Sir John Wrottesley, 8th Baronet

His maternal grandfather was head of the most powerful Whig political dynasty in Staffordshire, based at Trentham Hall: the Leveson-Gowers controlled a number of seats in the unreformed House of Commons.

Wrottesley's political associations were strengthened when his uncle, Gower, joined the Cabinet as Lord President of the Council in 1767, and again two years later when his sister married the Prime Minister, the Duke of Grafton.

The borough was regarded as belonging to the Gower Leveson family, who owned much of the property and allowed the tenants to get into serious arrears,[2] as well as providing lavish hospitality during elections.

The challenge was unsuccessful and Wrottesley was returned unopposed, alongside Alexander Forrester, a major member of the Bedfordite faction of conservative Whigs, placed in the seat at the request of the Duke John Russell himself.

Only a month after the election, a vacancy occurred in Staffordshire, when one member, George Harry Grey, succeeded his father as Earl of Stamford.

[4] Wrottesley resigned as Member a couple of months later and was assigned to the vacancy by Gower, becoming MP for Staffordshire on 5 July 1768.

The Chathamites favoured an aggressive, anti-French colonial policy, and Wrottesley had made his military career in pursuit of their objectives.

With a speech in December he elaborated his opinion, saying that the British forces were distributed too widely and the lines of communication too stretched for any offensive action.

On 15 March Wrottesley also voted for the motion of no confidence in North's administration made by Sir John Rous, which finally ended the government.

However, the unexpected death of Rockingham in July left Lord Shelburne trying to hold together an unsteady coalition to bring the war to an end.

Wrottesley voted for Shelburne's preliminary efforts for peace on 18 February 1783 – part of a rallying of independent members that allowed negotiations to proceed.