He was educated by Mr. Graham at Hackney, and matriculated at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1751.
[2] Previously a Captain in the 3rd Foot Guards, he was appointed Colonel of the Worcestershire Militia when that regiment was re-established on 17 June 1770.
[3] Following the death in 1773 of Henry Crabb-Boulton, MP for Worcester, Thomas Bates Rous was elected to take his seat in a by-election.
However, Rous was unseated on petition for bribery,[4] and in the resulting by-election in February 1774, Lechmere was elected.
He did not contest the October 1774 general election,[1] at which Rous retook the seat.