Francis Whittle

Of Campbell & Whittle. Identifiable from the Maryland Court of Appeals case of Kennedy v M'Fadon & Caton (1810) as Francis Whittle, who in turn was probably the MP for Westbury 27/01/1809- 03/1810.

1. 'M. bef. 1800, Grace Mary (d. 21 Dec. 1819), da. and h. of Richard Latimer (d. 30 Oct. 1813), formerly of Kingston, Jamaica, at least 2s. 3da. Little has been ascertained about this Member. No address was given when he came in for Westbury on Lord Harewood’s interest until (Sir) Manasseh Masseh Lopes negotiated the purchase of the borough. He vacated his seat a year later, without having spoken in Parliament. His only recorded activity is a minority vote against Perceval’s motion on the Duke of York’s misconduct of army patronage, 17 Mar. 1809, and votes with ministers on the address and on the Earl of Chatham’s conduct, 23 Jan. and 5 Mar. 1810. The Member is probably to be identified with the Francis Whittle of Kingston, Jamaica, who in November 1807 was a subscriber to the Academical Institution of Belfast and who was also the Francis Whittle, merchant, of Jamaica whose son James matriculated at Trinity College, Dublin in 1815, aged 16. In his father-in-law’s will dated 12 Aug. 1813, Whittle was described as of Thistleborough, near Belfast. Subsequently, he appears to have taken up residence in Antrim, first at Muckamore Lodge and afterwards at Castle Upton, where he was a magistrate and a member of the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society (1833). He had been dead for some time by June 1838.'

2. In 1816 Francis Whittle of Ireland and George Harrison Casens [sic] of Portland sold 30 enslaved people for £3235 to Benjamin Crossley [sic] of St George, Jamaica.

3. 'DIED At his residence, Muckamore Mill, near Antrim, of inflammation of the lungs, Francis Whittle Esq. J.P. and formerly M.P. This worthy, upright man, and active and intelligent Magistrate, was on the Bench, in Antrim, on Tuesday the 8th inst. was taken ill on the 9th, and expired on the 16th. Any obituary eulogium would be completely superfluous: for, whilst his firmness, integrity, and impartiality commanded esteem in his public capacity, his performance of the relative duties of husband, father, and friend, secured the love of his domestic circle.Peace to his manes! We can say with great truth, that as he lived beloved, he has died lamented; and his premature and unexpected dissolution has left a chasm in society, both in public and private life, which will not be filled up for many years.'

1. R. G. Thorne, 'Whittle, Francis', History of Parliament online, accessed 15/01/2017.

2. Barnsley Archive and Local Studies 'Crossley Family Papers' A/1691/F/3/14.

3. Belfast Newsletter 22/11/1836 p. 2 Column 6.