TURNOR, Edmund (1754-1829), of Stoke Rochford, nr. Grantham, Lincs.

Turnor, a Lincolnshire country gentleman and antiquarian, was to have stood for Lincoln with Pitt’s blessing in 1786, had a vacancy arisen.1Corresp. between Pitt and Duke of Rutland 1781-7, p. 3. He addressed the county in 1802, but withdrew, as he did not wish to disturb the peace.2Bucks. RO, Hobart mss C413; The Times, 23 June 1802. Later that year he became Lord Carrington’s nominee for Midhurst: Carrington’s brother (the former Member) had married his sister. There was a contest and, having survived a petition, Turnor took six weeks’ leave, 20 Apr. 1803.

Turnor showed that he followed his patron’s attachment to Pitt when he voted against Addington on Pitt’s naval motion, 15 Mar. 1804, and on the defence motions of 23 and 25 Apr. that brought down the ministry. He went on to support Pitt’s second ministry, being listed ‘Pitt’ in September 1804. He was in the government minority on Melville’s conduct, 8 Apr. 1805, but in the majority for criminal prosecution on 12 June. He had also appeared in the minority against the Duke of Atholl’s claims, 7 June. He was nevertheless listed ‘Pitt’ in July. Later that year Samuel Smith I reproached Pitt for not granting his request that Turnor’s brother John be appointed King’s remembrancer, as it would have ‘attached’ Turnor to him.3PRO 30/8/179, ff. 122, 124. Following his patron, he supported the Grenville ministry, voting for their repeal of Pitt’s Additional Force Act, 30 Apr. 1806. No speech is known. He did not seek re-election in 1806. He subsequently pursued his antiquarian interests.4DNB ; J. Nichols, Lit. Illust. vi. 592-602. He died 19 Mar. 1829.