PEIRSE, Henry (1754-1824), of Bedale and Hutton Bonville, Yorks.

Peirse returned himself again for Northallerton in 1820, as he had done all his adult life. He was one of the largest landed proprietors in the North Riding and in 1820 bought back the Hutton Bonville estate, which his family had sold in 1785. VCH Yorks. N. Riding, i. 402. Described by Robert Peel* as ‘a decided Whig’, he was a fairly regular attender who continued to vote with the opposition to Lord Liverpool’s ministry. Add. 40305, f. 124. He divided for parliamentary reform, 9 May 1821, 25 Apr. 1822, 24 Apr. 1823, and Catholic relief, 28 Feb. 1821. He voted against the appointment of an additional Scottish baron of exchequer, 15 May, for economies in revenue collection, 4 July, and against the barrack agreement bill, 17 July 1820. He divided against Wilberforce’s resolution calling for a compromise solution to the Queen Caroline affair, 22 June, and the secret committee on the queen’s conduct, 26 June 1820. He voted to restore the queen’s name to the liturgy, 23, 31 Jan., 13 Feb., and censure ministers’ conduct towards her, 6 Feb. 1821. He divided for the motion condemning the conduct of the Allies towards Naples, 21 Feb., inquiry into Peterloo, 16 May, and Hume’s economy and retrenchment motion, 27 June. However, he voted against the forgery punishment mitigation bill, 23 May 1821. He divided for more extensive tax reductions, 21 Feb., and repeal of the salt duty, 23 June 1822. He voted for reduction of the junior lords of the admiralty, 1 Mar., abolition of one of the joint-postmasterships, 13 Mar., 2 May, inquiry into diplomatic expenditure, 15 May, and reduction of the cost of the Swiss embassy, 16 May 1822. He divided for inquiry into the prosecution of the Dublin Orange rioters, 22 Apr. 1823. His last known vote was against repeal of the usury laws, 27 June 1823. Taciturnity characterized his near 50 years in the House: he made no known speech. Peirse died in May 1824 and left Bedale and Hutton Bonville to his surviving daughters Mary Anne and Henrietta, the wife of Sir John Poo Beresford*, respectively. His personalty was sworn under £7,000 and under £25,000 in the province of York. PROB 11/1693/701; IR26/1014/751.