John Hedworth facts for kids
John Hedworth (born 1683, died 1747) was an important person from Durham, England. He owned coal mines and was a politician. He served in the House of Commons, which is like a parliament, for a long time – 34 years! He was an MP from 1713 to 1747.
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Early Life of John Hedworth
John Hedworth was born in 1683. His family was very important in the coal business in Sunderland, England. His father, Ralph Hedworth, owned many coal mines.
When John was 16, in 1700, he started studying at Lincoln College, Oxford University. He also began training to become a lawyer at a place called Middle Temple. In 1705, when his father passed away, John took over the family's lands and, most importantly, their coal mines. In 1714, he married Susanna Sophia Pleasant.
John Hedworth's Career as an MP
In 1711, other coal mine owners asked John Hedworth for his help. They wanted to stop a new law in Parliament that would affect the coal trade. Because he was a respected leader, he was chosen to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for County Durham in the 1713 election. He won without anyone running against him.
As an MP, John Hedworth wasn't always very active. He did vote against removing another MP, Richard Steele, from Parliament in 1714. He also helped create a bill to support poor churches. His political views were sometimes hard to understand. People described him as a Whig (a political group), a Tory (another political group), or even a Whig who often voted with the Tories. This shows he had an independent mind.
His Time in Parliament
John Hedworth was re-elected as an MP in the 1715 election. He continued to show his independent thinking. He often voted against the government's ideas during this time.
He also served as the Mayor of Hartlepool from 1716 to 1717. He was elected to Parliament again in 1722 and 1727. His only recorded vote in these years was against a tax bill called the Excise Bill in 1733.
John Hedworth became Mayor of Hartlepool for a second time from 1728 to 1729. In 1731, he became a "freeman" of Newcastle upon Tyne, which meant he had special rights in that city.
He was re-elected in 1734. This time, he voted for the government on a deal with Spain in 1739, but then voted against them on another bill in 1740. He served as Mayor of Hartlepool for a third time from 1740 to 1741.
He was elected MP for County Durham again in 1741. He supported the government on some decisions, like who should lead the elections committee in 1741. By 1742, he was seen as a supporter of Henry Pelham, a leading politician. In 1744, he voted for the Hanoverians (a political group) in only one instance. By 1746, he was called an "Old Whig."
Later Life and Family
John Hedworth married his second wife, Margaret Ayton, in 1729. He passed away suddenly on May 31, 1747, from a severe stomach illness.
He had one daughter with each of his wives: Eleanor and Elizabeth. His property and wealth were passed down to them. His older daughter, Eleanor, married Sir Richard Hylton, 5th Baronet. Her daughter, also named Eleanor, married William Jolliffe, and they had a son named Hylton Jolliffe. John Hedworth's younger daughter, Elizabeth, married Sir Ralph Milbanke, 5th Baronet, who was also an MP.
