Family and Education

bap. 28 Dec. 1775, 1st s. of Arthur Vansittart^† of Shottesbrook by Hon. Anne Hanger, da. and coh. of Gabriel Hanger^†, 1st Baron Coleraine [I]. educ. Eton 1791-3; Christ Church, Oxf. 1794. m. 17 June 1806, Hon. Caroline Eden, da. of William Eden*, 1st Baron Auckland, 3s. 5da. suc. fa. 1804.

Offices Held

Capt. Berks, militia 1798, col.1801.

Keeper, Windsor Moat Park ?1811-15.

Biography

Vansittart, a ‘plain, thin man’,1owed his return for Windsor at the contested by-election of February 1804 to the royal influence and to his possession of extensive local property. He was reported to have voted with the combined opposition to Addington on the army of reserve suspension bill, 25 Apr. 1804,2 and was counted a supporter of Pitt in the government lists of September 1804 and July 1805. His inclusion in the list of the majority who voted for the Grenville ministry’s repeal of Pitt’s Additional Force Act, 30 Apr. 1806, must be regarded with suspicion, for Nicholas Vansittart* would seem far more likely to have cast such a vote. He regarded the dissolution of 1806 as a ‘wicked’ measure, which inclined him not to seek re-election for Windsor, but he eventually stood as joint court candidate. His heart was clearly not in the contest forced by the independent party, which was expected to subject him to great expense; and, although he was reasonably well placed after the first day’s poll, he withdrew, ostensibly because of the unexpected defection of several of his supporters.3 He died 31 May 1829.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: David R. Fisher

Notes

• 1. Warrenne Blake, Irish Beauty, 86.
• 2. Malmesbury mss, FitzHarris to Malmesbury, 26 Apr. 1804.
• 3. Add. 34457, f. 85; HMC Fortescue, viii. 396; Windsor Pollbook (1806), 6.