CURZON, Assheton (1730-1820), of Penn House, nr. Amersham, Bucks.

Curzon was a Tory. In 1754 he was returned for the family seat at Clitheroe. Recommended for Derbyshire by his brother in 1761, he declined to face a contest; refused an offer from the corporation of Derby to bring him in without expense;Scarsdale to Bute, 26 Aug. 1761, Bute mss. and was returned again at Clitheroe. Henry Fox considered him for seconder of the Address on the King’s Speech, 25 Nov. 1762,Fox to Bute, 23 Nov. 1762, ibid. and Jenkinson in the autumn of 1763 classed him as ‘pro’. One speech by him is reported during this Parliament: 13 Mar. 1764, on Rose Fuller’s bill for converting statute labour into a rate. In July 1765 Rockingham classed him as ‘contra’, and he voted against the repeal of the Stamp Act. In January 1767 Townshend counted him as a follower of Grenville. He voted with Opposition on the land tax, 27 Feb. 1767, and the nullum tempus bill, 17 Feb. 1768.

Between 1768 and 1774 he spoke several times but does not appear in any division list. In Robinson’s first survey on the royal marriage bill he is marked ‘doubtful’, in the second, ‘pro’; but, 23 Mar., he spoke for Rose Fuller’s clause to limit the duration of the bill. His next recorded vote was with Administration on the contractors bill, 12 Feb. 1779. In 1779 the Public Ledger wrote about him: ‘A man of Tory principles, votes with the ministry, but sometimes affects to be conscientious by quitting the House when the minister’s question is not agreeable to him.’ He voted with the Opposition on the motion to abolish the Board of Trade, 13 Mar. 1780, but with the court on Dunning’s motion, 6 Apr., and the motion against prorogation, 24 Apr. In July 1780 Robinson classed him as ‘pro’.

In 1780 he stood again for Clitheroe, but was deprived of his share in its representation by his fellow Member, Thomas Lister, and defeated on the poll.See CLITHEROE constituency.

He died 21 Mar. 1820.