Thomas Fownes Luttrell from Dunster Castle in Somerset was an English officer in the British Army and briefly a Tory politician.
Background
Fownes Luttrell was the fifth surviving son of Henry Fownes Luttrell I (formerly Henry Fownes, cā1722ā1780). His mother Margaret was the daughter of Alexander Luttrell (1705ā1737), who had bequeathed his estates to Margaret on condition that her husband take the surname Luttrell.
Education
Fownes Luttrell was educated at Blundell"s School in Devon from 1772 to 1775.
Career
In 1782 Fownes Luttrell married Catherine Browne, daughter of John Cave Browne of Stretton-en-le-Field in Leicestershire. They had no children. He then joined the British Army, becoming a lieutenant in the 89th Foot in 1783.
He transferred to the 49th Foot in 1783, and was promoted to captain in 1787.
He was lieutenant colonel of the Somerset Fencibles from 1795 to 1801. John had been returning himself to Parliament since 1774, and had continued his father"s habit of renting the second seat to a government supporter.
Thomas was returned unopposed at the by-election in March 1795, but was defeated at the general election, in May 1796. The London banker John Langston had purchased land in the borough on which he hasd built houses, and set out challenge the Luttrell interest.
After Langston"s defeat in 1802 a deal was reached whereby John Fownes Luttrell purchased all of Langston"s property in the borough, and Luttrel control was restore.
Thomas"s made no mark during his year in the House of Commons. After his defeat, John tried lobbied William Pitt to promote Thomas to a higher rank in the army. This was unsuccessful, and ill-health forced him to retire from full-time army service in 1801.
He then became a Commissioner of the Lottery.
Membership
17th Parliament of Great Britain]
Like many previous generations of Luttrells since the 16th century, he was a Member of Parliament (Member of Parliament) for Minehead, his family"s pocket borough near Dunster.