Charles Lutwidge 1722-1784

The entry, severely abridged below, in Burke's Landed Gentry, 1858 edition, has for the lineage of Charles-Robert-Fletcher Lutwidge (b.1835)

Thomas Lutwidge, Esq. of Whitehaven J.P., b. in 1670 ; an extensive merchant and ship-owner; served as high-sheriff of the co. Cumberland, 12 George I.,
He m. 1st, Hannah Rumbold, and had by her a son, Palmer, b. 19 Jan. 1700 or 1703, and d. 10 April, 1704.
He m. 2ndly, 6 Feb. 1721, Lucy, youngest dau. of Sir Charles Hoghton, Bart. of Hoghton Tower, co. Lancaster, (by Mary his wife, eldest dau. of J. Skeffington, Viscount Massereene,)
and by her (who d. 17 Sept. 1780) he had issue

I Charles b. 29 Jan 1722, J.P and D.L. of the co. of Cumberland, receiver and surveyor-general of the Isle of Man, and surveyor, and comptroller general of the coasts of Cumberland and Westmoreland, and the port of Lancaster &c; he possessed considerable landed property near Whitehaven and elsewhere, in the co. of Cumberland and purchased, in 1759, a summer residence Holmrook near Ravenglass, with the manor of Bolton which estate still remains in the family. He d. unm. in Oct. 1784.

II Henry, formerly of Cooper's Hill, Walton-le-dale, near Preston, b 17 June 1724; [was executor to Charles and inherited Holmrook]... He d.1 Aug 1798 having had issue

I Charles b. 15 June 1768 .. succeeded to Holmrook, and ultimately sold estate to his uncle Admiral Lutwidge. m 15 Jan 1798 Elizabeth-Anne dau of Rt Rev Charles Dodgson .. and had issue ...[was gfa to Charles-Robert-Fletcher Lutwidge]

III Thomas 1725-1746
IV John 1728-1749
V Samuel 1730-1781
VI Walter 1733 d. young

VII Skeffington b. 13 March 1737; admiral of the red, commanded the "Carcass" bombship, in Comm. Phipps's voyage of discovery to the North Pole, in 1773. This gallant seaman, the friend of Nelson, commanded the Terrible, 74, in Lord Hood's fleet, and was eventually appointed Commander-in-Chief at the Downs... d. Holmrook, 15 Aug 1814

I Margaret 1726-1801
II Cordelia 1732 d. infant
III Lucy 1735 d. infant

The trees posted on Ancestry also give the father of Charles as Thomas but born 1693.

His yougest brother Skeffington was noted as Captain of one of the Revenue Cutters operating from Whitehaven in period pre-Revestment, and actually provided the vessel that brought Charles to the island.

He was appointed surveyor, and comptroller general of the coasts of Cumberland and Westmoreland, and the port of Lancaster in April 1764 at a salary of £200 pa.

He was appointed by the Lords of the Treasury to implement the anti-smuggling laws that accompanied the Revestment - he had almost unchecked influence on Treasury during the several years post Revestment, Governor Smith described his impunity as a "Curse to the Isle of Man". There were several other critics - even an anonymous letter denouncing him as a smuggler (which had some plausible basis in fact).

An important merchant in early 18th Century was Walter Lutwidge, whose two surviving letter books provide a window into the Tobacco trade, which along with coal trade, brought significant prosperity to Whitehaven. The Tobacco trade was however mostly lost to Glasgow and Bristol from mid 18th century onwards though Walter, apparently a self made merchant boasted around 1740 that he was worth £30,000. Frances Wilkins recounts the strong case that a Thomas Lutwidge and his uncle Walter were heavily involved in defrauding the customs in the early 1720s. However so far the connection between Walter and Charles is uncertain.

References

Edward Hughes North Country Life in the Eighteenth Century Vol II Cumberland & Westmorland 1700-1830 Oxford Univerity Press 1965 Chap 2 covers Walter Lutwidge and the development of Whitehaven