Sir Henry Hobart, 4th Baronet

Sir Henry Hobart, 4th Baronet (died 21 August 1698)^[1] was an English Whig politician and baronet.

Background

He was the oldest son of Sir John Hobart, 3rd Baronet and his first wife Mary Hampden, daughter of John Hampden.^[2] Hobart was knighted in Blickling by King Charles II of England in 1671 and succeeded his father as baronet in 1683.^[3] He was educated at St John's College, Cambridge.^[4]

Career

Hobart entered the English House of Commons for King's Lynn in 1681, sitting for it until 1685.^[5] He represented Thetford from January to February 1689^[6] and subsequently Norfolk until 1690.^[7] Hobart was Gentleman of the Horse to King William III of England and fought under him in the Battle of the Boyne^[8] and a year later, he was appointed Vice-Admiral of Norfolk.^[9] In 1694, he was elected for Bere Alston, a seat he held until the following year,^[10] when he was returned again for Norfolk until his death in 1698.^[7]

Family

On 9 July 1684, he married Elizabeth Maynard, eldest daughter of Sir Joseph Maynard, and had by her a son and three daughters.^[2]

The Duel Stone

Hobart was killed in a duel with Oliver Le Neve in Cawston Heath 20 August 1698 and was buried at Thetford.^[8] This was the last duel in Norfolk. His opponent was found guilty of manslaughter. Le Neve fled to Holland, but was later pardoned.^[8] Hobart was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son John, later raised to the peerage as Earl of Buckinghamshire.^[11] Oliver Le Neve was a lawyer from Great Witchingham was known as a great sportsman and a great drinker. He fought left-handed and was soon wounded in the arm by Sir Henry who had a reputation as a swordsman. However, Le Neve then struck back and injured his opponent so badly that he died next day at Blickling. As there appear to have been no seconds or witnesses, the duel was illegal. Le Neve fled to Holland but returned to England two years later, having received a pardon. It is said locally that details of the duel came from a girl who was hiding in the bushes, and tales are still told of this unfortunate event which is commemorated by the Duel Stone which stands in a small National Trust plot near the Woodrow Garage, Norwich Road, Cawston.

His eldest daughter Henrietta was a mistress of King George II of Great Britain.^[12] The second daughter Catherine married George Churchill, son of Admiral George Churchill.^[8]

References

1. "Leigh Rayment - Baronetage". Retrieved 16 July 2009.
2. Burke, John (1832). A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. vol. I (4th ed.). London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley. pp. 173–174.
3. "ThePeerage - Sir Henry Hobart, 4th Bt". Retrieved 31 December 2006.
4. "Hobart, Henry, Sir, Knt (HBRT674H)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
5. "Leigh Rayment - British House of Commons, King's Lynn". Retrieved 16 July 2009.
6. "Leigh Rayment - British House of Commons, Thetford". Retrieved 16 July 2009.
7. "Leigh Rayment - British House of Commons, Norfolk". Retrieved 16 July 2009.
8. Collins, Arthur (1812). Sir Egerton Brydges, ed. Collin's Peerage of England. vol. IV. London: T. Bensley. pp. 367–369.
9. Marsden, R. G. (1908). The English Historical Review. vol. XXIII. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 743.
10. "Leigh Rayment - British House of Commons, Bere Alston". Retrieved 16 July 2009.
11. Debrett, John (1828). Debrett's Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. vol. I (17th ed.). London: G. Woodfall. p. 166.
12.  Lee, Sidney, ed. (1891). "Howard, Henrietta". Dictionary of National Biography 28. London: Smith, Elder & Co. p. 22.