Peregrine Bertie (died 1711) facts for kids

Peregrine Bertie was a British politician who lived from about 1663 to 1711. He was the second son of Robert Bertie, the 3rd Earl of Lindsey. Peregrine Bertie played a role in British politics during a time of big changes.

Who Was Peregrine Bertie?

Peregrine Bertie was a member of a well-known family in England. He became a politician and served in the British House of Commons, which is part of the British Parliament. He was also a Deputy Lieutenant, a role that helped manage local affairs.

Early Life and Education

Peregrine Bertie began his education in 1679 at the Middle Temple. This was a famous place in London where people studied to become lawyers. In 1685, he joined the military as a cornet. A cornet was a junior officer in a cavalry unit. He served in a special troop of horse soldiers led by his brother, Lord Willoughby. This troop was formed to help stop the Monmouth Rebellion, a conflict happening at the time.

Starting His Political Journey

Bertie first became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1685. He represented the area of Boston. At first, he was generally aligned with the Tories. The Tories were one of the main political parties in Britain back then.

In 1689, Bertie did not run for Parliament again. But in 1690, his brother, Lord Willoughby, was called to the House of Lords. This meant there was a special election for his brother's old seat. Peregrine Bertie won this election and returned to the House of Commons.

Changing Political Sides

After returning to Parliament in 1690, Peregrine Bertie started to change his political views. He began to lean more towards the Whigs. The Whigs were the other major political party, often having different ideas from the Tories. He even asked his uncle's brother-in-law, Thomas Wharton, to help him gain support from people called Nonconformists. These were people who did not follow the official Church of England.

A Royal Appointment

In 1691, Peregrine's younger brother, Norris, passed away. Peregrine tried to get his brother's military position for himself. He asked the King through his uncle, the Marquess of Carmarthen. While he didn't get that specific job, he was given an important role in 1692. He became the Vice-Chamberlain to Queen Mary. This was a significant position in the royal court. Even with this royal job, he often disagreed with the government's decisions in Parliament.

Facing Political Challenges

In 1694, Peregrine Bertie was officially appointed Vice-Chamberlain of the Household. This might have been done to encourage him to be more loyal to the King and Queen. Over the next few years, he continued to move closer to the Whig party. In 1695, he was made a Privy Counsellor. This meant he was a trusted advisor to the monarch.

A difficult political event happened in 1697 involving Sir John Fenwick. Most of Bertie's family were against the actions taken against Fenwick. Peregrine's actions during this time were not strong enough to please King William. However, he kept his job as Vice-Chamberlain thanks to the help of Sunderland, who was the Chamberlain. This event seemed to make him fully switch from being a Tory to a Whig.

Later Years and Legacy

In 1698, Peregrine Bertie did not run for re-election in Boston. This might have been partly because of disagreements with his father, who remained a Tory. However, after his father's death, he returned to Parliament in December 1701. He had the support of his brother, who was now the Earl of Lindsey. Interestingly, his brother remained a Tory, even though Peregrine was now a Whig.

In 1706, he traded his job for another one with Thomas Coke. He received a position called a sinecure as a Teller of the Exchequer. A sinecure was a job that paid money but required very little actual work. This specific role involved managing government funds. Peregrine Bertie passed away in 1711 from a type of stroke called apoplexy.