CUMMING, George (1752-1834), of 35 St. James’s Street, Mdx.

Cumming, who became a financial speculator after a period of service with the East India Company, was again returned for Inverness Burghs in 1820. Under the electoral pact between his nephew Sir William Gordon Cumming* and their kinsman Colonel Francis William Grant* it was the latter’s turn to nominate the Member, but in Grant’s absence abroad his representatives decided to retain Cumming in the seat as ‘a firm friend’ of the Liverpool ministry and Lord Melville, its Scottish manager. St. Andrews Univ. Lib. Melville mss 4614; NAS GD23/6/745/124. He voted with government against economies in revenue collection, 4 July 1820. When he presented petitions in support of Queen Caroline from two lodges of Odd Fellows, 31 Jan. 1821, the Speaker questioned their validity. Cumming offered no comment, and in any case voted in defence of ministers’ conduct towards the queen, 6 Feb. 1821. He divided with them on the revenue, 6 Mar., against the disfranchisement of ordnance officials, 12 Apr., economy and retrenchment, 27 June 1821, more extensive tax reductions, 11 Feb., abolition of one of the joint-postmasterships, 13 Mar. 1822, and against repeal of the assessed taxes, 18 Mar., and of the Foreign Enlistment Act, 16 Apr. 1823. He left the House before the division on the motion for inquiry into the prosecution of the Dublin Orange rioters, 22 Apr. The Times, 26 Apr. 1823. He spoke against the call for investigation of alleged corruption in the government of Inverness, 26 Mar., and ‘bore testimony to the local improvements which had taken place’ there. He voted against reform of the Scottish electoral system, 2 June 1823, 26 Feb. 1824, 13 Apr. 1826. He wrote to congratulate the home secretary Robert Peel on his ‘incomparable speech’ against the Catholic Association, 18 Feb. 1825, and voted for the bill to suppress it, 25 Feb. Add. 40373, f. 215. Yet he voted for Catholic relief, 1 Mar., and paired in its favour, 21 Apr., 10 May 1825, as he had on 28 Feb. 1821. He divided against considering the Calcutta bankers’ claim for the recovery of debts from the East India Company, 4 July 1822, and voted for repeal of the usury laws, 8 Feb. 1825. He belatedly revealed an independent streak by voting against the duke of Cumberland’s annuity, 2, 10 June 1825, and the proposal to give the president of the board of trade an official salary, 10 Apr. 1826. He presented constituency petitions against interference with the Scottish banking system, 27 Feb., 13 Mar., 12 Apr. 1826. The Times, 28 Feb., 14 Mar., 13 Apr. 1826.

Cumming retired from Parliament at the dissolution in 1826. He died a bachelor in May 1834, ‘aged 81’. Ann. Reg. (1834), Chron. p. 225; Cumming Bruce, 468. By his will, dated 20 Mar. 1834, he left £27,000 in three per cent consols to 22 relatives and a residue of £3,664 to his nephews, the Rev. Andrew Quicke and John Quicke. His personalty was sworn under £40,000. PROB 11/1831/265; IR26/1347/219.