Family and Education

b. c.1710, 5th s. of Sir Robert Honywood of Marks Hall by Mary, da. of Sir Richard Sandford, 2nd Bt., sis. and h. of Sir Richard Sandford, 3rd Bt., of Howgill Castle.  m. 22 Apr. 1751, Elizabeth, da. of John Wastell of Tower Hill, 1s. d.v.p.  suc. bro. 1755.

Offices Held

Cornet 11 Drag. 1735; capt.-lt. 3 Drag. 1739, capt. 1741, maj. 1741, lt.-col. 1743; severely wounded at Dettingen; col. 1752; col. 20 Ft. 1755-6; col. 9 Drag. 1756-9; maj.-gen. 1758; col. 4 Horse 1759-82; lt.-gen. 1760; gov. Hull 1766-85; gen. 1777; col. 3 Drag. Gds. 1782- d.

Biography

In 1754 Honywood was returned for Appleby on Lord Thanet’s interest after a fierce contest with Sir James Lowther’s candidates. In February 1756 the election was declared void by the House, but on 4 Mar., Thanet and Lowther having compromised, he was again returned.

In Dupplin’s list of 1754 he was classed ‘for’, in Bute’s of 1761 ‘Thanet and Government’, and he appears in Fox’s list of Members favourable to the peace preliminaries. On 18 Feb. 1764 he voted against general warrants, on 18 May was classed as a ‘sure friend’ by Newcastle, and ‘pro’ by Rockingham in July 1765. He did not vote against the repeal of the Stamp Act, and in Rockingham’s list of November 1766 was classed as ‘Whig’. He voted in opposition on nullum tempus, 17 Feb. 1768, and over the Middlesex election, January 1770. No other vote by him is recorded until the division on Grenville’s Election Act, 25 Feb. 1774, when he appears in George III’s list as a friend voting for once with opposition. He voted for Fox’s motion to send no more regular troops out of the kingdom, 2 Feb. 1778, and continued in opposition until the fall of North. He did not vote on Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783; was classed as a follower of Fox in Robinson’s list of March 1783, but did not vote on Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783. He is not known to have spoken in the House.

He died 21 Feb. 1785.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Mary M. Drummond

Notes