Sir John Lethbridge, 1st Baronet

Sir John Lethbridge, 1st Baronet (12 March 1746 – 15 December 1815), of Whitehall Place, Westminster;

The connection to the Bowchiers of Westaway provided the basis for a Lethbridge claim of heirship to the Barons FitzWarin, which had fallen into abeyance in 1636 with the death of Edward Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath,^[13] though there is no documented connection between him and the Bowchiers. In 1786 John Lethbridge, the future 1st Baronet, made a generous gift of several thousand pounds to the Prince Regent "to relieve the Prince of Wales, out of concern for the dignity of the Royal family and the country and with no ulterior motive." However, it seems this gift was later used as a reason for the king to compensate the 1st Baronet by the grant of the title "Baron FitzWarin", alias "Fitzwarren". In 1809 he made an application to the king for the barony, and in 1811 his son wrote to the Prime Minister that this had been desired by his father "for many years", "as a mark of royal favour". A third application was made in 1812, but all without result.

A Ledger stone survives in St Mary's Church, Pilton, to Phillip Bowchier (1623–1687) of Westaway, inscribed as follows:

"Here lyeth ye body of Phillip Bowchier, Gent., buried ye 3^d day of Agust 1687 aged 64 years. Here also layeth the body of Agnes late wife of Phillip Bowchier, Gent., who departed this life ye 25th day of No^br 1698 aged 66. Here lyes also buryed the body of Thomas Lethbridge, Gent., son of Thomas Lethbridge of Clement's Inne, Gent., a younger son of Christopher Lethbridge of Westaway, Esq., by Margaret his wife daughter of the above named Philip Bowchier. Ob^t 10th Aug^st 1744 aetatis 20"

Career

He was educated at

The Tate holds a 1785 portrait entitled The Lethbridge Children, presumably commissioned by him. The accompanying description states that he was a governor of the British Mineral Water Hospital in the 1770s and 80s (now the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases).^[15]

Character

He was described (under the name of "Sir Richard Lethmore") by Lady Spencer, wife of the prime minister Spencer Perceval, as "a most abominable profligate—a rustic roué, very rich and using his riches for the worst purposes".^[14]

Landholdings

• Sir Joshua Reynolds and Gainsborough, and at the same time the library received its large collection of ancient books.^[19]
  The 1st Baronet spent lavishly on "adorning his place and mansion", as was reported by Lady Spencer, who related the following story (in which she refers to him as Sir Richard):

"He has a near neighbour[20] who is at daggers drawn with him and has completely got the better of (him) in the art of tormenting, by imitating instantly every improvement Sir Richard is making at his seat, in his own, which kills with spleen the unhappy man of taste, for these imitations are very ill-executed. Sir Richard bethought himself however, lately, of a scheme which he conceived entirely out of the reach of his persecutor, namely a large and magnificent piece of water which he knew from the nature of the place his neighbour possessed, could not be equalled by him. However, here again he was mistaken, for the tormentor immediately made a frightful piece of water and placed in the very centre of it a large horrid statue holding a label out of its hand on which is written 'The way to Harlots Hall'. Did you ever hear such thorough-paced country gentlemen’s raillerie?".

• Sheriff of the City of London.^[21]
• Westaway, Pilton, Devon, sold by his son in 1819 to James Whyte of Pilton House.^[22]
• Winkleigh Court, also known as "Court
  Barton", in the parish of Winkleigh,^[2] Devon. This manor was an important one in the county, being the caput of the Devonshire holdings of the feudal barony of Gloucester.^[23] It was at some time split into two moieties (Winkleigh Keynes and Winkleigh Tracey), but by 1822, when Lysons published his Magna Britannia, both belonged to Sir Thomas Buckler Lethbridge, 2nd Baronet (1778–1849). The Lethbridge family seat was near the church, but shortly before 1822 had been sold to Rev. John Tossell Johnson.^[24]

In June 1776 he married Dorothea Buckler, a daughter and co-heiress of William Buckler of Boreham in Wiltshire, by whom he had one son and two daughters as follows.^[25]

• Sir Thomas Buckler Lethbridge, 2nd Baronet (1778–1849), son and heir, several times MP for Somerset,^[14] who married Anne Goddard.
• Dorothea Lethbridge, wife of Henry Powell Collins (1776–1854), of
  Sheriff of Somerset
  in 1827.
• Frances-Maria Lethbridge, wife of
  Sir Charles Henry Rich, 2nd Baronet (1784–1857) of Shirley House, Southampton
  .

He died on 15 December 1815. On his deathbed he tore up a will by which he had disinherited his son.[14] His monument in Bishops Lydeard Church is inscribed as follows:^[28]

"Underneath are deposited the relics of Sir John Lethbridge, Bart., who departed this life 15 Dec, 1815, in his 70th year. He had lived at Sandhill Park in this Parish for the last 48 years, but was formerly of Westaway House, in the county of Devon, where, and at Winkley Court, in the same county, his ancestors had been for many generations situated. This stone is also sacred to the memory of Dame Dorothy Lethbridge, relict of Sir John Lethbridge, Bart, and elder daughter and co-heiress of the late William Buckler, of Boreham, in the county of Wilts. She lived a pattern of Christian piety and virtue, and died full of good works Dec. 1st 1831, aged 82 years".

References