Family and Education

b. 21 Oct. 1740, 1st s. of Richard Fydell^† of Boston by Elizabeth, da. of Anne Hall, wid., of St. Olave’s, Southwark, Surr. m. 6 Nov. 1766, Elizabeth, da. of Samuel Preston of Boston, 2s. 1da. suc. fa. 1780.

Offices Held

Sheriff, Mon. 1772-3; mayor, Boston 1777, 1787, 1798, dep. recorder 1778-1809; receiver of land tax, Lincs. (Holland) 1785-9.

Capt. commdt. Boston vols. 1798, maj. commdt. 1800, lt.-col. commdt. 1803.

Biography

At the time of Fydell’s birth his father, a local wine merchant, was Member for Boston. Fifty years later Fydell was returned on the corporation interest. Meanwhile he had prospered in the family business, trading at Boston and Bristol, and was a banker at Boston. He supported Pitt’s administration to whom he looked for patronage, but he was a silent Member and evidence of his attendance is thin. He was listed hostile to the repeal of the Test Act in Scotland in 1791. John Byng the traveller asserted that he would never ‘vote for a man who sells such bad wine’, but others were not so prim and in 1803 Fydell was unseated for electoral irregularities. He was re-elected in 1806. In the interim his son had taken his place. One source listed him in the minority against the ministry on the Hampshire petition, 13 Feb. 1807, but on 4 Mar. he was a defaulter. On 26 Feb. and 29 Mar. 1808 he was granted three weeks’ leave of absence for ill health. The Whigs were ‘doubtful’ of him in March 1810 and he was absent, favourable to ministers, on the Scheldt inquiry, 30 Mar. He intended to retire at the dissolution but died beforehand, 6 Apr. 1812, providing for the sale of his Boston property. With him died the family’s political prestige there.

PRO 30/8/137, ff. 183-7; Torrington Diaries, ii. 225; Sun, 18 Feb. 1807; PCC 493 Oxford.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: R. G. Thorne

Notes