Henry Penruddocke Wyndham
Encyclopedia
Henry Penruddocke Wyndham (1736 – 1819) MP
JP
FSA
FRS
, was a British
Whig
Member of Parliament
, topographer and author.
. Colonel Wadham Wyndham was his younger brother and the distinguished judge Sir Wadham Wyndham was his great-grandfather.
He was educated at Eton
and Wadham College, Oxford
, and was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
on 6 February 1777 and a fellow of the Royal Society
on 9 January 1783.
, and Wyndham was elected a freeman of the city on 15 March 1761, was mayor of Salisbury in 1770–1, and High Sheriff of Wiltshire
in 1772. In 1794 he commanded a troop of cavalry raised in Salisbury.
In 1795 he was elected Member of Parliament
(MP) for Wiltshire
. He sat as a whig
in the family tradition, but rarely attended the House of Commons
. He retired from politics in 1812. The whig statesman, William Windham
and Prime Minister
William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, were his third cousins.
, and in he following year he published anonymously A Gentleman's Tour through Monmouthshire
and Wales. He revisited the area in 1777, and in 1781 published his Tour through Monmouthshire and Wales, declaring authorship of the work. He was accompanied on his journey of 1777 by the Swiss watercolourist Samuel Hieronymus Grimm
, whose works illustrated the account.
He was keen to produce a county history of Wiltshire
and published Wiltshire, Extracted from the Domesday Book with a translation of the Latin into English in 1788 which he hoped might stimulate such a work. His most celebrated publication remains his Diary of the Late George Bubb Dodington in 1784, a rich source of information about politics in the first half of the 18th century.
.
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,...
JP
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
FSA
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
FRS
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
, was a British
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...
Whig
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...
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,...
, topographer and author.
Background
Wyndham was born on 4 June 1736, the eldest surviving son of Henry Wyndham of St Edmund's College, Salisbury, and his wife Arundel Penruddocke, daughter of Thomas Penruddocke of Compton ChamberlayneCompton Chamberlayne
Compton Chamberlayne is a small village in south Wiltshire, straddling the A30 road some 8 miles from Salisbury. It is bounded by the villages of Dinton and Baverstock to the north, Barford St Martin to the east, Fovant to the west and Broad Chalke to the south. On its southern border there is high...
. Colonel Wadham Wyndham was his younger brother and the distinguished judge Sir Wadham Wyndham was his great-grandfather.
He was educated at Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College, Oxford
Wadham College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, located at the southern end of Parks Road in central Oxford. It was founded by Nicholas and Dorothy Wadham, wealthy Somerset landowners, during the reign of King James I...
, and was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London is a learned society "charged by its Royal Charter of 1751 with 'the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries'." It is based at Burlington House, Piccadilly, London , and is...
on 6 February 1777 and a fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
on 9 January 1783.
Politics
The Wyndhams of the College held great influence in SalisburySalisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, and Wyndham was elected a freeman of the city on 15 March 1761, was mayor of Salisbury in 1770–1, and High Sheriff of Wiltshire
High Sheriff of Wiltshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Wiltshire.Until the 14th century the shrievalty was held ex officio by the castellans of Old Sarum.-To 1400:*1066: Edric*1067-1070: Philippe de Buckland*1085: Aiulphus the Sheriff*1070–1105: Edward of Salisbury...
in 1772. In 1794 he commanded a troop of cavalry raised in Salisbury.
In 1795 he was elected 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) for Wiltshire
Wiltshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Wiltshire was a constituency of the House of Commons of England from 1290 to 1707, of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832. It was represented by two Members of Parliament , elected by the bloc vote...
. He sat as a whig
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...
in the family tradition, but rarely attended the House of Commons
British 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...
. He retired from politics in 1812. The whig statesman, William Windham
William Windham
William Windham PC, PC was a British Whig statesman.-Early life:Windham was a member of an ancient Norfolk family and a great-great-grandson of Sir John Wyndham. He was the son of William Windham, Sr. of Felbrigg Hall and his second wife, Sarah Lukin...
and 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...
William Wyndham Grenville, 1st Baron Grenville, were his third cousins.
Publications
By inclination he was more of a topographer than a politician. In 1774 he visited WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, and in he following year he published anonymously A Gentleman's Tour through Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
and Wales. He revisited the area in 1777, and in 1781 published his Tour through Monmouthshire and Wales, declaring authorship of the work. He was accompanied on his journey of 1777 by the Swiss watercolourist Samuel Hieronymus Grimm
Samuel Hieronymus Grimm
Samuel Hieronymus Grimm was an 18th century Swiss topographical artist who worked in oils , watercolours, and pen and ink media.-Life and work:...
, whose works illustrated the account.
He was keen to produce a county history of Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
and published Wiltshire, Extracted from the Domesday Book with a translation of the Latin into English in 1788 which he hoped might stimulate such a work. His most celebrated publication remains his Diary of the Late George Bubb Dodington in 1784, a rich source of information about politics in the first half of the 18th century.
Friendship with Turner
Like his cousin George O'Brien Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, Pen Wyndham was an admirer of the painter Turner who stayed with him at the College on several occasions in the late 18th century. Two paintings of the College landscape made by Turner during his visits of 1798 and c1800 are now preserved in the British Museum.Family life
He married Caroline, daughter and heir of Edmund Hearst, on 18 October 1768 and they had five sons and two daughters. He died on 3 May 1819 and was buried in the Wyndham family vault in St Edmund's Church, Salisbury. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Wadham Wyndham, MP for Salisbury. His sister, Laetitia, married Sir William à Court, 1st BaronetSir William à Court, 1st Baronet
Sir William Pierce Ashe à Court, 1st Baronet was a British soldier and Member of Parliament.à Court was the son of General William Ashe-à Court and Anne Vernon. He represented Heytesbury in the House of Commons from 1781 to 1790 and again from 1806 to 1807. In 1795 he was created a Baronet, of...
.