Francis Blake Delaval (politician)

Sir Francis Blake Delaval KB (16 March 1727 – 7 August 1771) was a British actor, soldier and Member of Parliament. He had a privileged and aristocratic education at Westminster School, Eton College and then Christ Church at Oxford University.^[1]

The Right Honourable Sir Francis Blake Delaval KB
Portrait of Delaval by Joshua Reynolds c.1759
Member of Parliament for Andover
In office 1754–1768 Serving with Sir John Griffin
Preceded by	John Pollen Sir John Griffin
Succeeded by	Sir John Griffin Benjamin Lethieullier
Member of Parliament for Hindon
In office 1751–1754 Serving with Bisse Richards
Preceded by	Valens Comyn Bisse Richards
Succeeded by	Bisse Richards James Dawkins
Personal details
Born	(1727-03-16)16 March 1727
Died	7 August 1771(1771-08-07) (aged 44)
Parent(s)	Francis Blake Delaval Rhoda Apreece
Education	Westminster School Eton College
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford

Early life

Seaton Delaval Hall

Delaval was the eldest son of Francis Blake Delaval (1692–1752), of Seaton Delaval Hall, and Rhoda Apreece, heiress of Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire. His father served as a Captain in the Royal Navy and represented Northumberland in Parliament.^[2]

Career

Remains of Starlight Castle in 2017

He succeeded to his father's estate in 1752. He added to it by building the folly known as Starlight Castle, overlooking Holywell Dene which leads to Seaton Sluice. It was allegedly built in a single day to win a wager. Little survives of it now apart from a single stone arch.

Francis was an actor in a group led by Samuel Foote. He was a gambler but could not afford that lifestyle.

Military career

His military career was of short duration. He took part in the Raid on St Malo, and received a knighthood for his bravery when storming the Brittany beach, although there were no French troops present to offer resistance.

Political career

He represented Hindon in Wiltshire in Parliament from 1751 to 1754, and Andover in Hampshire from 1754 to 1768.

Personal life

Delaval fell in love with a singer and actor named Ann Catley in about 1760. She had been apprenticed to William Bates, who was a composer and singing teacher. Bates sold Ann's apprenticeship to Delaval. Bates was given money by Delaval to make up for any financial loss to him, but Catley's father could see that Ann had been sold. Aided by his employer, her father sued Delaval and Bates but to no benefit. Eventually the relationship with Delaval ended and Catley continued her career.^[3]

Marriage

He married the wealthy (and much older) Lady Nassau Powlett (née Lady Isabella Tufton), daughter of Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet and widow of Lord Nassau Powlett, but it was not a happy marriage. His wife filed a lawsuit against him because of adultery with an actress, Miss La Roche, for which Isabella unknowingly forked out £1500.

His London townhouse was 11 Downing Street,^[4] now the official home of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

He suffered a stroke, and was memorialized by his obituarist as "'the very soul of frolic and amusement (who) overbalanced a few foibles by a thousand amiable qualities". He left four illegitimate children but no legitimate ones and was succeeded by his younger brother John Hussey Delaval, later Baron Delaval.

In Popular Culture

A fictionalised version of Delaval appears in Zoe Gilbert's Mischief Acts. In a portion of the story set during the early 1700s, Delaval attempts to seduce Ann Catley by dressing as Comus, unaware that Catley is secretly the daughter of the Erl-King (in this story, the same figure as Herne the Hunter).^[5]

References

Footnotes

1. Roger Burgess, Those Delavals! (1972), p.9
2. "DELAVAL, Francis (1692-1752), of Ford Castle, Seaton Delaval and Dissington, Northumb., and Doddington, Lincs". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
3. Baldwin, Olive; Thelma Wilson (2004). "Catley, Ann (1745–1789)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4895. Retrieved 23 June 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.) Available in print, and online for subscribers
4. Survey of London online
5. Gilbert, Zoë (30 March 2023). Mischief acts. ISBN 978-1-5266-2879-4. OCLC 1363815385.

Sources

• The House of Commons, constituencies beginning with "H"^[usurped]
• The House of Commons, constituencies beginning with "A"^[usurped]
• The history of Parliament, section 1715-1754.
• The history of Parliament, section 1754-1790.
• Lotnotes by a painting of Francis Blake Delaval after Joshua Reynold. Bonhams, 5 September 2012

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Valens Comyn Bisse Richards	Member of Parliament for Hindon 1751–1754 With: Bisse Richards	Succeeded by Bisse Richards James Dawkins
Preceded by John Pollen Sir John Griffin	Member of Parliament for Andover 1754–1768 With: Sir John Griffin	Succeeded by Sir John Griffin Benjamin Lethieullier