Charles Henry Crompton-Roberts
| Charles Henry Crompton-Roberts | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Charles Henry Roberts 7 March 1832 Pedmore, Worcestershire, England |
| Died | 15 November 1891 (aged 59) Belgrave Square, London |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation |
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| Known for |
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Charles Henry Crompton-Roberts (born Charles Henry Roberts) (7 March 1832 – 15 November 1891) was a British landowner and politician. He was briefly a Member of Parliament before his election was annulled in 1880, and was a substantial contributor to the amenities and community of Monmouth in Wales.
Charles Henry Roberts was born in Pedmore, Worcestershire, the son of Charles Roberts and Marianne (née Noble). His father was a descendant of William Roberts, who had been responsible for rebuilding Drybridge House, Monmouth, as the family's home in the late 17th century. In 1861, Charles Henry Roberts married Mary Crompton, an only child and heiress from Breightmet, near Bolton, Lancashire. He sought and received royal assent to add the name of Crompton to his own surname, so enabling him to inherit her family's estates.
Crompton-Roberts acquired Drybridge House in 1867, and carried out its restoration and enlargement. While retaining the period features of the existing building, he added a new south wing and commissioned a number of stained glass windows. He also designed a fine parkland garden around the house, incorporating a cricket pitch upon which W. G. Grace later played. Another family friend was Edward Elgar, who married one of Charles' Worcestershire cousins, Alice Roberts. Crompton-Roberts purchased land at Trellech Grange from the Duke of Beaufort in 1875, and was appointed High Sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1877.
In 1880, he stood as the Conservative candidate in a by-election for the parliamentary constituency of Sandwich in Kent, where the previous Liberal Member of Parliament (MP), Edward Knatchbull-Hugessen, had been raised to the peerage. Crompton-Roberts stood against the Liberal candidate, Sir Julian Goldsmid, and won the election by 1145 votes to 705. Although Crompton-Roberts took his seat as an MP, the result was annulled after a few months, following a report by a Royal Commission set up to investigate the election. This revealed extravagantly corrupt practices by both sides in offering bribes for votes, which had been a feature of elections in Sandwich for many years. Crompton-Roberts forfeited his seat in Parliament in 1881, the seat was left vacant, and the constituency was abolished before the subsequent General Election.
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