Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton

Harry Powlett, 4th Duke of Bolton, PC (24 July 1691 – 9 October 1759), known until 1754 as Lord Harry Powlett, was a British nobleman and Whig politician. He sat in the House of Commons from 1715 to 1754, when he took his seat in the House of Lords.

Early life Born the second son of Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton and Frances Ramsden, Powlett started his career in the Royal Navy. He served as an ADC to the Earl of Galway in Portugal in 1710, during the closing stages of the War of the Spanish Succession. He held the seat until the 1722 general election, when he was returned as MP for Hampshire. He held that seat until he succeeded to the peerage in 1754, with one interruption. At the 1734 general election he was returned both for Hampshire and for Yarmouth. A petition was lodged against the Hampshire result, and he sat for Yarmouth until 1737, when the petition against the Hampshire result was withdrawn, then chose to represent Hampshire rather than Yarmouth for the remainder of the Parliament.

He served as a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Frederick, Prince of Wales from 1729 to 1751.

Powlett joined the Board of Admiralty in the Whig government in June 1733 and was advanced to Senior Naval Lord in March 1738 but had to stand down when the Government fell from power in March 1742.