COURTENAY, Sir William, 3rd Bt. (1710-62), of Powderham Castle, Devon

Constituency	Dates
Honiton	1734
Devon

Family and Education

b. 11 Feb. 1710, 1st surv. s. of Sir William Courtenay, 2nd Bt., M.P. for Devon, by Lady Anne Bertie, da. of James, 1st Earl of Abingdon. educ. Westminster 1722; Magdalen, Oxf. 1729. m. 2 Apr. 1741, Lady Frances Finch, da. of Heneage, 2nd Earl of Aylesford, 1s. 5da. suc. fa. 1735; cr. Visct. Courtenay 6 May 1762.

Address

Main residence: Powderham Castle, Devon.

biography text

Courtenay was a Tory. He appears in Newcastle’s list of 1761 as ‘against’, but is not classed in Bute’s list of December 1761—he was about to be created a peer.1Jas. Buller to Bute, 20 Nov. 1761, Bute mss. He apparently owed his peerage to Bute who therefore could press him, against Courtenay’s own inclination, to give his interest at the ensuing by-election for Devon to John Parker.2Bute to Shelburne, 28 Apr. 1762, Lansdowne mss.

Courtenay died 16 May 1762.

Author

L.B.N.

Volume

Commons 1754-1790

Notes

1. Jas. Buller to Bute, 20 Nov. 1761, Bute mss.
2. Bute to Shelburne, 28 Apr. 1762, Lansdowne mss.