WARTON, Sir Ralph (1628-1700), of Beverley, Yorks.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Family and Education

bap. 17 Jan. 1628, 2nd s. of Michael Warton of Beverley, and bro. of Michael Warton. educ. G. Inn 1651. unm. Kntd. 19 Mar. 1669.1

Offices Held

Commr. for assessment, Yorks. (E. Riding) 1664-80, 1689-90, j.p. 1667-d., lt-col. of militia ft. ?1669-91, dep. lt. 1670-Apr. 1688; commr. for concealments, Yorks. 1671, recusants (E. Riding) 1675; freeman, Beverley 1684.2

Capt. Lord Belasyse’s Ft. 1673; maj. Lord Northampton’s Ft. 1673-4; capt. indep. co. Hull 1678-9.3

Biography

A younger son, Warton was an active militia officer, but his efforts to achieve a permanent commission were doomed to frustration. Unlike his brother and nephew, his political sympathies were probably Tory. On 21 Jan. 1684 the corporation of Beverley awarded him the freedom of the borough in recognition of

his letter to the Duke of Somerset to present his Majesty the humble address of the corporation; as also his free promise of assistance to procure a new fair and also as lt.-col. of the regiment of the said Duke in procuring the trained bands of the East Riding to appear here and continue four days to the great advantage of the town.

He was returned for the borough with his brother in the following year, defeating the Whig Sir John Hotham, 2nd Bt. A moderately active Member of James II’s Parliament, he was appointed to the committee of elections and privileges and to five others, of which the most important were to recommend remedies for the decline in corn and wool prices, to consider the bill for the suppression of pedlars, and to reform the bankruptcy laws. Danby probably intended to list him among the Opposition. To the lord lieutenant’s questions on the repeal of the Test Act and Penal Laws in 1688 he returned the same answer as James Hebblethwaite, and was removed from the lieutenancy. In December he helped to secure Hull for William of Orange, but he did not stand again. He died on 6 Nov. 1700 and was buried in St. Mary’s, Beverley.4

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Author: P. A. Bolton

Notes

  • 1. Clay, Dugdale’s Vis. Yorks. i. 138.
  • 2. Add. 29674, f. 161v; SP44/165/278; Cal. Treas. Bks. iii. 912; Beverley Bor. Recs. (Yorks. Arch. Soc. rec. ser. lxxxiv), 171.
  • 3. Williamson Letters (Harl. Soc. n.s. viii), 28; Cal. Treas. Bks. vi. 326, 829.
  • 4. Beverley Bor. Recs. 171; English Currant, 12 Dec. 1688.