Family and Education

b. 1723, 1st s. of Peregrine Bertie of Leyton by Elizabeth, da. of John Hungerford, of Doctors’ Commons, wid. of John Fisher of London, merchant. educ. Magdalen, Oxf. 12 Dec. 1740, aged 17; M. Temple 1740, called 1745. m. (1) 17 Oct. 1753, Catherine (d. 2 July 1770), da. of Richard Backwell of Great Billing, Northants., 2s. 4da.; (2) 16 Sept. 1771, Elizabeth, da. of Joshua Peart of Lincoln, s.p. suc. fa. 9 Dec. 1743.

Offices Held

Biography

In 1753, and at all his subsequent elections, Bertie was returned unopposed for Westbury on the interest of his distant cousin Lord Abingdon. He was generally described as a Tory, and is never once known to have voted with Administration. His first recorded vote was over general warrants, 15 Feb. 1764, and on 10 May 1764 Newcastle classed him as a ‘sure friend’. But Rockingham, July 1765, classed him as ‘doubtful’, and he voted against the repeal of the Stamp Act, 22 Feb. 1766. He voted against the Chatham Administration on the land tax, 27 Feb. 1767, and the nullum tempus bill, 17 Feb. 1768; and in the Parliament of 1768 appears in four out of 13 divisions always voting with Opposition. There is no record of his having spoken in the House. He did not stand in 1774.

He died 28 Dec. 1786, aged 63.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Mary M. Drummond

Notes