Sir Cholmeley Dering, 4th Baronet facts for kids
Sir Cholmeley Dering (born June 23, 1679 – died May 9, 1711) was an English politician. He was a member of the Tory party, which was a political group at the time. He served in the English and British Parliament from 1705 to 1711. Sadly, he died after a serious disagreement.
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Sir Cholmeley Dering's Early Life
Cholmeley Dering was the oldest son of Sir Edward Dering. His family lived in a place called Surrenden in Pluckley, Kent. His mother was Elizabeth Cholmeley.
When Cholmeley was ten years old, in 1689, he became a baronet. This is a special title that is passed down in families. On July 17, 1704, he married Mary Fisher. She was the only child of Edward Fisher, a merchant.
His Time as a Politician
Sir Cholmeley Dering was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kent. This happened in the 1705 English general election. He was a Tory, and he voted against the government's choice for Speaker.
In the 1708 British general election, he did not win the election for Kent. However, he was later elected as an MP for Saltash in December 1708.
In 1710, he was re-elected for both Saltash and Kent. He decided to represent Kent in Parliament.
A Tragic End and Lasting Impact
On May 7, 1711, Sir Cholmeley Dering was having dinner at an inn. He got into an argument with Colonel Richard Thornhill. The argument became a physical fight.
Later, Thornhill challenged Dering to a formal fight with pistols. This fight happened on May 9. Both pistols were fired. Sir Cholmeley Dering was hit and sadly passed away soon after.
Colonel Thornhill was later tried in court. He was found guilty of a lesser charge. This event was one of the first pistol fights in London. At that time, such fights usually used swords.
The writer Jonathan Swift mentioned this event in his writings. Richard Steele also wrote about it in The Spectator. Colonel Thornhill himself was later killed on August 20 of the same year.
Sir Cholmeley Dering's wife, Mary, passed away in 1707. She was only 20 years old. They had at least two children. Their oldest son, Sir Edward Dering, became the next baronet. They also had a younger son named Cholmeley.
Related Topics
- List of famous duels
