Hon. Peregrine Francis Bertie

1741-90. He was born on 13 March 1741, the third son of Willoughby Bertie, 3rd Earl of Abingdon, and his wife, Anna Maria Collins.

After an education at Westminster School Bertie joined the navy and was commissioned lieutenant on 17 December 1759.

He was promoted commander on 1 January 1762 and for most of the remainder of the year commanded the Dispatch 10 off Scotland, in which he captured the privateers Le Duc de Broglie 14, and Madame de Hersignie 8, sending the latter into the Leith Roads. He was posted captain on 6 November 1762 and until March of the following year he had the Repulse 32.

Following the peace of 1763 he remained in employment, sailing for the coast of Guinea in command of the Shannon 32, but he left her in the following year. In 1766 he inherited a number of estates from a distant cousin, the Tory politician Norreys Bertie, and he virtually retired from the service.

On 5 October 1774 Bertie was elected the MP for Oxford in his brother s interest, a seat he retained until his death, although he rarely attended the house and only ever made on speech. He remained ashore on half-pay throughout the American Revolutionary War until the first few months of 1783 when he commanded the Fortitude 74 in home waters.

From 1786-8 he commanded the Plymouth guardship Carnatic 74.

On 7 May 1790 he married Elizabeth Hutchins of Yattenden, Berkshire, but having been returned for Oxford in the June general election he died in the city on 20 August. He was buried at Weston-on-the-Green, Oxfordshire.

Bertie had issue an illegitimate daughter by his servant, Elizabeth Cox. He sat in the Tory and Pittite interest in parliament but most of his time was devoted to attending and officiating in horse racing meetings.