Family and Education
m. Dec. 1699, Philadelphia Saunders, illegit. da. of Philip Sydney†, 3rd Earl of Leicester, 1s.1
Offices Held
Ensign 3 Ft. 1684, lt. 1687, adj. 1688, capt. 1688; capt. and lt.-col. 1 Ft. Gds. 1692–5; lt.-col. 7 Ft. 1695–6; maj. and col. 1 Ft. Gds. 1696–d.; brig.-gen. 1704, maj.-gen. 1706; gov. Gibraltar 1705–?6.2
Biography
An army officer, Shrimpton spent most of his career on active service abroad. In 1693 he captured a high- ranking French officer at the battle of Landen and was allowed to receive his ransom. In 1699 he married the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Leicester, who brought him a moiety of the manor of Stoke Dry, which had been mortgaged to the Earl in 1664. Two attempts by the original owners to regain possession of the manor in 1705 and 1710 in order to sell it and pay off the mortgage, failed. Returned unopposed for Whitchurch in December 1701, he was classed as a Whig by Robert Harley*.
Shrimpton was successful in a contested election at Whitchurch in 1702. However, he was an inactive Member, and was absent from the vote on the Tack on 28 November.
In 1704, having in July of that year been put in command of the reinforcements sent to Gibraltar. He was at Lisbon by 14 November and arrived at Gibraltar on 7 December. He served with distinction throughout the siege of 1704–5 under the Prince of Hesse, who made him governor of the town. In May 1706 he was granted £500 as royal bounty for his valuable services at Gibraltar.3
Classed as a placeman in 1705, Shrimpton was again successful in a contested election at Whitchurch in the election that year, when he was listed as ‘Low Church’ in an analysis of the new Parliament. It would seem likely that he had not been present at the election due to his service abroad, as he was also absent on 25 October when the House divided over the choice of the Speaker.
In 1707 he took part in the battle of Almanza, and was taken prisoner after surrendering the day after the battle, a decision much criticized by some of his officers.
Returning to London on parole, he died shortly afterwards on 24 December 1707. In his will he left an annuity of £80 to his mother, Dorothy, and the residue of his estate to his wife and son.4
Ref Volumes: 1690-1715
Author: Paula Watson
Notes
1.PCC 22 Barrett, 78 Lort; HMC Lords, n.s. ix. 12, 13; 7th Duke of Manchester, Court and Soc. Eliz. to Anne, ii. 57.
2.CSP Dom. 1683–4, p. 330; 1687–9, pp. 78, 338, 375; 1694–5, p. 412; 1696, p. 455; 1697, p. 2; Cal. Treas. Bks. xx. 739; Cal. Treas. Pprs. 1702–7, pp. 376–7; 1708–14, p. 293.
3.Cal. Treas. Bks. x. 607; xx. 72, 216, 629; Luttrell, Brief Relation, v. 60, 233, 444, 447, 504; HMC Lords, n.s. vi. 346–8; ix. 12; S. M. Leake, Sir John Leake (Navy Recs. Soc. lii), i. 230, 246, 301; G. M. Trevelyan, Eng. under Q. Anne, ii. 35, 41–42, 44–45; Add. 9115, ff. 14–16; HMC 5th Rep. 364.
4.Bull. IHR, xxxvii. 23; Luttrell, vi. 169, 249; Trevelyan, 348; Boyer, Anne Annals, vi. 383, app. 24; PCC 22 Barrett.
