Welbore Ellis, 1st Baron Mendip

Welbore Ellis, 1st Baron Mendip (15 December 1713 – 2 February 1802) was a British statesman of the 18th century.

In 1741, he was elected MP for Cricklade, then moved to Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (1747-1754), Aylesbury (1761-1768), Petersfield (1768-1774), Weymouth and Melcombe Regis (1774-1790) and Petersfield (1791-1794). In 1762, he succeeded Charles Townshend as Secretary at War, and in 1763, he proposed the appropriation of twenty army regiments to the colonies of America. In Parliament, with many others, he opposed the reception of papers from the American Congress. He became Treasurer of the Navy on 1777, then succeeded to the Colonial Secretaryship in 1782, which he held for a matter of months, before the American colonies were lost. In 1784, he became the longest-serving member of the House of Commons (having served for 34 years noncontinuously), becoming the honourary Father of the House. He was created Baron Mendip in 1794 in recognition of his governmental service.

Source

• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Page