Charles Montagu (died 1721)

The Honourable Charles Montagu (c.1658 – 1721) was an English coal owner and Member of Parliament.

Charles Montagu was born around 1658, the fifth son of Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich and Jemima Crew.[1] He was educated at St Neots Grammar School and then Trinity College, Cambridge, where he became a Fellow and received an MA in 1682, joining Lincoln College, Oxford the same year.[2] He was admitted to the Middle Temple on 6 February 1676.[3]

In 1684, Montagu was appointed constable of Durham Castle and spiritual chancellor of the diocese by his uncle, Bishop Nathaniel Crew. He represented the city of Durham in James II's parliament, but probably took no active part in it and accepted the outcome of the Glorious Revolution. The Earl of Carlisle and Sir William Blackett considered him to be "the very man" to represent Northumberland in the election of 1695,[4] but he was returned for a second spell at Durham instead, sitting as a Whig until 1702.[1][5]

Bishop Crew's leases of mining rights to Montagu and his brother Sidney Wortley Montagu established the family as one of the most powerful coal owners in the North East, by the end of the century Montagu's pits were producing more than 100,000 tons of coal each year. Such was his wealth that he appeared on a list of subscribers to the Bank of England in 1694 shown having sufficient stock to qualify for election as a director. His coal interests were later passed to his eldest son, James.[5]

Family

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Montagu married twice, firstly to Elizabeth Forster, daughter and heiress of Francis Forster of Belford,[6] with whom he had a son:[7]

His second wife was Sarah Rogers (died 1721), with whom he had four more children:[7]

Charles Montagu died in Breda, and was buried the family vault at All Saints' church in Barnwell, Northamptonshire on 29 June 1721.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Hampson, Gillian; Jaggar, Geoffrey (1983). "Montagu, Hon. Charles (c.1658-1721)". In Henning, B. D. (ed.). The House of Commons 1660–1690. The History of Parliament Trust.
  2. ^ Foster, Joseph, ed. (1891). Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714. University of Oxford – via British History Online.
  3. ^ "Montague, Charles (MNTG677C)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  4. ^ Hughes, Edward (1952). North Country Life in the Eighteenth Century. Oxford University Press. p. 265.
  5. ^ a b Cruickshanks, Eveline (2002). "Montagu, Hon. Charles (c.1658-1721)". In Hayton, David; Cruickshanks, Eveline; Handley, Stuart (eds.). The House of Commons 1690–1715. The History of Parliament Trust.
  6. ^ Hodgson, John Crawford (1893). History of Northumberland. Vol. 6. Newcastle: Andrew Reid. p. 345.
  7. ^ a b Nichols, John (1815). Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century. Vol. 9. London. p. 593 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Climenson, Emily (1906). Elizabeth Montagu, the Queen of the Bluestockings; her correspondence from 1720-1761. Vol. 1. London: John Murray. p. 144.
  9. ^ "Montague, Crew (MNTG710C)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  10. ^ Watson, Paula (1970). "Montagu, John (aft. 1692-1734)". In Sedgwick, Romney (ed.). The House of Commons 1715–1754. The History of Parliament Trust.
Parliament of England
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Durham City
1685–1689
With: Sir Richard Lloyd
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Durham City
1695–1702
With: Henry Liddell 1695–1698
Thomas Conyers 1698–1701
Sir Henry Belasyse 1701–1702
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Nicholas Conyers
High Sheriff of Durham
1690-1705
Succeeded by
Mark Shafto