BURDETT, Sir FRANCIS, Bart., the most popular English politician of his time, b. Jan. 25, 1770. Educated at Westminster school and Oxford university, he spent some years on the continent, and was a witness to the progress of the first French revolution. in 1793, he married Sophia, youngest daughter of .Thomas Coutts, esq., the wealthy London banker, and in 1796 was elected M. P. for Boroughbridge, Yorkshire. In 1797, on the death of his grandfather, he succeeded to the baronetcy. In the house of commons, he made himself conspicuous by his opposition to government and the war, and his advocacy of parliamentary reform, Catholic emancipation, and other liberal measures, most of which were afterwards carried. One of the • most effective political speakers of that excited period, he for many years prominently occupied public atten tion, and was the idol of the London populace. Having succeeded in obtaining a par liamentary inquiry into the abuses of the metropolitan prisons, he became, in 1802, a candidate for Middlesex. He was first returned, then unseated, and after a second contest, defeated. At the general election of 1806, B. again became a candidate for Middlesex, but was defeated. In May, 1807, he fought a duel with Mr. James Paull, one of the candidates for 'Westminster the previous year. Soon after, he was returned,
with lord Cochrane, for Westminster, which he represented for nearly 30 years. B. lav ing in 1810 published, in Cobbett's Political Register, a letter to his constituents, declar ing the conduct of the house of commons illegal in imprisoning John Gale Jones, the speaker's warrant was issued for his apprehension, as being guilty of a breach of priv ilege. Refusing to surrender, he for two days barricaded his house; the populace supported him in his resistance. and in a street contest between them and the mili tary sonic lives were lost; but on April 9, the sergeant-at-arms, aided by the police and military, obtained an entrance, and conveyed him to the Tower. The prorogation of parliament restored bins to liberty. Prosecuted in 1819 for a libel contained in a letter to his constituents, strongly animadverting on the proceedings of the magistrates and yeomanry at the memorable Manchester meeting, he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment in the king's bench, and to pay a fine of £1000. In 1835, he deserted the liberal party, and joined the conservatives. In 1837, he was returned for 'Wiltshire. He died in 1844.