SAVILE, Sir George, 7th Bt. (1678-1743), of Rufford, Notts.

Though residing in Nottinghamshire at Rufford Abbey, acquired by marriage at the beginning of the sixteenth century, Savile came of a Yorkshire family, with extensive estates in the West Riding. In spite of non-residence, he was returned unopposed on the Whig interest for Yorkshire, at a by-election caused by the elevation to the peerage of his friend and kinsman, Sir Thomas Wentworth. In Parliament he voted with the Opposition on the civil list arrears in 1729 and was absent from the division on the Hessians in 1730. In 1731 he introduced a bill to enact that proceedings in courts of justice should be in English, which passed into law, ‘notwithstanding the opposition of the whole body of lawyers’.Chandler, vii. 82-83. He voted again with the Opposition on the army in 1732, was absent on the excise bill in 1733, but voted with the Government on the repeal of the Septennial Act in 1734, when he declined to stand for re-election. Shortly after retiring from Parliament he separated from his wife, the reputed natural daughter of Henry Petty, 1st Earl of Shelburne, on account of an affair between her and William Levinz. Discussing the question of divorce proceedings he told the 1st Lord Egmont that

he knew not how to venture it, for Mr. Levinz was a Tory, and the lawyers of the spiritual courts were all such, and he had experience how far party governed their judgments. To sue therefore for a divorce might be attended with ill success.HMC Egmont Diary, ii. 218, 223-7, 338.

He died 16 Sept. 1743.