Researching Henry Compton

Compton was born in 1872, the son of Henry Compton and Harriet Granville, of Minstead Manor House, Hampshire. He served as a Magistrate and as an officer in the 4th Volunteer Battalion Hampshire Regiment. His grandfather and uncle had also been Members of Parliament, the latter sitting for the New Forest Constituency between 1885 and 1892.

Compton was selected as Conservative candidate in succession to the sitting MP John Douglas-Scott-Montagu, who had succeeded to the Peerage as Baron Montagu of Beaulieu. There had not been a contested election in the seat since 1892, but the Liberals fielded Sir Robert Hobart.

After a closely fought contest, Compton was elected on 6 December 1905 with a majority of 199 votes. However, the Conservative government had collapsed the previous day, and the new Prime Minister Campbell-Bannerman would soon call a general election. As Parliament was not sitting at the time, Compton was unable to take his seat.

The following month, Henry Compton was defeated by Sir Robert Hobart by just 48 votes, thus becoming, after 46 days, the shortest-serving Member of Parliament whose tenure was not ended by death, and one of only a handful never to take their seats.

Compton later served as Official Verderer of the New Forest. He died at Lyndhurst, Hampshire in 1943, aged 71.

Compton began his career in Shakespeare plays in the British provinces. He then began to specialize in low comedy roles in touring companies, where he played for over a decade. He first appeared in London in 1837 and joined the company at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane later that year, again playing in Shakespeare. Other notable roles that followed included Tony Lumpkin in She Stoops to Conquer, Gnatbrain in Black-Eyed Susan, Sir Peter Teazle in The School for Scandal and Foresight in Love for Love. By the early 1840s, Compton had earned the reputation of being the best Shakespearian clown of his age both in London and in the provinces. He performed for three years at the Princess's Theatre, London, famously playing Touchstone in As You Like It in 1844. He also played at the Olympic Theatre for three years, then the Royal Strand Theatre. In 1853 he joined the company at the Haymarket Theatre, where he originated roles in important new plays. He also won praise as Mr. Cox in revivals of Box and Cox.

In the 1870s, he played frequently at the old Globe Theatre. One of his most famous roles was the Gravedigger in Hamlet, which he played often, including at the Lyceum Theatre with Henry Irving in 1875. Compton's last role was in 1877 in Liverpool as Pangloss in The Heir at Law. After he became ill, his friends organised two star-studded benefit performances for him in March 1877.

Compton was the son of Henry Compton, 1st Baron Compton of Compton Wynyates, Warwickshire, and his second wife Anne Spencer, daughter of Sir John Spencer of Althorp, Northamptonshire. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford, on 8 June 1599. In 1601, he was elected Member of Parliament for East Grinstead. He was of Lincoln's Inn in 1602, and was knighted to the Order of the Bath in 1603. He was an associate of the bench in 1604. He

Compton was re-elected MP for East Grinstead in 1604, 1614 and 1621. He was a ranger of Ashdown Forest and a J.P. for Sussx. By 1624 he was Deputy Lieutenant. He was re-elected MP for East Grinstead in 1625, 1626 and 1628, sitting until 1629, when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was custos brevium, court of common pleas in about 1630.

In April 1640 Compton was re-elected MP for East Grinstead in the Short Parliament. He was subject to a fine in the aftermath of the English Civil War. Compton lived at Brambletye, Sussex. He died in or before July 1649, because on that date the committee for compounding ordered that the balance of his fine should be paid by the heirs to his estate.

Compton married firstly Cecily Sackville, daughter of Robert Sackville, 2nd Earl of Dorset; Cecily was his stepsister as a result of his mother's remarriage to the earl. They had three sons and three daughters. He married secondly Mary Browne, daughter of Sir George Browne of Battle, Sussex, and had four sons and two daughters.