George Pitt (died 1735)

George Pitt (c. 1663–1735), of Strathfield Saye, Hampshire, was an English landowner and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1694 and 1727.

He succeeded his father in 1694 and inherited landed wealth, estimated at between £10,000 and £12,000 a year, including Strathfieldsaye, the estates of Wareham Priory, with the advowsons of three of the town's churches, which gave a strong electoral influence there, and valuable collieries in north Durham, which his father had acquired in 1686.

[2] In 1692, Pitt was involved in a tavern quarrel, in which, "o’ercome with wine and loyalty", he killed one John Hoyle of the Inner Temple, a controversial figure described by one contemporary as "an atheist, a sodomite .

Pitt was slow in making his presence felt in the Commons, and avoided facing electoral contests, which may be as a consequence of this episode.

In 1702 he became Freeman of Portsmouth and became Tory MP for Hampshire at the 1702 English general election, when he was also returned at Wareham.

At the 1705 English general election he avoided a contest at Hampshire and was returned at Wareham, where he replaced a Whig, Sir Edward Ernle.

[2] Pitt became a Freeman of Southampton in 1710 and at the 1710 British general election, he felt confident to stand for Hampshire again, and was returned as Tory MP at the top of the poll, keeping his seat at Wareham as insurance.

In December 1710, he moved for the appropriation of the entire yield of the land tax to the support of the navy, but the idea was rejected by the Court interest combined with the Whigs.

Pitt was listed as one of the "worthy patriots" who exposed the mismanagements of the previous ministry, and was a member of the October Club.