George Augustus Selwyn (MP)
Encyclopedia
George Augustus Selwyn (11 August 1719–25 January 1791, age 71) was a Member of Parliament
(MP) in the Parliament of Great Britain
.
without being recorded as making a speech. He put his electoral interest, as the person who controlled both seats in Ludgershall
and one in Gloucester
, at the disposal of the King's ministers (whoever they might be), because he was financially dependent on obtaining (a total of three) sinecure
offices and a pension
, which offset his expenses of bribing the electorate, and his gambling debts.
He was MP for Ludgershall in 1747–1754 and for the constituency of Gloucester 1754–1780. After he lost his interest in Gloucester, Selwyn was again member for Ludgershall from 1780 until his death in 1791.
He was also elected for the Scottish
constituency of Wigtown Burghs
in 1768, when he thought he might be defeated at Gloucester. He was the first Englishman to be elected to Parliament by a constituency in Scotland. He chose to retain the English seat.
Selwyn was a friend of Robert Walpole
, and a member of the Hellfire Club
.
He was known for his fascination with the macabre and other forms of sexual eccentricity. When Selwyn visited a dying Henry Fox
, he was refused admission. When Fox learned of this he quipped, "If Mr. Selwyn calls again, show him up. If I am alive, I shall be glad to see him, and if I am dead, I am sure he will be delighted to see me!"
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) in the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
.
Life
Selwyn spent 44 years in the House of CommonsBritish House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
without being recorded as making a speech. He put his electoral interest, as the person who controlled both seats in Ludgershall
Ludgershall (UK Parliament constituency)
Ludgershall was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.- 1295–1640 :- 1640–1832 :- Sources :...
and one in Gloucester
Gloucester (UK Parliament constituency)
Gloucester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was established in 1295 to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons but in 1885 representation was reduced to one member under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885...
, at the disposal of the King's ministers (whoever they might be), because he was financially dependent on obtaining (a total of three) sinecure
Sinecure
A sinecure means an office that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service...
offices and a pension
Pension
In general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
, which offset his expenses of bribing the electorate, and his gambling debts.
He was MP for Ludgershall in 1747–1754 and for the constituency of Gloucester 1754–1780. After he lost his interest in Gloucester, Selwyn was again member for Ludgershall from 1780 until his death in 1791.
He was also elected for the Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
constituency of Wigtown Burghs
Wigtown (UK Parliament constituency)
Wigtown Burghs, also known as Wigton Burghs,. was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1708 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by one Member of Parliament .The first election in...
in 1768, when he thought he might be defeated at Gloucester. He was the first Englishman to be elected to Parliament by a constituency in Scotland. He chose to retain the English seat.
Selwyn was a friend of Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole
Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....
, and a member of the Hellfire Club
Hellfire Club
The Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century, and was more formally or cautiously known as the "Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe"...
.
He was known for his fascination with the macabre and other forms of sexual eccentricity. When Selwyn visited a dying Henry Fox
Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland
Henry Fox, 1st Baron Holland, of Foxley, MP, PC was a leading British politician of the 18th century. He identified primarily with the Whig faction...
, he was refused admission. When Fox learned of this he quipped, "If Mr. Selwyn calls again, show him up. If I am alive, I shall be glad to see him, and if I am dead, I am sure he will be delighted to see me!"
Portraits
- George Augustus Selwyn and Frederick Howard, 5th Earl of CarlisleFrederick Howard, 5th Earl of CarlisleFrederick Howard, 5th Earl of Carlisle, KG, KT, PC was a British diplomat and the son of Henry Howard, 4th Earl of Carlisle and his second wife Isabella Byron....
(c.1770) by Sir Joshua Reynolds is in the possession of the present Earl of CarlisleEarl of CarlisleEarl of Carlisle is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1322 when the soldier Andrew Harclay, 1st Baron Harclay was made Earl of Carlisle. He had already been summoned to Parliament as Lord Harclay in 1321...
at Castle HowardCastle HowardCastle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, England, north of York. One of the grandest private residences in Britain, most of it was built between 1699 and 1712 for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, to a design by Sir John Vanbrugh...
, Yorkshire. - George Augustus Selwyn at the age of fifty-one by Hugh Douglas Hamilton, a pastelle drawn in 1770. This drawing is also in the possession of the Earl of Carlisle at Castle Howard.
- George Augustus Selwyn (1776) by Sir Joshua Reynolds was displayed at the Tate Gallery between 26/May & 18/September 2005
External links
- George Selwyn: His Letters and His Life, E. S. Roscoe and Helen Clergue eds., London, 1899
- George Selwyn and the Wits, S. Parnell Kerr, London, 1909
- George Augustus Selwyn portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds