Cholmley Turner

Chomley Turner (1685–1757) of Kirkleatham, Yorkshire was a British landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1715 and 1747.

His great uncle Sir William Turner died in 1693 and bequeathed him a substantial amount of money to establish a Free School, which was built in 1709.

He was re-elected after a tough contest at the 1734 general election and voted with the Government on the navy estimates in February 1735, when he may have been influenced by the petition which was raised against his return.

He refused again to stand in 1741 but when a by-election was called he was adopted unanimously at another general Whig meeting and submitted to ‘the command of the gentlemen’.

He was returned after a contest on 21 January 1742, and was elected to the secret committee of inquiry into Walpole's Administration, but never attended its meetings.

After his retirement Turner received a secret service pension of £500 a year from Pelham, but this was not renewed when Newcastle succeeded to the Treasury.