Dudley North (politician, born 1684)

Glemham Hall, family seat of the Norths

Dudley North (23 August 1684–1730) of Glemham Hall, Little Glemham, Suffolk was a British landowner and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1710 to 1730. North was the eldest and only surviving son of Sir Dudley North of Camden Place, Maiden Lane, London and his wife Anne Cann, daughter of Sir Robert Cann, 1st Baronet of Compton Greenfield, Gloucestershire. His grandmother was Anne Montagu of Boughton House of the House of Montagu. His father was well known as a merchant, economist, and Tory politician and had purchased the Glemham estate shortly before his death in 1691. North was educated privately at Kensington, with ‘Mr Agier’; and was admitted at St. John’s College, Cambridge on 12 May 1701. ^[1] Some time before 1708, he married, with £20,000, Katherine Yale (died 1715), daughter of Elihu Yale of Plas Grono, near Wrexham. Yale gave his name to Yale University.^[2]

North stood for Parliament at Thetford at the 1708 British general election with Sir Thomas Hanmer, 4th Baronet to whom he was related, but was unsuccessful. He became a common councilman for Dunwich in 1710. At the 1710 British general election, he was returned unopposed as Tory Member of Parliament. He was classified as one of the ‘worthy patriots’ who brought to light the mismanagements of the previous ministry. In March 1711 he was appointed to a drafting committee for a private bill on Great Yarmouth harbour, and was also chosen to draft a bill to curb wool smuggling. He became an alderman of Dunwich in 1712 and was bailiff for the year 1713 to 1714. He was returned for Thetford again at the 1713 British general election again with Hanmer’s support.^[2]

North was returned for Thetford again in 1715 and from then on voted consistently against the Government. At the 1722 British general election, he transferred to Orford and was returned on the Price Devereux interest He was elected for Orford again in 1727.^[3]

Children[]

Highclere Castle, seat of the Herbert family

North died on 4 February 1730. He had two sons, and three daughters of whom one son and one daughter predeceased him. His daughter Anne married Nicholas Herbert, son of Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke of Wilton House and Margaret Sawyer of Highclere Castle. It was her father, Sir Robert Sawyer who built and owned Highclere Castle. The castle and estates would later be passed to Nicholas's brother ; Robert Sawyer Herbert (died 1769). One of his son, William Dudley North, also married into the Herbert family to Lady Barbara Herbert, daughter of Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke and his second wife, Barbara Herbert, Countess of Pembroke.

References[]