WEBB, John (?1730-95), of Norton Court, nr. Gloucester

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

1780 - 4 Feb. 1795

Family and Education

b. ?1730, s. of Nicholas Webb of Norton Court by Susanna, da. of John Bliss of Chalford, Glos.  m. Arabella, da. of Thomas Bushell of Sevinbroke, Oxon., 2s. 3da.

Offices Held

Sheriff, Gloucester 1761-2, mayor 1770-1, 1776-7, 1786-7.

Biography

Webb was a ship’s husband for the East India Company. His family were Gloucester tradesmen, and had taken an important part in the city’s civic life. Webb was returned in 1780 as the corporation candidate, pledged to oppose the American war. He voted regularly against North’s Administration. His first speech, 17 May 1781, was against a bill for preventing desertion from the navy. He ‘attributed the spirit of desertion to the severity with which the seamen were treated’. Three more speeches are reported before the fall of North, and the line he took is shown by the opening sentence in the report of 6 Feb. 1782: ‘Mr. Webb condemned the Admiralty as usual, but particularly with respect to shipbuilding in merchants’ yards.’1

Webb voted for Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783, for parliamentary reform, 7 May 1783, and for Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783. From the beginning he opposed Pitt’s Administration. Only one speech by him is reported between 1782 and 1790: 29 Apr. 1788, on the promotion of naval officers.2

He died 4 Feb. 1795, aged 64.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: John Brooke

Notes

  • 1. Debrett, iii. 352; v. 417.
  • 2. Stockdale, xiv. 187.