Sir John Dashwood-King, 4th Baronet facts for kids

Sir John Dashwood-King, 4th Baronet (born 1765, died 1849), was an important British politician. He was also a country gentleman who enjoyed rural life. He came from a well-known family. Unlike some relatives, he was known for being very religious. He studied at Middle Temple and Christ Church, Oxford to prepare for his life in public service.

Family Life

Sir John married Mary Anne Broadhead in 1789. They had seven children together. Mary Anne passed away in 1844.

• Sir George Dashwood, 5th Baronet
• Francis Dashwood (died 1817)
• Sir John Dashwood, 6th Baronet (1792–1863)
• Captain Edwin Sandys Dashwood (died 1846). He was an officer in the Royal Horse Guards. He married Emily Hare in 1821. He had one son:
  • Sir Edwin Dashwood, 7th Baronet (1825–1882)
• Rev. Henry Dashwood (died 1846). He married Anne Leader in 1826. He was a vicar in West Wycombe.
• Mary Dashwood. She married Augustus Fitzhardinge Berkeley in 1815.
• Elizabeth Dashwood (died 1846). She married Harrison Walke Sober in 1821. Later, she married Anthony St. Leger in 1827.

Political Career

In 1793, Sir John inherited his family's special title, Baronet. He also inherited West Wycombe Park, a large estate. He tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for Wycombe but did not win that time.

However, he was elected as an MP in 1796. He held this important position until 1831. He was a member of the Tory political group. He also played an active role in local government. In 1831, he faced strong opposition in Wycombe for his views on a new law called the Reform Bill. Because of this, he decided not to run for Parliament again in 1832.

Country Gentleman

Sir John loved country life very much. He started the Bourton Hunt at his estate in Gloucestershire. This was a group that hunted with harriers, a type of dog. He was also known for being very good at judging horses.

He did not like his family home, West Wycombe Park. He thought it was not good for hunting and cost too much money to keep up. He even tried to sell it to the Duke of Somerset, but he could not. Instead, he preferred to live at Halton House, which was near Aylesbury.

Later Life

Later in his life, Sir John faced financial challenges. This was because he invested a lot of money in land in Buckinghamshire. When he passed away in 1849, his son, George Henry, became the next Baronet. George Henry was also a Member of Parliament for Buckinghamshire and Wycombe. After George Henry died, the title passed to his brother John Richard, and then to the son of his other brother, Edwin.