Arthur Atherley

Arthur Atherley (12 June 1772 – 1 October 1844)[1] was an English Member of Parliament, serving the Southampton constituency three times, as Whig (a Liberal Party predecessor) and Reformer.

[2] He was educated at Eton College where, in 1791, he had his portrait painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence (it now hangs in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art).

[3] At Eton, he was captain of the Ad Montem club, an institution with roots in medieval times that survived until 1847.

One of the club's traditions was to take part in a procession to Salt Hill during which boys in fancy costume, the salt bearers, participated in the maintenance of their "captain" at university by levying contributions from passers-by.

He died at Tower House, Brighton in 1844, but was buried in All Saints' Church, Southampton.