O’BRIEN, Murrough, 5th Earl of Inchiquin [I] (1726-1808), of Taplow, Bucks.

In 1777 Inchiquin inherited with his uncle’s title an estate said to bring him £9,000 a year.1HMC Carlisle, 322. In September 1779, it was rumoured that he would stand at the Buckinghamshire by-election. Though it had ‘long been an object with Lord Inchiquin to represent Buckinghamshire’, Edmund Burke wrote to the Duke of Portland, 24 Sept., yet ‘on a full consideration of the present state of his finances ... he resolved unless called upon, and called upon singly, he would not risk a contest which even attended with victory would be ruinous’. But to prevent the county from becoming an ‘heirloom’ of the Grenville family, he was looking for an independent candidate. On the other hand, William Burke wrote to Portland, 28 Sept.: ‘Lord Inchiquin will most probably be in the nomination. ... He is as yet precluded from making his application to your Grace, or any one, but hopes that your Grace will be open to him when he is at liberty to entreat the honour of your support, and in truth if ever man had claim to the support of the Whigs it is Lord Inchiquin.’ In the end Inchiquin did not stand: ‘He could only come in on the destruction of Lord Verney, which was a thing impossible’, Edmund Burke wrote to Portland, 16 Oct. 1779.

In 1784 Inchiquin was returned for Richmond by Thomas Dundas. He was classed as ‘Opposition’ by William Adam, May 1784; voted for parliamentary reform, 18 Apr. 1785; and with the Opposition on Richmond’s fortifications plan, 27 Feb. 1786. When in March 1786, it was rumoured that a number of Irish marquesses were to be created, Inchiquin wrote to the Duke of Rutland asking that his family ‘from ... its many services to the Government’ might be ‘considered entitled to that mark of favour’.2HMC Rutland, iii. 288. Inchiquin voted with the Opposition on the Regency, 1788-9. He seems not to have spoken in the House before 1790.

He died 10 Feb. 1808.