Patrick Vanse facts for kids

Sir Patrick Vans (born around 1655 – died January 27, 1733) was an important Scottish army officer and politician. He served in the British House of Commons, which is like the main law-making part of the British government, between 1710 and 1722. He had a long career serving his country both in the military and in politics.

Early Life and Military Career

Sir Patrick Vans was the only son of Alexander Vans and Margaret Maxwell. He grew up in Barnbarroch, Wigtown.

He started his military career quite young, joining the French army around 1673. He served there for about 16 years until 1689. After that, he joined the British army. He became a captain in the Enniskillen regiment from 1690 to 1693. Later, he was a captain in Colonel George McGill's Foot regiment from 1696 to 1697.

Sir Patrick continued to rise in the army ranks. By 1706, he was a lieutenant in Colonel Roger Townshend's Foot. A year later, in 1707, he became a captain in Lord Mark Kerr's Foot. From 1710 to 1712, he held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Political Career

Sir Patrick Vans became involved in politics in the early 1700s.

First Time in Parliament

In the 1710 general election, Sir Patrick was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wigtownshire. An MP is a person elected to represent their local area in the House of Commons. However, he did not stay in this role for long. On March 3, 1711, he was "unseated on petition." This means someone challenged his election, and after a review, it was decided he could no longer be the MP for that area.

Later Public Roles

Even after being unseated, Sir Patrick continued to be involved in public life. By 1714, he was receiving "half-pay," which was a payment given to officers who were not actively serving but could be called back. In the same year, he became a "Burgess" of Glasgow and Ayr. A burgess was a citizen with special rights and privileges in a town.

Second Time in Parliament

Sir Patrick Vans ran for Parliament again in the 1715 general election. This time, he was elected as an MP for Wigtown Burghs. He served in this role until 1722. He did not run for election in 1722.

Family and Later Life

Sir Patrick Vans was married twice. His first wife was Margaret Campbell. They had a son and a daughter together.

Later, when he was about 60 years old, he married his second wife, Barbara McDowall, on February 28, 1715. With Barbara, he had two sons and three daughters.

Sir Patrick Vans passed away on January 27, 1733. His death was caused by an old wound he had received while serving in Spain.