Charles Wolfran Cornwall

For the early 18th-century Admiral, see Charles Cornewall.

The Right Honourable Charles Wolfran Cornwall
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Portrait by Thomas Gainsborough
Speaker of the British House of Commons
In office 1780–1789
Monarch	George III
Preceded by	Fletcher Norton
Succeeded by	William Grenville

Charles Wolfran Cornwall (15 June 1735 – 2 January 1789) was a British politician who became Speaker of the House of Commons.

Origins and early life

Charles Wolfran Cornwall was born on 15 June 1735, the only son of Jacobs Cornwall and Elizabeth Forder, and baptised at St Thomas's church in Winchester ten days later. His parents were third cousins, both being great-great-grandchildren of Humphrey Cornewall, and he was given the names of two other family members: his paternal grandfather Admiral Charles Cornewall and his maternal great-grandfather Captain Wolfran Cornewall. Jacobs Cornwall died the following year, on 8 August 1736.

Despite the naval associations of his namesakes, young Charles Wolfran was raised for a career in the law. He began his education at Winchester in 1748, going on to New College, Oxford. He started his legal training at Lincoln's Inn in 1755 before being called to the bar at Gray's Inn two years later.

Career

In 1768, he was returned as MP for Grampound. He was created a Privy Councillor in 1780.

As Speaker of the British House of Commons, Cornwall achieved notoriety for keeping a large (and replenished) stock of porter beneath the Speaker's Chair, with which he would, frequently and without shame, succour himself when (as happened very often) the debates grew too boring for him. His portrait by Gainsborough shown here is one of the artist's few political portraits and is now in the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia. It originally hung in the family seat, Moccas Court, Herefordshire, a lovely and once secluded 18th-century house redesigned by Anthony Keck in the 1770s including work by Adam. It overlooks the River Wye. It is now a luxury hotel, reception venue and conference centre.

He is buried in Holy Cross Church, Winchester with a monument by John Francis Moore.

References

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Merrick Burrell Simon Fanshaw	Member for Grampound 1768–1774 With: Grey Cooper	Succeeded by Sir Joseph Yorke Richard Neville
Preceded by Arnold Nesbitt William Nedham	Member for Winchelsea 1774–1784 With: Arnold Nesbitt 1774–75 William Nedham 1775–80 John Nesbitt 1780–84	Succeeded by John Nesbitt William Nedham
Preceded by William Dickinson Thomas Onslow	Member for Rye 1784–1789 With: William Dickinson	Succeeded by William Dickinson Charles Long
Political offices
Preceded by Fletcher Norton	Speaker of the House of Commons 1780–1789	Succeeded by William Grenville
Legal offices
Preceded by Thomas, 2nd Lord Lyttelton	Justice in Eyre north of the Trent 1780–1789	Succeeded by The Viscount Falmouth