John Pollexfen Bastard
Encyclopedia
John Pollexfen Bastard was a British Tory
politician, landowner and colonel of the East Devonshire Militia who lived at Kitley House, Yealmpton, Devon.
He married Sarah Bruton about 1780 who died in April 1808. On 2 July 1809 he married, at Portland Chapel Marylebone, Judith Anne Martin, daughter of Sir Henry Martin
, naval commissioner at Portsmouth and Comptroller of the Navy. He left no children of either marriage.
on 4 September but he declined to assume the title. Through his mother born Bridget Poulett
William was a member of the Poulett, Bertie, Herbert and other influential families.
In 1801 when colonel of the same regiment John Pollexfen Bastard quelled a riot of workmen and prevented the destruction of the Plymouth docks and dockyards. In 1815 he was conveyed by the Royal Navy to Leghorn for his health where he died the next year. His body was returned to Devon in a man-of-war.
for Truro in 1783 and for the Devonshire
Constituency from 1784. He stood down in 1812 and was succeeded by the eldest son of his younger brother, Edmund (1758–1816)
, also Edmund (1784-1838)
, who held the seat until 1830.
According to the Oxford Companion to Children's Literature
, Bastard
indirectly inspired the familiar form of the children's rhyme "Old Mother Hubbard
..."
after instructing its author Sarah Catherine Martin, his sister-in-law, to "run away and write one of your stupid little rhymes."
Bastard owned several houses and large tracts of land in western England
including his main residence Kitley House.
The National Portrait Gallery
has a portrait of John Pollexfen Bastard standing beside his younger brother Edmund in a mezzotint
of a painting by James Northcote
.
He also can be spotted in Karl Anton Hickel's William Pitt addressing the House of Commons on the French Declaration of War, 1793 in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery
.
A detailed account of his last journey and subsequent death can be found in the letters of Miss Eliza Simcoe, daughter of John Graves Simcoe
, who travelled with John Pollexfen Bastard and his wife to Leghorn as part of her Grand Tour
. She accompanied his wife on the rest of the journey and nursed her through several episodes of bad health. The letters are held at Devon Record Office as part of the Simcoe Family papers (REF:1038M).
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...
politician, landowner and colonel of the East Devonshire Militia who lived at Kitley House, Yealmpton, Devon.
He married Sarah Bruton about 1780 who died in April 1808. On 2 July 1809 he married, at Portland Chapel Marylebone, Judith Anne Martin, daughter of Sir Henry Martin
Sir Henry Martin, 1st Baronet
Captain Henry Martin, 1st Baronet was a naval commander whose final appointment was Comptroller of the Navy 1790–1794.Martin was born at Shroton House, Dorset, 29 August 1733...
, naval commissioner at Portsmouth and Comptroller of the Navy. He left no children of either marriage.
Defence of Plymouth
When colonel of the East Devonshire Militia his father, William Bastard, saved the arsenal of Plymouth from the French Fleet in August 1779 and, to recognise that, was gazetted a baronetBastard Baronets
The Bastard Baronetcy, of Kitley in the County of Devon, was a title intended to be created in the Baronetage of Great Britain in September 1799 for William Bastard in recognition of his actions in saving the arsenal of Plymouth from a French fleet in August of that year...
on 4 September but he declined to assume the title. Through his mother born Bridget Poulett
John Poulett, 1st Earl Poulett
John Poulett, 1st Earl Poulett KG was the son of John Poulett, 3rd Baron Poulett and his wife Susan Herbert, daughter of Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke....
William was a member of the Poulett, Bertie, Herbert and other influential families.
In 1801 when colonel of the same regiment John Pollexfen Bastard quelled a riot of workmen and prevented the destruction of the Plymouth docks and dockyards. In 1815 he was conveyed by the Royal Navy to Leghorn for his health where he died the next year. His body was returned to Devon in a man-of-war.
Parliament
He was elected Member of ParliamentMember 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 Truro in 1783 and for the Devonshire
Devon (UK Parliament constituency)
Devon was a parliamentary constituency covering the county of Devon in England. It was represented by two Knights of the Shire, in the House of Commons of England until 1707, then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and finally the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from...
Constituency from 1784. He stood down in 1812 and was succeeded by the eldest son of his younger brother, Edmund (1758–1816)
Edmund Bastard (politician)
Edmund Bastard was a British Tory politician, second son of Colonel William Bastard of Kitley House, Yealmpton, Devon and his wife born Anne WorsleyHe was Member of Parliament for Dartmouth from 1787 to 1812....
, also Edmund (1784-1838)
Edmund Pollexfen Bastard
Edmund Pollexfen Bastard was a British Tory politician, son of Edmund Bastard and his wife Jane Pownoll. He married Anne Jane Rodney, granddaughter of Admiral Rodney....
, who held the seat until 1830.
According to the Oxford Companion to Children's Literature
Oxford Companions
Oxford Companions is a book series published by Oxford University Press. This series provides general knowledge of a specific area, and has included :* The New Oxford Companion to Law* The New Oxford Companion to Literature in French...
, Bastard
indirectly inspired the familiar form of the children's rhyme "Old Mother Hubbard
Old Mother Hubbard
"Old Mother Hubbard" is an English language nursery rhyme, first printed in 1805 and among the most popular publications of the nineteenth century. The exact origin and meaning of the rhyme is disputed...
..."
after instructing its author Sarah Catherine Martin, his sister-in-law, to "run away and write one of your stupid little rhymes."
Bastard owned several houses and large tracts of land in western England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
including his main residence Kitley House.
The National Portrait Gallery
National Portrait Gallery (England)
The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in London, England, housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was the first portrait gallery in the world when it opened in 1856. The gallery moved in 1896 to its current site at St Martin's Place, off...
has a portrait of John Pollexfen Bastard standing beside his younger brother Edmund in a mezzotint
Mezzotint
Mezzotint is a printmaking process of the intaglio family, technically a drypoint method. It was the first tonal method to be used, enabling half-tones to be produced without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple...
of a painting by James Northcote
James Northcote
James Northcote RA , was an English painter.-Biography:He was born at Plymouth, and was apprenticed to his father, a poor watchmaker. In his spare time, he drew and painted. In 1769 he left his father and set up as a portrait painter. Four years later he went to London and was admitted as a pupil...
.
He also can be spotted in Karl Anton Hickel's William Pitt addressing the House of Commons on the French Declaration of War, 1793 in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery
National Portrait Gallery (England)
The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in London, England, housing a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. It was the first portrait gallery in the world when it opened in 1856. The gallery moved in 1896 to its current site at St Martin's Place, off...
.
A detailed account of his last journey and subsequent death can be found in the letters of Miss Eliza Simcoe, daughter of John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
, who travelled with John Pollexfen Bastard and his wife to Leghorn as part of her Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
. She accompanied his wife on the rest of the journey and nursed her through several episodes of bad health. The letters are held at Devon Record Office as part of the Simcoe Family papers (REF:1038M).