William Blamire | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 April 1790 |
| Died | 12 January 1862 |
| Nationality | English |
| Education | |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
| Occupation(s) | Landowner; Civil Servant; Politician. |
| Known for |
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| Relatives |
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William Blamire (13 April 1790 – 12 January 1862)[1] was a British landowner, civil servant, and Whig politician.
Background and education
Blamire was born at The Oaks, Dalston, Carlisle, England, to a family that originated in Cumberland. He was the eldest son of the naval surgeon William Blamire,[2] and Jane, the third daughter of John Christian and sister of the politician John Christian Curwen.[2] The Cumberland poet Susanna Blamire was his aunt.[3] William was baptised in Dalston by the philosopher William Paley, the vicar there.[2] He was privately tutored at Carlisle, and subsequently, from 1805 to 1808, educated at Westminster School, and, from 1808 to 1811,[4] at Christ Church, Oxford, from which he graduated in 1811.[5]
Career
Blamire was a Cumberland farmer who served as High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1828.[6] He entered the British House of Commons in 1831 as MP for Cumberland,[6] as which he served until the constituency was abolished the following year, after which he stood successfully for the new constituency that replaced it, East Cumberland.[6] Blamire resigned as Member of Parliament in 1836, when, after the passing of the Tithe Commutation Act 1836 he was appointed the first Chief Tithe Commissioner.[7] The Commission reported in 1851 and triggered various new acts and reforms.[8] Blamire retired in 1860.[7]
Family
In 1834, Blamire married his cousin Dorothy.[9] She was the youngest daughter of John Taubman and the widow of Mark Wilks, who had governed Saint Helena during the time of Napoleon's exile there.[9] Blamire's wife died in 1857:[10] he survived her, for five years, until 1862.[11] Several months after his death, a prize in his name was endowed for achievements in agriculture.[12]
Notes
References
- Burke, Sir Bernhard (1862). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. I. London: Harrison.
- Walford, Edward (1860). The County Families of the United Kingdom. London: Robert Hardwicke.
- Maycock, Christopher Hugh (2003). A Passionate Poet: Susanna Blamire, 1747–94. London: Hypatia Publications. ISBN 1-872229-42-5.
- Sylvanus, Urban (1862). The Gentleman's Magazine. Vol. part I. London: John Henry and James Parker.
- Lonsdale, Henry (1867). The Worthies of Cumberland. Vol. I. London: George Routledge and Sons.
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Blamire, William". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.