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LEVESON GOWER, Edward (1776-1853), of Union Street, Hill Street, Mdx.
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Family and Education
b. 8 May 1776, 2nd s. of Hon. John Leveson Gower* by Frances, da. of Hon. Edward Boscawen†; bro. of John Leveson Gower*. m. 13 Nov. 1822, Charlotte Elizabeth, da. of Harry Mount of Wasing Place, Berks., 2da.
Offices Held
Entered RN 1791, lt. 1793, capt. 1795, r.-adm. 1814.
Biography
Leveson Gower first saw service in the West Indies in 1793. On the advent of peace he came into Parliament on the interest of his uncle George, 3rd Viscount Falmouth, who had previously returned his brother John. He cannot have been an active Member, as in March 1803 he offered his services at the Admiralty in anticipation of the renewal of war, and in April 1806 his brother reported that he had been ‘a prisoner in France since December 1803 and seeing no prospect of being exchanged, he is desirous of being appointed agent for prisoners in that country’. In the Pittite list of September 1804 he appeared as a friend of the ministry, but in July 1805 he was more appropriately listed ‘nil’. He was released on parole by June 1806, the only naval officer so favoured, and on 23 Feb. 1807 appeared in the House to join the minority opposed to the abolition of the slave trade. On 16 Mar. he obtained a week’s leave of absence to attend a court martial, having sat on an election committee, and on 13 Apr. obtained further leave. At the ensuing election he transferred to the other Falmouth borough of Mitchell, but evidently only as a stopgap, for he resigned soon afterwards. He died 6 Dec. 1853.
C. Aspinall-Oglander, Admiral’s Widow, 194; Grey mss, Leveson Gower to Howick, 14 Apr. 1806; Parl, Deb. vii. 673.