BURROW, Edward (1726-1800), of Bromley, Kent.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820, ed. R. Thorne, 1986
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1796 - Dec. 1800

Family and Education

b. 21 Nov. 1726, 1st s. of Joseph Burrow, collector of customs, Whitehaven, Cumb. by w. Ann Bodle of Brigham, Cumb. m. (1) July 1756, Anne (d.1796), da. of Thomas Broadley of Ferriby and Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorks., 1s. 2da.; (2) Margaret.1 suc. fa. 1775.

Offices Held

Collector of customs, Kingston-upon-Hull by 1756-66, Glasgow in 1774; surveyor-gen. of customs c.1790-6.

Biography

Burrow’s family rose from obscurity to a modest substance in 18th-century Cumberland. Like his father, who ended his career as collector in the port of London, he entered the customs service. Found guilty of great irregularities, he lost the collectorship of Hull in 1766, but in 1774, when he dedicated an elegantly printed and thoroughly researched New and Compleat Book of Rates to Lord North, he was collector at Glasgow. Although he informed Pitt in 1799 that he had lost money on the book because of changes in the customs duties, it may have helped re-establish his reputation, for about 1790 he became one of four surveyors-general resident in London, an office which he transferred to his son-in-law, Rochfort Grange, when he was elected for Cockermouth in 1796 on the interest of James, 1st Earl of Lonsdale.2

Little is known of his relations with Lonsdale but, like Edward Knubley and James Clarke Satterthwaite, he appears to have been one of those Cumbrians of humble origin whom Lonsdale chose to ensure that his wishes were blindly followed in the House. He voted with government on the assessed taxes increase bill, 4 Jan. 1798, and spoke briefly in debate on at least three occasions in 1798 and 1799.3

Burrow died early in December 1800. His will was made on 3 Dec. and a new writ was ordered for Cockermouth on 17 Dec.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: J. M. Collinge

Notes

J. R. E. Borron, ‘The Burroughs of Carleton Hall’, Trans. Cumb. and Westmld. Antiq. and Arch. Soc. n.s. lxix. 179-204.

  • 1. PCC 841 Adderley.
  • 2. PRO 30/8/118, ff. 172-5; E. Riding RO, Sykes mss, DDSY, 101/67, Broadley to Sykes, 12 July 1796.
  • 3. Debrett (ser. 3), vi. 51, 76; ix. 45.