Cecil Forester (MP)

Lt-Col. Cecil Forester was a British soldier and Member of Parliament.

Early life

Forester was born in as the second son of William Forester of Dothill in Wellington, Shropshire and Catherine Brooke, daughter and heiress of William Brooke of Clerkenwell. His elder brother was Brooke Forester, also a longtime MP for Wenlock who married Elizabeth Weld. Through his brother, he was uncle to George Forester. His sister, Mary Forester, was the wife of Sir Brian Broughton-Delves, 4th Baronet and Humphrey Mackworth Praed, MP for St Ives.
His paternal grandparents were Sir William Forester and Lady Mary Cecil. His aunt, Mary Forester, married Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet.
He was educated at Westminster School.

Career

Forester purchased a Cornet in the 4th Dragoons, British Army in 1739. He was made Major of the 46th Foot in 1748, Lieutenant Colonel in 1752. He was a Lieutenant Colonel in the 11th Foot in 1755 before selling out in 1760 after failing to secure appointment as aide-de-camp to the King.

Political career

Like his father and grandfather before him, he was returned as Member of Parliament for Wenlock between 1761 and 1768, serving alongside his elder brother Brooke. Other than a vote against the peace preliminaries in December 1762, "not a single vote, and not a single speech, by him is recorded during his seven years in Parliament."

Personal life

Forester married Anne Townshend, daughter and coheiress of Robert Townshend of Christleton, Cheshire. Together, they lived at Rossall, Shrewsbury, and were the parents of five sons and two daughters, including:

Cecil Forester, later Weld-Forester who was created Baron Forester, also an MP for Wenlock who married Lady Katherine Mary Manners, daughter of Charles Manners, 4th Duke of Rutland, and Lady Mary Isabella Somerset, in 1800.
George Towshend Forester, later Townshend-Forester, the Recorder of Wenlock who married Ann Jones, daughter of J. Jones.
Rev. Townshend Forester, the Prebendary of Worcester who married Anna Maria Byne, daughter of Maj. Byne, in 1786.
Maj. Francis Forester, also an MP for Wenlock who married Lady Louisa Vane, a daughter of William Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland and Lady Catherine Powlett, in 1813.

Forester died on 22 August 1774. His widow died on 24 May 1825.

Descendants

Through his eldest son Cecil, he was a grandfather of John Weld-Forester, 2nd Baron Forester, Anne Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield, Hon. Elizabeth Weld-Forester, Hon. Isabella Weld-Forester, George Weld-Forester, 3rd Baron Forester, Hon. Henrietta Weld-Forester, Hon. Charles Weld-Forester, Rev. Orlando Weld-Forester, 4th Baron Forester, and Hon. Selina Weld-Forester.