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EDWIN (formerly WYNDHAM), Charles (d.1801), of Llanmihangel Plas and Dunraven Castle, Glam.
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1st s. of Thomas Wyndham of Cromer, Norf. by his 2nd w. Anne, da. of Samuel Edwin, M.P., sis. and h. of Charles Edwin. m. (1) 25 Jan. 1762, Eleanor, da. of James Rooke, 1s; (2) Charlotte, da. of Robert Jones of Fonmon Castle, Glam., wid. of Thomas Ashby of Isleworth, Mdx., and of Col. Charles Mawhood. suc. fa. 1752, and uncle on d. of Lady Charlotte Edwin 1776, and took name Edwin.
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Biography
In 1780 Edwin was returned for Glamorgan without a contest, and shortly afterwards the English Chronicle wrote about him:
This gentleman possesses a large fortune in the county of Glamorgan, and it was probably due to the influence of that consideration alone that he owed the honour of his parliamentary delegation, as he is not distinguished for any other circumstances, than the omnipotent one of enjoying ten thousand pounds a year, and being the modern Nimrod of the neighbourhood where he resides. He is a new Member—is above corruption, and as far as a silent vote can go, will, in all probability, prove the sincere friend of the minister.
Possibly to begin with Edwin did vote with Administration, but in the first division after his election for which there is a list (12 Dec. 1781, on Lowther’s motion against the American war) he voted with Opposition. On 16 Feb. 1782 Sandwich, in preparation for the motion of censure against the Admiralty, sent John Robinson a list of Members who might be persuaded to vote with Government or not to attend; Edwin’s name is included, with the comment: ‘Sir S. Gideon has promised to try him’. Yet Edwin again voted with Opposition in this division, 20 Feb., and also on 22 and 27 Feb.; but was absent from the divisions of 8 and 15 Mar.
He did not vote on Shelburne’s peace preliminaries or on Fox’s East India bill. Robinson, in preparation for the general election, wrote about Glamorgan: ‘Same again; thought doubtful’; and Edwin was again returned without a contest. In both the list of 19 Mar. and William Adam’s list of the new Parliament he is classed as a supporter of Pitt. The only votes he is known to have given in this Parliament were for the impeachment of Sir Elijah Impey, 9 May 1788, and for Pitt’s Regency proposals. No speech by him is recorded. He vacated his seat in favour of his son, Thomas Wyndham.
He died 16 June 1801.
