James Bertie

James Bertie (13 March 1674 – 18 October 1735) of Stanwell and Westminster, Middlesex, was a British Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons for 34 years between 1695 and 1734.

Early life and marriage Bertie was born in 1674, the second son of James Bertie, 5th Baron Norreys, later created Earl of Abingdon, and his wife Eleanor Lee, the elder daughter of Sir Henry Lee, 3rd Baronet and his wife Ann Danvers. A younger brother was Henry Bertie, MP, one of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina. On 5 January 1692, he married Hon. Elizabeth Willoughby, the daughter of George Willoughby, 7th Baron Willoughby of Parham.

Elizabeth had been left an extensive legacy by her great-uncle John Cary (died 1686), including the manor of Stanwell, on the condition that she would marry Lord Guilford within three years of his death; the inheritance otherwise to go to Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount of Falkland (died 1694), John's first cousin twice removed, and his heirs and afterwards to Edward Cary (died 1692), John's first cousin, and his heirs. Her trustees came to an agreement with Falkland and Edward Cary to allow her to enjoy the estate for life, notwithstanding her failure to marry Lord Guilford, and she afterwards married Bertie. However, the agreement ended upon the deaths of Edward Cary and Falkland, and when Edward's son Lucius succeeded Anthony in the peerage, his guardian sued Elizabeth to claim the estate. The Court of Chancery found in favour of Lord Falkland in 1698, and Bertie appealed the decree to the House of Lords. He was successful in obtaining a life interest for Elizabeth in the Stanwell estate, with reversion to Lord Falkland, but a paper circulated by his brother Robert on his behalf abused Lord Chancellor Somers in such terms as to create a scandal, for which Lord Abingdon was compelled to apologise in the Lords. Although the Stanwell estate passed to Lord Falkland upon his wife's death that year, Bertie's personal electoral influence in Middlesex remained strong. and at Westbury, where his brother Lord Abingdon was lord of the manor. He and Francis Annesley, also standing on the Bertie interest, were returned in place of the sitting members, Lord Carbery and Charles Allanson; where debtors fleeing bailiffs had gathered and terrorised the neighbourhood after the abolition of their former sanctuaries. He served on the committee of inquiry, which reported out the bill that became the Shelterers in Wapping, Stepney, etc. Act 1724.

Later life and legacy Some time after his first wife's death in 1715, Bertie married Elizabeth Calvert, the daughter of Rev. George Calvert, rector of Stanwell. His children included: Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon (1692–1760) Edward Bertie (d. 21 September 1733), barrister Rev. William Bertie (d. 29 August 1757), rector of Albury, married his first cousin Hon. Anne Bulkeley, daughter of Richard Bulkeley, 4th Viscount Bulkeley and had issue Henry Bertie married Mary Nicholas and had issue Bridget Bertie (d. 1734), married Robert Coytmore (c.1691–1725) and had issue