John Hiley Addington (August 1759 – 11 June 1818)[1] was a British Tory party politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for various constituencies between 1787 and 1818.

Background and education

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Addington was the second son of Anthony Addington and his wife Mary, daughter of Haviland John Hiley.[2] His older brother was Henry Addington, who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and under whose lifelong influence and patronisation he was.[3] He was educated at Cheam School and then at Winchester College.[4] Addington studied in Ealing until 1776 and afterwards at Brasenose College, Oxford.[4]

Political career

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Addington entered the British House of Commons in 1787, having been elected for Truro.[5] He represented the constituency until 1790 and after a break of four years was returned to Parliament for Winchelsea until 1796.[5] In the following general election Addington stood successfully for Wendover.[5] He held that seat until the Act of Union 1801 and then became a member of the newly established Parliament of the United Kingdom.[5] In 1802 Addington won the election for Bossiney, however he resigned his seat the following year.[5] Instead he ran for Harwich in a by-election, which had been triggered by the death of his predecessor.[5] Addington sat for the constituency for the rest of his life.[5]

During his time as Member of Parliament, he was appointed a Lord of the Treasury in December 1800, by the then Prime Minister William Pitt.[5] In March of the following year he became a Secretary to the Treasury until 1802, when on his own request he returned to his former office.[5] Addington was made Paymaster of the Forces in 1803 and on this occasion was sworn of the Privy Council.[6] When in the next year his brother Henry's government failed, he was replaced as Paymaster.[6] In 1806, Addington joined the Board of Control as a commissioner, however left it after a year.[6] He accepted an appointment as Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs in 1812, retiring after a collapse in 1818.[7]

In 1803 Addington was nominated High Steward of Harwich and lieutenant-colonel of the Mendip Volunteers.[5]

Family and death

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In 1785, Addington married Mary, daughter of Henry Unwin.[2] The couple had two sons and a daughter.[8] Addington died at Longford Court in 1818 from complications after an operation on his stomach.[1] He was survived by his wife until 1833.[8] His younger son Henry was a diplomat and civil servant.[8]

The writer Hannah More was a close friend of Addington and his family.[9]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Urban (1818), p. 574
  2. ^ a b Lodge (1859), p. 450
  3. ^ Thorne (1986), p. 51
  4. ^ a b The Annual Obituary (1819), p. 361
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Thorne (1986), p. 47
  6. ^ a b c Thorne (1986), p. 48
  7. ^ Thorne (1986), p. 49
  8. ^ a b c Urban (1833), p. 285
  9. ^ "Hannah More: The First Victorian". California State University, Long Beach. Retrieved 17 January 2010.

References

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  • Thorne, R. G. (1986). The House of Commons, 1790–1820. Vol. I. London: Secker & Warburg. ISBN 0-436-52101-6.
  • Lodge, Edmund (1859). The Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire (28th ed.). London: Hurst and Blackett.
  • The Annual Biography and Obituary for the Year 1819. Vol. III. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown. 1819.
  • Sylvanus, Urban (1818). The Gentleman's Magazine. Vol. part I. London: Nichols, Son and Bentley.
  • Sylvanus, Urban (1833). The Gentleman's Magazine. Vol. part II. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son.
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Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Truro
1787–1790
With: William Augustus Spencer Boscawen
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Winchelsea
1794–1796
With: Richard Barwell
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Wendover
1796–1800
With: George Canning
Succeeded by
Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Member of Parliament for Wendover
18011802
With: George Canning
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Bossiney
1802–1803
With: Hon. James Stuart-Wortley
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Harwich
1803–1818
With: Thomas Myers January–April 1803
James Adams 1803–1806, March–May 1807
William Henry Fremantle 1806–1807
William Huskisson 1807–1812
Nicholas Vansittart 1812–1818
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Secretary to the Treasury
1801–1802
With: Nicholas Vansittart
Succeeded by
Preceded by Paymaster of the Forces
1803–1804
With: Thomas Steele
Succeeded by
Preceded by Under-Secretary of State for Home Affairs
1812–1818
Succeeded by