Charles Leigh (1686–1749) facts for kids

Charles Leigh (1686–1749) was a British politician from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons for many years, from 1710 to 1734.

Early Life and Family

Charles Leigh was born around 1686. He was the second surviving son of Thomas Leigh, 2nd Baron Leigh and Eleanor Watson. His father was a Baron, which is a title of nobility. Charles studied law at Inner Temple in 1701 and later attended Balliol College, Oxford in 1702. In 1704, he inherited land and property in Leighton Buzzard from his uncle, also named Charles Leigh. In 1716, he married Lady Barbara Lumley, whose father was Richard Lumley, 1st Earl of Scarbrough.

Starting His Political Career

After his father passed away in November 1710, Charles Leigh decided to enter politics. He ran in a special election in Warwick in December 1710. He won the election and became a Member of Parliament (MP). He was part of the Tory party. At first, he was seen as a "worthy patriot" because he helped show problems with the previous Whig government.

However, Charles Leigh sometimes made choices that surprised his fellow Tories. For example, in 1712, he did not vote when the House of Commons discussed whether the Duke of Marlborough had accepted money improperly. This decision made some Tories unhappy and hurt his standing in Warwick. He also voted against a bill about trade with France in 1713.

Moving Between Constituencies

Because of these issues, Charles Leigh did not expect to run for Warwick again in the 1713 general election. He did not try to find another area to represent. However, his uncle, Thomas Watson Wentworth, helped him. In 1714, Charles Leigh was elected for Higham Ferrers in a special election. He was elected again for Higham Ferrers in the 1715 general election.

A Strong Opponent

Even though he had been a Tory, Charles Leigh often voted with the Whigs. After 1715, he became a strong opponent of the government led by Robert Walpole. He voted against the government in every recorded vote.

In the 1722 general election, he changed his constituency again and was elected for Bedfordshire. In 1725, he voted against giving back the estates of Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke, along with four other Tories. He did not run in the 1727 general election. However, he was elected for Bedfordshire again in a special election in 1733.

He continued to vote against the government. In 1733, he voted against the Excise Bill, which was a tax proposal. In 1734, he voted against repealing the Septennial Act, a law that set the maximum length of a Parliament to seven years. He was defeated in the 1734 general election and did not run for Parliament again after that.

Later Life

Charles Leigh passed away on 28 July 1749. He did not have any children.