Lawrence Brockett
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Brockett was the youngest of five sons born to Lawrence Brockett and Anne Clarke. He inherited from his parents Headlam Hall, a country house near Gainford
, County Durham
. The house was originally built by Henry Birkbeck, Lawrence’s maternal great great grandfather.
Brockett was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge
, graduating BA in 1747 and becoming a fellow of Trinity in 1749. Brockett was tutor to James Lowther (1736–1802), 1st Earl of Lonsdale. Lowther later married the daughter of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
. Stuart had been tutor to King George III
, and was from May 1762 to April 1763 his first appointment as prime minister
.
On the death of Shallet Turner
in 1762, Brockett pipped Thomas Gray
to the post to be appointed Regius Professor of Modern History
at Cambridge University
, a sinecure in the gift of the King. Gray succeeded Brockett in this position after the latter's death.
Brockett died on 12 July 1768 after a riding accident while returning from Hinchingbrooke, near Huntingdon
, to Cambridge
. He was buried according to tradition at Gainford by torchlight, probably the church's last nocturnal burial. An ancient foliated cross in the porch of Gainford church, Co. Durham, is superinscribed as memorial to Lawrence Brockett, MA, BD of Trinity College, Cambridge
.
"Professor Brockett was the last person who was buried, according to the custom of the family, by night and with torchlight. There are several persons now living who retain a vivid recollection of the awful solemnity of the scene as the procession moved slowly on with its line of torches down the long and shady lane from Headlam to the last resting-place of the dead."
Gainford, County Durham
Gainford on Tees is a village on the north bank of the River Tees in County Durham, England. It is half-way between Barnard Castle and Darlington, near Winston, at OS map reference NZ 1716....
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. The house was originally built by Henry Birkbeck, Lawrence’s maternal great great grandfather.
Brockett was educated at Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, graduating BA in 1747 and becoming a fellow of Trinity in 1749. Brockett was tutor to James Lowther (1736–1802), 1st Earl of Lonsdale. Lowther later married the daughter of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute
John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute KG, PC , styled Lord Mount Stuart before 1723, was a Scottish nobleman who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain under George III, and was arguably the last important favourite in British politics...
. Stuart had been tutor to King George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
, and was from May 1762 to April 1763 his first appointment as prime minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
.
On the death of Shallet Turner
Shallet Turner
Shallet Turner FRS LL. D. was a Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. As a Regius professor of Modern history he was notorious for treating the position as a sinecure.-Life:...
in 1762, Brockett pipped Thomas Gray
Thomas Gray
Thomas Gray was a poet, letter-writer, classical scholar and professor at Cambridge University.-Early life and education:...
to the post to be appointed Regius Professor of Modern History
Regius Professor of Modern History (Cambridge)
Regius Professor of Modern History is one of the senior professorships in history at Cambridge University. It was founded in 1724 by George I. The appointment is by Royal Warrant on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of the day...
at Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, a sinecure in the gift of the King. Gray succeeded Brockett in this position after the latter's death.
Brockett died on 12 July 1768 after a riding accident while returning from Hinchingbrooke, near Huntingdon
Huntingdon
Huntingdon is a market town in Cambridgeshire, England. The town was chartered by King John in 1205. It is the traditional county town of Huntingdonshire, and is currently the seat of the Huntingdonshire district council. It is known as the birthplace in 1599 of Oliver Cromwell.-History:Huntingdon...
, to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. He was buried according to tradition at Gainford by torchlight, probably the church's last nocturnal burial. An ancient foliated cross in the porch of Gainford church, Co. Durham, is superinscribed as memorial to Lawrence Brockett, MA, BD of Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
.
"Professor Brockett was the last person who was buried, according to the custom of the family, by night and with torchlight. There are several persons now living who retain a vivid recollection of the awful solemnity of the scene as the procession moved slowly on with its line of torches down the long and shady lane from Headlam to the last resting-place of the dead."