Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Newdegate, Charles Newdigate
NEWDEGATE, CHARLES NEWDIGATE (1816–1887), politician, born 14 July 1816, was only son of Charles Newdigate Newdegate of Harefield Place, Middlesex, who died 23 April 1833, by Maria, daughter of Ayscoghe Boucherett [see under Newdigate, Sir Roger]. He was educated at Eton from 1829 to 1834, and on 15 May in that year matriculated from Christ Church, Oxford, graduating B.A. 1849, M.A. 1859, and was created D.C.L. 9 June 1863. On 10 March 1843, at a by-election, he became member for North Warwickshire in the conservative interest; was returned at the head of the poll on eight succeeding elections, and sat till his retirement, through failing health, in 1885. The best part of his life was spent in parliamentary service. A conservative of the old school, he was very widely known by his pronounced enmity to the Roman church. He was a frequent speaker on the Church Rates Commutation Bill, 1857–61; on the Monastic and Conventual Institution Bill, 1873–4; and on the bill for the establishment of a Roman-catholic university in Ireland, 1867–8. In 1880 he assumed a strongly hostile attitude to the entry to parliament of Charles Bradlaugh, who had declined to take the customary oath on admission. On 6 Feb. 1886 he was sworn of the privy council, and was subsequently presented by his Warwickshire constituents with an illuminated address and 547l. in recognition of his long services. He was a kind and considerate landlord, a fine horseman, and an intense lover of the chase. While hunting with the Atherstone hounds in 1882 he was seized with a fit and fell off his horse, but, on recovering, he again mounted and followed the hounds. He died at Arbury Hall, Warwickshire, 9 April 1887, and was buried in Harefield Church on 15 April. He published between 1849 and 1851 many letters on ‘The Balance of Trade ascertained from the Market Value of all Articles imported,’ four addressed to Henry Labouchere [q. v.], and one to J. W. Henley [q. v.] He was also author of ‘A Collection of the Customs Tariffs of all Nations, based upon a translation of the work of M. Hübner, brought down to 1854,’ 1855.
[Times, 11 April 1887, p. 7, 15 April, p. 9, 18 April, p. 8, 13 June, p. 8; Guardian, 13 April 1887, p. 564; Baily's Mag. 1887, xlvii. 347.]