Sir Robert Davers, 2nd Baronet (c. 1653 – 1 October 1722), of Rougham and Rushbrooke Hall, was an English Tory politician, landowner and slavetrader.
Early life in Barbados
Davers was the only surviving son of Sir Robert Davers, 1st Baronet and Eleanor Luke. His father was a Royalist who had made his fortune exploiting enslaved Africans on his plantation in Barbados. He owned 300 acres worked by 200 "negroes". Davers was born in Barbados before coming to England between 1680 and 1682. He then returned to Barbados and took his seat in the Council there on 13 June 1682. On 30 November 1683 he was one of the Barons of the Court of Exchequer and of Pleas of Barbados. He inherited his father's baronetcy in 1684 and was chosen to serve as High Sheriff of Suffolk for 1685, but did not take up the role. Despite later moving to England, he would continue to be involved in – and a proponent of – the Atlantic slave trade into Barbados for the rest of his life.
Political career
He moved back permanently to England in 1687. In 1688, his wife's uncle, Lord Dover selected Davers as the court candidate for Bury St Edmunds. Davers, however, rejected the offer to stand for election at this stage and it soon became apparent to the supporters of James II of England that he would oppose repeal of the Test Acts if elected.
In 1689, Davers defeated John Hervey to be elected as the Member of Parliament for Bury St Edmunds on the Tory interest. In the following Convention Parliament, Davers voted with the Jacobite efforts to declare that throne was not vacant following the flight of James II to France. At parliament he was appointed to 35 committees. His only recorded speech was in opposition to increasing supplies for the English effort in the Nine Years' War. After 1690, he became a friend and political ally of Robert Harley and subsequently usually voted with the Tories. Between 1691 and 1714 he was a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber to William III and Anne, Queen of Great Britain. Despite being a signatory of the Association of 1696, he was a member of the Tory October Club.
In 1700 he was appointed a justice of the peace for Suffolk. He represented Bury for a second term from 1703 to 1705, after which he was elected MP for Suffolk, holding that seat until his death in 1722. In 1721, his name was included on a list of leading politicians and likely Jacobite sympathisers sent to James Francis Edward Stuart.
Personal life
Davers married Hon. Mary Jermyn, daughter and co-heiress of Thomas Jermyn, 2nd Baron Jermyn, on 2 February 1682. They had five sons and five daughters. By this marriage he acquired in 1703 one-fifth of the Rushbrooke Hall estate, of which he purchased the other parts from his sister-in-law, Hon. Merolina Jermyn, the wife of Sir Thomas Spring, 3rd Baronet. He sold the estate of Rougham between 1705 and 1710 to his son in law, Clement Corrance and made Rushbrooke the family's principle seat. Lady Davers died ten days after her husband in 1722. Davers was succeeded as baronet by his son, Robert.
References
1653 births
1722 deaths
Barbadian planters
Baronets in the Baronetage of England
British slave owners
British slave traders
English justices of the peace
English MPs 1689–1690
English MPs 1690–1695
English MPs 1695–1698
English MPs 1698–1700
English MPs 1702–1705
English MPs 1705–1707
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
British MPs 1707–1708
British MPs 1708–1710
British MPs 1710–1713
British MPs 1713–1715
British MPs 1715–1722
Gentlemen of the Privy Chamber
Politicians from Bury St Edmunds
Tory MPs (pre-1834) Tory members of the Parliament of Great Britain