Background
The son of John Hay, a Church of England clergyman who was Rector of Street Stephen"s, Coleman Street, London, he was educated at the Merchant Taylors" School and Street John"s College, Oxford.
The son of John Hay, a Church of England clergyman who was Rector of Street Stephen"s, Coleman Street, London, he was educated at the Merchant Taylors" School and Street John"s College, Oxford.
Street John"s College.
He was Chancellor of the Diocese of Worcester 1751-1764. King"s Advocate General from 1755-1764 (with interval in 1756) and Vicar General to the Archbishop of Canterbury for the same period. He was Dean of Arches 1764–1778 and also Judge of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Chancellor of the Diocese of Lichfield for the same period.
In 1773, the year he was knighted, he was appointed Judge of the High Court of Admiralty.
In 1754, he was returned as one of the two MPs for Stockbridge, but left the House of Commons in 1756 to take up the post of Commissioner of the Admiralty. He returned to Parliament in July 1757 for Calne in Wiltshire, at the request of Pitt the Elder.
At the 1761 election, he was returned as Member of Parliament for Sandwich in Kent, holding that seat until the next election, in 1768, when he stood unsuccessfully for Oxford University. Later that year, through a by-election, he became Member of Parliament for Newcastle-under-Lyme, holding the seat until his death.
In May 1778, he became ill and was known to be "lunatic" by August.
Arrangements to terminate his legal offices were being made, when in October he escaped from his asylum and drowned himself at the age of 63.
11th Parliament of Great Britain. 12th Parliament of Great Britain. 13th Parliament of Great Britain.
14th Parliament of Great Britain.