Archibald Hutcheson facts for kids

Archibald Hutcheson was an important British politician. He lived from about 1659 to 1740. He served in the House of Commons, which is like a part of the UK's parliament, from 1713 to 1727.

He was born in Stranocum, Ireland. He studied law and became a lawyer in 1683. Later, he worked as the main lawyer for the Leeward Islands, a group of islands in the Caribbean. In 1708, he became a member of the Royal Society, a famous group for scientists and thinkers.

Archibald Hutcheson's Political Journey

Archibald Hutcheson became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1713. He represented the area of Hastings. He kept this job until 1727.

In 1722, he was also chosen as an MP for Westminster. However, this election was cancelled. This happened because he was already the MP for Hastings at that time. Westminster was a very large voting area. It had the most voters before a big change in voting rules in 1832. Elections there were often very competitive.

Hutcheson strongly disagreed with changing a law called the Triennial Act. This law said that new elections for Parliament should happen every three years. He also spoke out early against the South Sea Company. This company was involved in a big financial crisis. He wrote many small books explaining his concerns about it.

Helping Children in London

In his later years, Archibald Hutcheson helped Thomas Coram and others. They wanted to create a home for children who had been abandoned in London. In 1739, just a year before Hutcheson passed away, King George II gave permission for this new charity to start. It became known as the Foundling Hospital. Archibald Hutcheson was listed as one of the first people to help run this important new hospital.

Archibald's Family Life

Archibald Hutcheson was married four times.

• His first marriage was in 1697 to Mary Smith.
• In 1715, he married Dame Mary. She was the widow of Sir John Gayer, who worked for the East India Company.
• Around 1727, he married Rebecca Bankes.
• His fourth marriage was around 1730 to Elizabeth Stewart. She was the widow of Colonel Robert Stewart.

From 1732 until his death in 1740, he had a home in London. It was located at 2 Upper Brook Street in an area called Mayfair.

Archibald Hutcheson did not have any children who lived to adulthood. After he died, his wife Elizabeth followed his wishes. She went to live with William Law in King's Cliffe, Northamptonshire. She is buried in the churchyard there.