Constituency : Wallingford 1865-8
Charles took the Tory seat of Wallingford.
Charles is often referred as Wentworth to distinguish him from his illustrious son of the same name.
Charles was the son of the proprietor of The Athenaeum . He was educated at Westminster and Cambridge and involved in the agitation for the First Reform Act in 1832. He qualified as a barrister but never practised. He worked for his father and was involved in the Society of Arts and the Royal Horticultural Society. He worked with Joseph Paxton on setting up The Gardeners' Chronicle and as a result became one of the chief promoters of the Great Exhibition in 1851. He declined both a knighthood and financial remuneration for his work. He was one of the five royal commissioners for the Great London Exposition in 1862 and did accept a baronetcy for this service.
Charles was somewhat alarmed by his son's radical views though he was pleased with his election for Chelsea in 1868.
Charles lost his seat in 1868 . He felt that he had not made much impression in the Commons and hoped his son would have a greater impact. The following year was sent to Russia to represent England in a horticultural exhibition. However his health was failing and he died in Moscow in May 1869 . He was 59.
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