Francis Negus

Francis Negus (1670 – 9 September 1732)

House of Commons from 1717 to 1732. He is the reputed inventor of the drink negus

Early life

Negus is a

25th Regiment of Foot in 1703. He married, by licence dated 14 February 1704, Elizabeth Churchill, daughter of William Churchill. In 1712 he succeeded his father to the Dallinghoo estate. He was sometime ranger of Bagshot Rails and Sandhurst Walks, Windsor forest.^[2]

In 1719 he was one of the original backers of the

Handel and others.^[3]

Political career

In 1715, Negus was appointed joint commissioner for executing the office of

Member of Parliament for Ipswich at a by-election on 13 November 1717 in succession to his father in law. He voted regularly with the Government and was returned unopposed at the 1722 British general election and in a contest at the 1727 British general election.^[2]

He was appointed

Chelsea Waterworks.^[2]

Death and legacy

Negus died at Dallinghoo, on 9 September 1732 leaving a son and daughter. The Ipswich Gazette published a poem in his memory which began 'Is Negus gone? ah! Ipswich weep and mourn'.[2]

The invention of negus

It is related that on one occasion, when the bottle was passing rather more rapidly than good fellowship seemed to warrant over a hot political discussion, in which a number of prominent whigs and tories were taking part, Negus recommended the dilution of the wine with hot water and sugar. Attention was diverted from the point at issue to a discussion of the merits of wine and water, which ended in the compound being nicknamed "negus."
— Thomas Seccombe, Dictionary of National Biography

Edmond Malone in his Life of Dryden (1800) states that "the mixture now called Negus ... was invented in Queen Anne's time by Colonel Negus," but does not go into further detail.^[4] Additional evidence is cited by Thomas Seccombe in the Dictionary of National Biography.^[1]^{[clarification needed]}

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Negus, Francis". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "NEGUS, Francis (1670-1732), of Dillinghoo, Suff". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
^ Thomas McGeary. The Politics of Opera in Handel's Britain. Cambridge University Press, 2013. p. 254
^ Edmond Malone (1800). The Critical and Miscellaneous Prose Works of John Dryden. London: H. Baldwin and Son. p. 483, footnote 1.

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by William Thompson William Churchill	1732 With: William Thompson 1717–1730 Philip Broke 1730–1732	Succeeded by Philip Broke William Wollaston
Political offices
Vacant Title last held by The Earl of Cardigan	Master of the Buckhounds 1727–1732	Succeeded by The Earl of Tankerville
Court offices
Preceded by Conyers Darcy	Avener and Clerk Marshal 1727–1732	Vacant Title next held by James Lumley

[Seccombe-1] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Negus, Francis". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

[HOP-2] "NEGUS, Francis (1670-1732), of Dillinghoo, Suff". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 21 May 2019.

[3] Thomas McGeary. The Politics of Opera in Handel's Britain. Cambridge University Press, 2013. p. 254

[Malone1800-4] Edmond Malone (1800). The Critical and Miscellaneous Prose Works of John Dryden. London: H. Baldwin and Son. p. 483, footnote 1.

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