for me."
During his tenure in the House of Commons, Erle-Drax was known as the "Silent MP". He made only one known statement in the House, which was a request that the Speaker of the House have a window opened.
Erle-Drax's descendant, Richard Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax
, was elected as Member of Parliament
for South Dorset in the United Kingdom general election, 2010 using the 'truncated' name Richard Drax.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
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,...
(MP) during the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
.
Personal life
Born John Sawbridge, he was the son of Samuel Elias SawbridgeSamuel Elias Sawbridge
Samuel Elias Sawbridge was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons of Great Britain and then of the United Kingdom from 1796 to 1797 and in 1807....
, of Olantigh
Olantigh
Olantigh is a property one mile north of Wye in Kent, southeast England. It includes a garden of 20 acres . The hamlet in which the property stands is Little Olantigh....
, and grandson of John Sawbridge
John Sawbridge
John Sawbridge was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1768 to 1780.Sawbridge was the eldest son of John Sawbridge of Olantigh and his wife Elizabeth Wanley, daughter of George Wanley....
, Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
in 1775. John married Jane Frances Erle-Drax-Grosvenor, daughter of Richard Erle-Drax-Grosvenor
Richard Erle-Drax-Grosvenor (1762–1819)
Richard Erle-Drax-Grosvenor , was a British politician.Born Richard Grosvenor and a member of the Grosvenor family now headed by the Duke of Westminster, he was the son of Thomas Grosvenor, second son of Sir Robert Grosvenor, 6th Baronet...
, in 1827. On 13 August 1828, his wife's brother Richard Erle-Drax-Grosvenor
Richard Erle-Drax-Grosvenor (1797–1828)
Richard Edward Erle-Drax-Grosvenor , was a British politician.A member of the Grosvenor family now headed by the Duke of Westminster, he was the son of Richard Erle-Drax-Grosvenor and Sarah Frances, daughter of Edward Drax, of Charborough House, Dorset...
died unmarried, and he succeeded to her family estates, including Charborough House
Charborough House
Charborough House is located between Sturminster Marshall and Bere Regis in Dorset, England. The Deer Park and estate adjoins the villages of Winterborne Zelston, Newton Peveril and Lytchett Matravers...
, assuming the surname of Erle-Drax.
He was a captain in the East Kent Militia, and raised a troop of the Dorsetshire Yeomanry in 1830 to deal with the Disturbances or Swing Riots
Swing Riots
The Swing Riots were a widespread uprising by agricultural workers; it began with the destruction of threshing machines in the Elham Valley area of East Kent in the summer of 1830, and by early December had spread throughout the whole of southern England and East Anglia.As well as the attacks on...
of that year; he held the patronage of five church livings
Benefice
A benefice is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The term is now almost obsolete.-Church of England:...
, and was a deputy-lieutenant of Dorset in the late 1850s.
Erle-Drax built his mausoleum, located beside Holnest church in the Blackmore Vale
Blackmore Vale
The Blackmore Vale is a vale, or wide valley, in north Dorset, and to a lesser extent south Somerset and southwest Wiltshire in southern England. The vale is part of the Stour valley...
, fifteen years before his death. He included in the Byzantine
Byzantine
Byzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
-style design a letter box
Letter box
A letter box, letterbox, letter plate, letter hole, mail slot, or mailbox is a receptacle for receiving incoming mail at a private residence or business...
, through which he arranged to have The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
delivered daily. He died on 5 January 1887, at which time the date was added to the epitaph. The mausoleum was demolished in 1935 and replaced by a flat memorial stone.
Parliament
After serving a term as High Sheriff of DorsetHigh Sheriff of Dorset
The High Sheriff of Dorset is an ancient High Sheriff title which has been in existence for over one thousand years. The position was once a powerful position responsible for collecting taxes and enforcing law and order in Dorset. In modern times the sheriff has become a ceremonial role, presiding...
in 1840 Erle-Drax was the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
(Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
) Member of Parliament for Wareham
Wareham (UK Parliament constituency)
Wareham was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1302 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-History:...
for three periods between 1841 and 1880. Wareham was a pocket borough with just 342 electors, controlled jointly by Erle-Drax and John Hales Calcraft, who arranged for one or the other of them to be returned at each election. Immediately prior to the opening of the polls at one election, he made the following statement to the electors of Wareham: "I understand that some evil-disposed person has been circulating a report that I wish my tenants, and other persons dependent upon me, to vote according to their conscience. This is a dastardly lie, calculated to injure me. I have no wish of the sort. I wish, and intend, that these people should vote for me."
During his tenure in the House of Commons, Erle-Drax was known as the "Silent MP". He made only one known statement in the House, which was a request that the Speaker of the House have a window opened.
Erle-Drax's descendant, Richard Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax
Richard Drax
Richard Grosvenor Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax , known as Richard Drax, is a former Army officer and journalist, now Conservative Party politician and Member of Parliament for South Dorset....
, was elected 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 South Dorset in the United Kingdom general election, 2010 using the 'truncated' name Richard Drax.