BELLINGHAM, William (?1755-1826), of Coleshill, Herts.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1784 - Aug. 1789

Family and Education

b. ?1755, 4th s. of Alan Bellingham of Castle Bellingham, co. Louth, by Alice, da. and coh. of Rev. Hans Montgomery of Grey Abbey, co. Louth. educ. Trinity, Dublin, 2 Nov. 1773, aged 18. m. 3 Dec. 1783, Hester Frances, da. of Hon. Rev. Robert Cholmondeley, gd.-da. of George, 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley, and through her mother a niece of Mrs. Woffington, the actress,1 s.p. cr. Bt. with sp. rem. to heirs of his fa. 19 Apr. 1796.

Offices Held

Private sec. to William Pitt; commr. of victualling to the navy from 1789; sec. to Board of Ordnance 1807-10; receiver-gen. of land assessed taxes for London.

Biography

Lord Hardwicke wrote to his nephew Philip Yorke, 30 Mar. 1784:2

Our Reigate election is on Wednesday. But behold a change of scenery; Sir Charles [Cocks] has by Mr. Pitt’s means got a peerage, and brings in that gentleman’s secretary Mr. Bellingham for Reigate.

Bellingham received £125. 10s. from secret service funds for his expenses.3 In the House he voted steadily with Pitt. No speech of his is reported, but Daniel Pulteney mentions his helping to carry on a long discussion on an adjournment, 7 Feb. 1787, after Sheridan’s Begums of Oude speech, to give Pitt time to consider his reply.4 Bellingham remained closely connected with the Pitt family. Lord Chatham wrote about him to Lord Grenville, 15 Feb. 1806,5 as ‘a very old and dear friend of mine, and very long attached to my poor brother’. A week later Bellingham was train-bearer to Chatham as chief mourner at Pitt’s funeral.

He died 27 Oct. 1826.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Sir Lewis Namier

Notes

  • 1. About her parents see Farington Diary, i. 140-1.
  • 2. Add. 35362, f. 44.
  • 3. G. Rose’s accounts in Royal archives, Windsor.
  • 4. HMC Rutland, iii. 370.
  • 5. HMC Fortescue, vii. 32.