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HOGHTON, Sir Henry, 6th Bt. (1728-95), of Walton Hall and Hoghton Tower, Lancs.
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b. 22 Oct. 1728, o.s. of Philip Hoghton, 2nd surv. s. of Sir Charles Hoghton†, 4th Bt., by 1st w. Elizabeth, da. of Thomas Sclater of Denham. educ. Northampton acad.1 m. (1) 23 June 1760, Elizabeth (d. 19 May 1761), da. and h. of William Ashurst of Hedingham Castle, Essex, 1da.; (2) 8 July 1766, Fanny, da. and coh. of Daniel Booth, dir. Bank of England, of Hutton Hall, Essex, 2s. suc. uncle Sir Henry Hoghton†, 5th Bt. as 6th Bt. 23 Feb. 1768.
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Hoghton, ‘a rigid Presbyterian, of ample fortune’, was probably the last head of his old Lancashire family to take much active interest in the affairs of nonconformity.2 Returned again for Preston in 1790 on the family interest, in alliance with that of the Whig 12th Earl of Derby, he continued to support Pitt, as he had since the failure of the St. Alban’s tavern venture in 1784. He was in the minority in favour of slave trade abolition, 18 Apr. 1791, and listed favourable to the repeal of the Test Act that month. He spoke briefly in support of war with France, 18 Feb. 1793. On 11 Mar. he denied opposition charges that the manufacturing towns were averse to it and praised Pitt, ‘to whom he said he felt a great degree of gratitude for his high spirit and wise conduct on the present occasion’. When Burke, in a speech designed to show the strength of sympathy for French revolutionary ideas, 4 Mar. 1793, drew attention to the activities of the London Revolution Society, Hoghton apparently told him in private that one of its members, his fellow Presbyterian Dr Abraham Rees, named by Burke in the House, did not share the views which he had imputed to the Society.3 He was a member of the secret committee of inquiry into treason and sedition, 14 May 1794. In 1804 Lord Wellesley, recommending Daniel Hoghton for military promotion, told Pitt that he was the younger son ‘of your old friend Sir Harry, but not quite so stiff-necked as his worthy father’.4 Hoghton died 9 Mar. 1795.
