TEMPEST, John (1710-76), of Sherburn, nr. Durham, and Wynyard, co. Dur.

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

23 Apr. 1742 - 1768

Family and Education

bap. 28 Apr. 1710, 1st s. of John Tempest, M.P., of Durham by Jane, da. and h. of Richard Wharton of Durham.  educ. Durham; St. John’s, Camb. 1728.  m. 9 May 1738, Frances, da. of Richard Shuttleworth, M.P. of Forcett, Yorks. and Gawthorpe, Lancs., 1s. 1da.  suc. fa. 1738.

Offices Held

Biography

Tempest came of an old established Durham family. Like his grandfather he was returned on the family interest at Durham, and was invariably counted as a Tory. Newcastle in November 1762 classed him as ‘against’. He does not appear in Henry Fox’s list of Members favourable to the peace preliminaries, but he did not vote against them in December 1762. Jenkinson in the autumn of 1763 classed him as ‘doubtful’; he voted with Opposition on general warrants, 15 and 18 Feb. 1764, and was described by Newcastle on 10 May 1764 as a ‘sure friend’, but was classed by Rockingham, July 1765, as ‘contra’: yet did not vote against the repeal of the Stamp Act, 22 Feb. 1766. Tempest voted with Administration on the land tax, 27 Feb. 1767. There is no record of his having spoken in the House. He retired in favour of his son in 1768 and died 12 May 1776.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: Mary M. Drummond

Notes