Charles Whitworth

Sir Charles Whitworth ( – 21 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.

Early life Whitworth was the son of Joan Windham of Clarewell, Gloucestershire, and Francis Whitworth, Member of Parliament for Minehead from 1723 to 1742 and was educated at Westminster School and at Lincoln's Inn. His paternal uncle was Charles Whitworth, 1st Baron Whitworth.

Career 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.

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.

Whitworth was an active early member of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce in 1754.

Personal life In 1749, Whitworth married Martha Shelley (d. 1786), the daughter of Richard Shelley, a commissioner of the stamp office. Together, they had three sons and four daughters, including:

Charles Whitworth, 1st Earl Whitworth (1752–1825), who married Arabella Diana, Duchess of Dorset ( Cope), daughter of Sir Charles Cope, Bt. and widow of John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, in 1801. Priscilla Whitworth (1759–1833), who married Sir Bellingham Graham, 6th Baronet, son of Sir Bellingham Graham, 5th Baronet, in 1785.

Sir Charles died on 22 August 1778.

Descendants Through his youngest daughter Anna, he was a grandfather of Sir Henry Russell, 2nd Baronet, Francis Whitworth Russell (who married Jane Anne Catherine Brodie), Rev. Whitworth Russell (who married Frances Carpenter), George Lake Russell (who married Lady Caroline Pery, a daughter of the 1st Earl of Limerick), Katherine Russell (who married Henry Jones), Caroline Russell (who married Commander Henry Fortescue, grandson of the 2nd Baron Fortescue), Rose Aylmer Russell (who married Henry Porter), and Henrietta Russell (who married Thomas Greene of Whittington Hall, MP for Lancaster).