Sir Edward Knatchbull, 8th Baronet


Sir Edward Knatchbull, 8th Baronet was a British politician and baronet.

Background

He was the only surviving son of Sir Edward Knatchbull, 7th Baronet and his wife Grace Legge, second daughter of William Legge. In 1789, he succeeded his father as baronet. Knatchbull was educated at Tunbridge and Winchester School. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1777 and received a Doctorate of Civil Law by the University of Oxford in 1810.

Career

Knatchbull was High Sheriff of Kent in 1785. He entered the British House of Commons in 1790, sitting for Kent until 1802. He represented the constituency as Member of Parliament again from 1806 until his death in 1819.

Family

In July 1780, he married firstly Mary Hugessen, daughter of William Western Hugessen, and had by her a son and two daughters. She died in 1784 and Knatchbull married secondly Frances Graham, daughter of John Graham on 2 June 1785. They had nine children, five sons and four daughters. After her death in 1799, Knatchbull married finally Mary Hawkins, daughter of Thomas Hawkins at St George's, Hanover Square on 13 April 1801. By his third wife he had seven children.
Knatchbull died aged 61, after a short illness, at his son's house at Provender, Kent and was buried in Mersham. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his oldest son Edward. A younger son was probably John Knatchbull, a naval captain and convict found guilty of murder in 1844; who was one of the earliest to raise in a British court the plea of moral insanity.