Family and Education

b. ?1673, 2nd s. of Thomas Windsor, 1st Earl of Plymouth, by his 2nd w.; bro. of Hon. Andrews Windsor. educ. Westminster; Trinity, Camb. 26 June 1691, aged 17, fellow 1697. m. Dorothy, da. and eventually coh. of Sir Richard Stote of Jesmond Hall, Northumb., s.p.

Offices Held

Capt.-lt. Lord Windsor’s regt. of Horse 1706; storekeeper of the Ordnance 1712-17.

Biography

Dixie Windsor, the brother-in-law of William Shippen, represented Cambridge for 22 years. A moderate Tory, he was allowed to retain his place in the Ordnance for some time after George I’s accession. A member of the secret committee on the South Sea affair, he made his only recorded speech in favour of Sir John Blunt on the question of the allowances to be made to the South Sea directors out of their forfeited estates.

Windsor lost his seat in 1727 when, according to Cole, the Cambridge antiquary, a number of his supporters, headed by Dr. Gooch, the master of Caius, afterwards bishop of Ely, decided to go over to the Government. At the general election that year, Cole writes,

a prebend of Canterbury being vacant, which Dr. Gooch afterwards was promoted to, at which time Mr. Windsor and Dr. Gooch coming down from London together in the same coach, and seemingly as great friends as ever, after Mr. Windsor had been in the university and found there was a strong party formed against him, he came to Dr. Gooch’s lodge in Caius college, whom he found shaving himself, and complaining to the Doctor, whom he supposed to be most hearty in his cause, that he found the university much altered, and that if the court party would set up a broomstick he believed they would vote for him, to Mr. Windsor’s no small surprise, the Doctor turned about, and very gravely told him, ‘and so must I’.1

Windsor made an unsuccessful attempt to recover his seat in 1734, when he was also defeated at Bramber. He died 20 Oct. 1743.

Ref Volumes: 1715-1754

Author: Romney R. Sedgwick

Notes

• 1. Add. 5833, f. 233.