Constituency Dates
Evesham 1780 – 1790
Bramber 1796 – Jan. 1800
Family and Education
bap. 16 Dec. 1747, 2nd s. of Shuckburgh Boughton of Poston Court, Herefs. by Mary, da. of Hon. Algernon Greville. m. 3 June 1782, Catherine, da. and h. of William Pearce Hall of Downton Hall, Salop, 1s. 3da. suc. to estates of his distant cos. Thomas Philips Rouse 1768, and took add. name of Rouse; cr. Bt. 28 July 1791; suc. bro. Sir Edward Boughton, 8th Bt., in the family baronetcy 26 Feb. 1794, and changed name to Rouse Boughton.
Offices Held

Sec. to the board of control for India 1784 – 91.

Address
Main residence: Rouse Lench, Worcs.
biography text

Boughton Rouse went out to India as a writer in 1765, and after holding judicial and administrative offices in the Company’s service returned to England in 1778. He entered Parliament in 1780 after an expensive contest at Evesham; and until the fall of North voted with the Opposition. India was his main interest in politics, and the seven speeches which he is known to have made between 1780 and 1790 all deal with Indian affairs.

He voted for Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783, for parliamentary reform, 7 May 1783, and for Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783. Yet in Robinson’s list of January 1784 he is classed as ‘very hopeful’, and in Stockdale’s of 19 Mar. 1784 as ‘Administration’. He was a member of the St. Alban’s Tavern group which tried to bring about a union between Pitt and Fox; but after having accepted office under Pitt, naturally voted consistently with his Administration. He opposed the impeachment of Warren Hastings—‘He never thought Mr. Hastings a criminal, nor wished him to be so considered.’1Stockdale, vii. 165.

He died 26 Feb. 1821.

Author
J.B.
Volume
Commons 1754-1790
Alternative Surnames
Rouse Boughton
Notes
  • 1. Stockdale, vii. 165.