Sir Walter Clarges, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Sir Walter Clarges, 1st Baronet (born July 4, 1653 – died March 1706) was an important English politician. He was a member of the Tory party and served in the English Parliament four times. Sir Walter was an early supporter of William of Orange, who later became King. He inherited a lot of land from his father, Sir Thomas Clarges, and often used his position in Parliament to help his own business and money interests.

Early Life and First Steps in Politics

Sir Walter Clarges started his studies at Merton College, Oxford University in 1671. In 1674, he was given the title of baronet. This was an honor his father had wanted for him. His father was a respected member of the Country Party, a political group at the time. As soon as Walter was old enough, his father tried to get him a seat in Parliament. However, he had to step aside for another candidate chosen by his cousin, the Duke of Albemarle.

Serving in Parliament and Facing Challenges

In 1678, Clarges became a captain in the army. The next year, he was elected to Parliament for the area of Colchester. He also became a "Freeman" of Maldon, which gave him certain rights in the town. In Parliament, he and his father were against the "Exclusion Bill." This bill tried to stop the Duke of York (who was Catholic) from becoming king. These efforts failed, and Clarges lost his seat in the 1681 election. A man named Titus Oates told voters that Clarges was a Catholic, which was a serious accusation at the time.

Standing Up to King James II

Clarges was elected to Parliament again in 1685, after the Duke of York became King James II. In Parliament, Clarges became known for speaking out against the King's religious policies. King James II slowly started to involve the Roman Catholic Church more in official government life. Clarges noticed these changes and spoke against each one. He even resigned from the army in October 1685, likely to protest against Catholic officers being hired. In 1687, he became a Freeman of Oxford. When William of Orange arrived in England in 1688, Clarges was sent by his father to meet him.

Winning a Seat in Westminster

In the 1690 election, Clarges ran for Parliament in Westminster. He had a lot of help from his father's money and influence. Running with Sir William Pulteney, they easily defeated their opponents. Clarges was suspicious of the Whigs, who had tried to stop King James II from becoming king. He felt they were making excuses for actions he thought were "dishonorable."

Clarges was not very active in Parliament during this time. His main task was to help pass a special law. This law was about the new area of St Anne, which had been created from a larger parish in 1686. His father owned a lot of land in this new area and had started the idea for the law.

Election Troubles

The 1695 election was much harder for Clarges, who had just recovered from a serious illness. His father passed away in October, right when the election was most intense. Even with support from important people like the Bishop of London, Clarges was clearly losing. He tried to influence voters by giving out money, but he still finished far behind.

After his father's death, Clarges inherited land worth a lot of money each year. He had also become wealthy by marrying Elizabeth Gould in 1690, who was the heir to a rich merchant. He decided not to run in the 1698 election. However, in 1701, he needed to be in Parliament again. He had leased some land in Piccadilly to a man named Thomas Neale. Neale was supposed to develop the land and pay rent, but he ran into financial trouble and couldn't pay. Clarges needed a special law passed to get his land back. He ran in the January 1701 election but lost.

Back in Parliament and Business Matters

Even though he was not in Parliament, Clarges tried to get his special law passed. However, it was defeated in May 1701. Luckily for Clarges, he found another way to get his property back and developed it himself. In the 1702 election, he ran again in Westminster. This time, Queen Anne had become queen, and she supported the Tory party. This meant the government was now on Clarges' side. The election was very close, but Clarges won with a small majority.

One of his first actions in Parliament was to use his special rights as a Member of Parliament to have a business rival, William Sherwin, put in jail. Sherwin had been involved in a long dispute over land Clarges owned in Yorkshire. Sherwin claimed the land belonged to him, but several courts had disagreed. Still, Sherwin tried to manage the estate as if it were his own. The House of Commons ordered Sherwin to be imprisoned.

Clarges also received a yearly payment that had originally been given to his father. This money came from a tax on coal shipped from Newcastle upon Tyne. He was part of a group that reported that coal owners in Newcastle were unfairly raising prices. He even introduced a bill to control coal shipments, but he did not continue with it.

Later Years

By 1704, Clarges was not in good health. He decided not to run for Parliament in the 1705 election. He passed away in March 1706. He had eight sons and four daughters from his three marriages.