LEMON, Charles (1784-1868), of Carclew, Cornw.

Soon after he came of age, Lemon served his parliamentary apprenticeship, sitting for Penryn on the interest of a family friend, Lord de Dunstanville. He seems to have enjoyed freedom of action and, as the Marquess of Buckingham predicted, chose to act with opposition.1Fremantle mss, box 46, Buckingham to Fremantle, 16 June 1807. On 6 July 1807 he voted with them for a committee on the state of the nation, as ‘Captain Lemon’. He divided with them on 3 Mar. 1808 against the orders in council and on the 14th against the mutiny bill. On 5 and 11 May 1808 his votes indicated that he was favourable to Catholic claims. Lord Auckland believed that ‘Mr Lemon’ was going to Spain as one of the young volunteers in the revolt against Buonaparte.2HMC Fortescue, ix. 212. It was from 1810 onwards that he became a sufficiently regular voter with the Whigs to be listed by them in that year as a ‘present supporter’. His marriage confirmed his loyalties and on most major issues until the dissolution he voted with them. He voted for parliamentary reform, 21 May 1810, though he could not be rallied to an extra-parliamentary meeting to promote constitutional reform in 1811. On 24 Apr. 1812 he voted for Catholic relief and on 21 May for a stronger administration. No speech is known.

Whether his conduct proved unsatisfactory to his patron, who generally supported administration, or whether because the seat was to have been for one Parliament only, Lemon was not returned again in 1812. Robert Ward reported, 19 Apr. 1812, of a dinner at Ryder’s, ‘Some Cornish politics, in which it was said that none of the Lemons would be returned in the next Parliament’.3Phipps, Plumer Ward Mems. i. 478. He remained out of Parliament until 1830, by which time he had succeeded to his inheritance and the safe prospect of a county seat. He died 13 Feb. 1868, ‘a thorough Whig of the old school of politics’.4Gent. Mag. (1868), 389.