Alexander Luttrell (1705–1737)

Alexander Luttrell (10 May 1705 – 4 June 1737) of Dunster Castle, Somerset, was an English land-owner who served as Member of Parliament for his family's pocket borough of Minehead from 1727 until his death. He was the last in the male line of the Luttrell family, which had owned Dunster Castle since 1376.

Alexander Luttrell was born on 10 May 1705, the eldest son of Colonel Alexander Luttrell, of Dunster Castle, by his wife Dorothy Yard, daughter of Edward Yarde of Churston Ferrers, Devon. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1722, where he was sent with his younger brother Francis.

In 1726 he married Margaret Trevelyan, daughter of Sir John Trevelyan, 2nd Baronet of Nettlecombe, Somerset, by whom he had a daughter and sole heiress Margaret Luttrell.

The Luttrell family's ownership of the manor and castle of Dunster gave them a "natural interest" over the seat of Minehead, thus a Pocket Borough, and he was returned as a Tory Member of Parliament for that borough shortly after coming of age. In the House of Commons he generally voted against the Government. He held the seat until his death on 4 June 1737. He was buried on 16 June 1737.

Following his death his estate was in a poor financial condition and was put into Chancery. His widow remarried in 1741 to Edward Dyke of Tetton, and cared for her young daughter as well as Luttrell's niece, Anne Luttrell (daughter of Alexander Luttrell's brother Francis), and Dyke's niece and heiress Elizabeth Dyke. Mrs Dyke died in 1764.Margaret Luttrell was Luttrell's heiress and, when she married Henry Fownes, he inherited her estates and adopted the surname and arms of Luttrell as required by his father-in-law's will. Fownes served as Member of Parliament for the Luttrell family's pocket borough of Minehead.

...
Wikipedia