Constituency : Taunton 1853-7, Hythe 1857-9, West Riding 1859-65, Monmouth Boroughs 1868-74, Eastern West Riding 1880-85, Osgoldcross 1885-6
There aren't many MPs who get to represent six different constituencies. John was a considerable landowner and baronet owning most of Huddersfield as Lord of the Manor and large estates in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the Highlands. His mother was a Fitzwilliam.John's political career began early when he was elected for Taunton in 1853 aged just 21. He switched to Hythe in 1857 and was appointed Under-Secretary for War by Palmerston.
John was a Palmerstonian moderate and unenthusiastic about Parliamentary Reform, fearing it would effectively disenfranchise the higher classes. He got into trouble in the West Riding after supporting Reform in his 1859 campaign speeches. When it became clear he was acting to resist it ( such as voting against Baines's bill for reforming the borough franchise ) there were angry denunciations from the radicals in Yorkshire. One Thomas Jessop wrote to him "An open Enemy I can understand but a treacherous friend I cannot tolerate" . John did not help himself with an angry response to his critics claiming that he represented the real feelings of Liberal MPs. His problems did not go unnoticed by no 10 and he was no longer considered a potential asset to the government. He was "persuaded" to step down in 1865.
That same year John married a daughter of the Duke of Somerset and became High Sheriff of Yorkshire.
John returned to Parliament in 1868 for Monmouth Boroughs capturing the formerly Tory seat with the support of newly-enfranchised Irish immigrants but they regained it in 1874. John was back again in 1880 representing Eastern West Riding ( after an unsuccessful attempt in 1874) and then the new seat of Osgoldcross ( styling himself an "Independent Liberal" ) in 1885. He sealed his fate by joining the Liberal Unionists in 1886 and was defeated.
He died in 1914 aged 82.
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