Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston


Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston, of East Sheen, Surrey and Broadlands, Hampshire, was an Anglo-Irish landowner and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1727 to 1747.

Early life

Temple was the eldest son of Sir John Temple, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons, and his wife Jane Yarner, daughter of Sir Abraham Yarner, muster-master general for Ireland. He was educated at Eton College from around 1689 to 1693 and was admitted at King's College, Cambridge in 1693. On 10 June 1703, he married Anne Houblon, the daughter of Abraham Houblon, a governor of the Bank of England.

Political career

In 1715,Temple acceded to a place as joint chief remembrancer of the court of Exchequer for Ireland, for which he was granted the reversion as a child in 1680. He was created Viscount Palmerston of Palmerston, County Dublin, and Baron Temple of Mount Temple on 12 March 1723. He helped Bishop Berkeley in his schemes in the West Indies.
At the 1727 British general election, Temple was returned unopposed as Member of Parliament for East Grinstead. He voted with successive Administrations throughout his career. At the 1734 British general election, he transferred to Bossiney and was returned unopposed as MP. He transferred again at the 1741 British general election to Weobley and was returned as MP again unopposed. In 1740 he became sole holder of his place as chief remembrancer of the court of the Irish Exchequer and held it for the rest of his life. He did not stand at the 1747 British general election.

Domestic life

In 1736, Palmerston bought Broadlands from Humphrey Sydenham and began to rework the gardens there. He began the deformalisation of the gardens between the river and the house and produced the "gentle descent to the river". On 11 May 1738 at St Antholin, Budge Row, he married again, to Isabella Fryer, widow of Sir John Fryer, 1st Baronet, and daughter of Sir Francis Gerard, 4th Baronet.

Death and legacy

Palmerston died aged 84 on 10 June 1757. He had two children by his first wife, neither of whom survived him.:
He had no children by his second wife Isabella, who died on 11 August 1762 at North End, Hammersmith.. He was succeeded by his grandson Henry.