John Garth, MP

Biographical Summary

GARTH, John (1701-64), of Brownston (or Garth) House, Devizes.

Family and Education

b. 1701, 2nd but 1st surv. s. of Lt.-Col. Thomas Garth of Harrold, Beds. by Elizabeth, da. of Thomas Colleton of Barbados (yr. s. of Sir John Colleton 1st Bt., one of the original proprietors of S. Carolina). educ. Clare, Camb. 1719; L. Inn 1718; I. Temple 1727, called 1728. m. c.1730, Rebecca, da. and coh. of John Brompton of Whitton, Mdx., 3s. 3da. suc. fa. 1731.

Offices Held

Recorder, Devizes 1732-d.

Biography

John Garth came of a family settled in the 17th century at Bolam, co. Durham. His uncle, Sir Samuel Garth, was physician-general to the army and physician-in-ordinary to George I, author of The Dispensary and a prominent member of the Kit-Cat Club. He may have owed his appointment as recorder of Devizes to his cousin, John Colleton, who married an Ernle, of the prominent Wiltshire family with estates in the neighbourhood of Devizes, and had business dealings with Sir Joseph Eyles, M.P. for the borough. On Eyles’s death in 1740 Garth was returned on his own interest for Devizes, which he represented unopposed till his death. In 1756 he could speak of ‘constant attendance and steady concurrence in the support of the measures of Government in Parliament without any assistance or return.’ When he died, 24 Dec. 1764, he was succeeded by his son, Charles Garth, both as recorder and as M.P. for the borough.

SOURCE: The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715-1754, ed. R. Sedgwick, 1970

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Garth

John Garth (1701–1764) was a British politician.

Offices

John Garth became the Recorder for Devizes in 1732. This role is roughly equivalent to the Town Clerk today. This position was held by a lawyer. He was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Devizes in 1740 and was re-elected and served until his death in 1764. His family home and his Devizes residence was Brownston House - a large Grade 1 listed house on New Park Street.

Family

John Garth was the son of Colonel Thomas Garth and Elizabeth Colleton, grand daughter of Sir John Colleton, 1st Baronet, one of the original proprietors of South Carolina. John Garth married to Rebecca Brompton, grand daughter of Sir Richard Raynsford, English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench. John Garth was a nephew of Sir Samuel Garth the physician.Two of John Garth’s children were born in Devizes. His daughter Frances was baptised in the adjacent St.Mary’s Church in January 1744 and buried there in 1768. His son Thomas was baptised there in September 1745; he was to become an Army general and Equerry to George III. John Garth died in 1764 and was buried in St Mary’s Churchyard, Devizes on January 2nd, 1765. His wife Rebecca (1713-1785) and his daughter Elizabeth (1739-1790) were buried in St Mary’s too. One monument of St. Mary’s commemorates John Garth himself and in the chancel there are monuments to the memory of his widow and children. He lived at Brownston House, Devizes, in the 1760s.

His sons included:

General Thomas Garth (1744-1829) Royal Equerry

General George Garth (abt 1733-1819) British General in American Revolutionary War, Colonel of the 17th Regiment of Foot
Charles Garth MP, (1734-1784) Government Agent for South Carolina, Georgia and Maryland. He succeeded his father as MP for Devizes, and was also Recorder of Devizes.