WENTWORTH, Sir William, 4th Bt. (1686-1763), of Bretton, Yorks.

Wentworth, who was returned by his kinsman, Lord Malton (Thomas Watson Wentworth), voted with the Government till 1737, when he was asked on behalf of the Prince of Wales to support the motion proposing an increase in the Prince’s allowance. ‘His brains are most puzzled on this affair’, Lady Isabella Finch reported to Lord Malton, ‘but [he] declared if he knew your opinion he would follow that’.22 Feb. 1737, Rockingham mss. In the end he voted for the Prince, to the consternation of his brother, Thomas Wentworth.28 Feb. 1737, ibid. According to Lady Isabella, ‘poor Sir William ... is very sorry now he gave his vote in the manner he did, but he was tricked into it’.26 Feb. 1737, ibid. He did not vote on the Spanish convention in 1739 or on the place bill in 1740, was not put up again, and died 1 Mar. 1763.