Charles Whitworth (MP)

Sir Charles Whitworth (c. 1721 – 22 August 1778) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons for 31 years from 1747 to 1778. He was known for his expertise in statistics and finance.

Whitworth was the son of Francis Whitworth, Member of Parliament for Minehead from 1723 to 1742 and was educated at Westminster School and at Lincoln's Inn. [1]

Whitworth represented the constituencies of Minehead from 1747 until 1761, and Bletchingley until 1768, in which year he was knighted. He then represented Minehead until 1774, East Looe until 1775 and Saltash until his death in 1778. He served in the army for a short time and was made lieutenant-governor of Gravesend and Tilbury for life in 1758. [1]

The major contribution made by Sir Charles to the statistics of Great Britain consisted of the production of the first complete Balance of Trade (Visible trade) for the country together with individual commercial accounts of Great Britain and all known countries during the period 1697–1773, a major task he completed two years before his death.[2]

Whitworth was a founder member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in 1754.

He married Martha, the daughter of Richard Shelley, a commissioner of the stamp office. He had three sons and four daughters, and his heir was his eldest son, Charles Whitworth, 1st Earl Whitworth.

References

"WHITWORTH, Charles (c.1721-78), of Leybourne, Kent and Blackford, nr. Minehead, Som". History of Parliament. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
Whitworth, Sir Charles (1776). State of the Trade of Great Britain in its Imports and Exports, Progressively from the Year 1697: also of the Trade to each particular Country during the above period, distinguishing each Year. London: G. Robinson. pp. 1–250.

W. R. Williams (1900). "Whitworth, Charles (1714?-1778)" . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 61. London: Smith, Elder & Co.

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Thomas Carew John Periam	Member of Parliament for Minehead 1747–1761 With: Percy Wyndham-O'Brien 1747–54 Daniel Boone 1754–61	Succeeded by Henry Shiffner The Earl of Thomond
Preceded by Sir Kenrick Clayton William Clayton	Member of Parliament for Bletchingley 1761–1768 With: Sir Kenrick Clayton	Succeeded by Sir Kenrick Clayton Robert Clayton
Preceded by Henry Shiffner The Earl of Thomond	Member of Parliament for Minehead 1768–1774 With: Henry Fownes-Luttrell	Succeeded by Henry Fownes-Luttrell John Fownes Luttrell
Preceded by John Buller John Burling	Member of Parliament for East Looe 1774–1775 With: John Buller	Succeeded by John Buller Thomas Graves
Preceded by Thomas Bradshaw Grey Cooper	Member of Parliament for Saltash 1775–1778 With: Grey Cooper	Succeeded by Grey Cooper Henry Strachey

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[HoP-1] "WHITWORTH, Charles (c.1721-78), of Leybourne, Kent and Blackford, nr. Minehead, Som". History of Parliament. Retrieved 13 November 2017.

[2] Whitworth, Sir Charles (1776). State of the Trade of Great Britain in its Imports and Exports, Progressively from the Year 1697: also of the Trade to each particular Country during the above period, distinguishing each Year. London: G. Robinson. pp. 1–250.