Colonel Edward Corbett (30 December 1817 – 6 January 1895) [1] was a British land-owner [2] and Conservative Party politician from an old Norman family in Shropshire. He held a seat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1877.
Corbett was the oldest surviving son of Panton Corbett of Longnor Hall in Shropshire and Leighton Hall in Montgomeryshire. [3] His mother was Louisa Favoretta Jones, from Lichfield in Staffordshire, and his father had been the member of parliament (MP) for Shrewsbury from 1820 to 1830. [3]
Corbett was educated at Eton. [3] He joined the British Army in November 1837 as an ensign in the 51st regiment, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. [3] He switched to the 72nd Highlanders in 1841, and retired from the army in October 1844. [3] By 1874 he was living in Longnor Hall [4] and held the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Shropshire militia, [4] and the honorary rank of colonel (which was bestowed in 1883). [5] He resigned his commission in the militia in October 1884, but was permitted to retain his rank. [6]
By 1868 Corbett was a justice of the peace (J.P.) for Shropshire, and a deputy lieutenant of Shropshire. [7]
He was elected at the 1868 general election as an MP for South Shropshire, [8] [9] having expressed confidence in Disraeli and promised voters "to resist to the utmost of his power Mr. Gladstone's attempt to uproot and destroy the Protestant Church". [2] Corbett was re-elected in 1874. [4] When he resigned his seat on 7 August 1877, by taking the post of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, [10] the announcement was described by The Times newspaper as "sudden". [11]
In 1842 Corbett married Elizabeth Anne Theresa, the daughter of Robert Sholl [3] and had five sons and eight daughters. [3] His eldest son, also named Edward Corbett (1843–1917), in April 1881 unsuccessfully contested a by-election in Northampton as a Conservative after the Liberal MP Charles Bradlaugh was unseated when he voted in the Commons before taking the Oath of Allegiance [9] (he insisted on the right to affirm instead). [12] Bradlaugh was again expelled from the Commons the following year, and Corbett junior again stood in the resulting by-election. [9] [13] Addressing a public meeting from the balcony of the Angel Hotel in Northampton on 23 February, he told the crowd that this was not an ordinary electoral contest, but a battle of principles. [14] He hoped that the result would be to spare the House of Commons from the "disgreceful scenes" which had taken place over Bradlaugh's refusal to take the oath. [14] Bradlaugh was re-elected on 4 March 1882 [9] and Edward Corbett junior never again stood for parliament.
Colonel Edward Corbett (30 December 1817 – 6 January 1895) [1] was a British land-owner [2] and Conservative Party politician from an old Norman family in Shropshire. He held a seat in the House of Commons from 1868 to 1877.
Corbett was the oldest surviving son of Panton Corbett of Longnor Hall in Shropshire and Leighton Hall in Montgomeryshire. [3] His mother was Louisa Favoretta Jones, from Lichfield in Staffordshire, and his father had been the member of parliament (MP) for Shrewsbury from 1820 to 1830. [3]
Corbett was educated at Eton. [3] He joined the British Army in November 1837 as an ensign in the 51st regiment, and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. [3] He switched to the 72nd Highlanders in 1841, and retired from the army in October 1844. [3] By 1874 he was living in Longnor Hall [4] and held the rank of lieutenant-colonel in the Shropshire militia, [4] and the honorary rank of colonel (which was bestowed in 1883). [5] He resigned his commission in the militia in October 1884, but was permitted to retain his rank. [6]
By 1868 Corbett was a justice of the peace (J.P.) for Shropshire, and a deputy lieutenant of Shropshire. [7]
He was elected at the 1868 general election as an MP for South Shropshire, [8] [9] having expressed confidence in Disraeli and promised voters "to resist to the utmost of his power Mr. Gladstone's attempt to uproot and destroy the Protestant Church". [2] Corbett was re-elected in 1874. [4] When he resigned his seat on 7 August 1877, by taking the post of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds, [10] the announcement was described by The Times newspaper as "sudden". [11]
In 1842 Corbett married Elizabeth Anne Theresa, the daughter of Robert Sholl [3] and had five sons and eight daughters. [3] His eldest son, also named Edward Corbett (1843–1917), in April 1881 unsuccessfully contested a by-election in Northampton as a Conservative after the Liberal MP Charles Bradlaugh was unseated when he voted in the Commons before taking the Oath of Allegiance [9] (he insisted on the right to affirm instead). [12] Bradlaugh was again expelled from the Commons the following year, and Corbett junior again stood in the resulting by-election. [9] [13] Addressing a public meeting from the balcony of the Angel Hotel in Northampton on 23 February, he told the crowd that this was not an ordinary electoral contest, but a battle of principles. [14] He hoped that the result would be to spare the House of Commons from the "disgreceful scenes" which had taken place over Bradlaugh's refusal to take the oath. [14] Bradlaugh was re-elected on 4 March 1882 [9] and Edward Corbett junior never again stood for parliament.