FITZROY, Lord James Henry (1804-1834), of 47 Clarges Street, Piccadilly, Mdx.

Fitzroy, whose mother died before his fourth birthday, was the 4th duke of Grafton’s youngest son and a family favourite in whose progress his brothers took a keen interest. They were delighted when, in September 1823, he proclaimed his career in the Guards a success. Suff. RO (Bury St. Edmunds), Grafton mss HA513/5/161, 164. However, he soon shared in his brother Lord Charles’s misfortunes at the gaming table, and was substituted for him as Grafton’s family Member for Thetford at the general election of 1830. Ibid. HA513/5/135; Norwich Mercury, 24, 31 July 1830. He was listed among the Wellington’s ministry’s ‘foes’ and voted against them with his brother Lord Euston on the civil list, 15 Nov. 1830, when they were brought down. He presented and endorsed an anti-slavery petition from the Wesleyans of Mildenhall, 19 Nov. 1830. Taking his father’s line and differing from Euston, he voted for the Grey ministry’s reform bill at its second reading, 22 Mar., and against Gascoyne’s wrecking amendment, 19 Apr. 1831. At the ensuing general election he retained his seat for Thetford, which was then scheduled to lose a Member, and canvassed for his cousin Charles Augustus Fitzroy*, who was substituted for Euston at Bury St. Edmunds. Bury and Norwich Post, 22 Mar., 4 May 1831.

He voted for the reintroduced reform bill at its second reading, 6 July 1831, against adjourning its committee stage, 12 July, and sparingly until 10 Aug. for its details, including the complete disfranchisement of Appleby, 19 July, and St. Germans, 28 July, and partial disfranchisement of Dorchester, 28 July, and Sudbury, 2 Aug. 1831. No other votes by him have been found in this period. On 23 May 1832 he and his colleague Alexander Baring strenuously opposed Robert Grant’s bill to transfer Thetford’s assizes to Norwich. The revised reform bill restored its second Member to Thetford and, standing as a Liberal, Fitzroy retained his seat at the general election in December 1832. Bury and Suff. Herald, 5, 19 Dec. 1832. He died intestate and deeply mourned in July 1834 after a feverish illness of ten days. Administration of his estate, sworn under £3,000, was granted to his father. Raikes Jnl. i. 269; I.o.W. RO, Oglander mss OG/CC/406; Ipswich Jnl. 2, 16 Aug. 1834; PROB 6/211/198.