72 Recollections of the Vine Htmt, 



uncle of the present Earl of Carnarvon, and Mr. 

 Thistlethwaite of Southwick Park, after a very sharp 

 contest, which is the first political event that I can 

 recollect. As soon as the Duke of Portland became 

 minister, shortly after the death of Fox, the two 

 Tory candidates were returned without difficulty. In 

 1 808, Sir Henry Mildmay died, and his place, as 

 county member, was occupied by Mr. (afterwards Sir 

 Thomas) Heathcote. He and Mr. Chute retained 

 their seats without any serious opposition tilfthe year 

 1820, when both, though still unopposed, voluntarily 

 resigned, and were succeeded by Mr, Fleming of 

 Stoneham Park, a Tory, and Mr. Jervoise of Herriard 

 House, a Whig. 



In 1793, Mr. Chute married Elizabeth, daughter of 

 Joshua Smith, Esq., of Earle Stoke, Wilts, and mem- 

 ber for Devizes ; a woman of rare excellence, whose 

 memory I cherish with so much respect and gratitude 

 that I am unwilling to connect it more than is neces- 

 sary with the subjects of these light memoirs. Of 

 her I will only record that, while her secret good deeds 

 were countless, the only one displayed to the world 

 was the spire which she added to the parish church of 

 Sherborne St. John. Mr. Chute's health and strength 

 seemed to remain unimpaired to the end of the 

 hunting season in the spring of 1824 ; but very soon 

 afterwards appeared the first symptoms of the malady 

 which terminated his life, at the house of a near re- 

 lation in Portland Place, London, on December 13, 

 1824, in the 68th year of his age. 



Mr. Chute's pursuits were very far from literary ; 

 but he showed natural good taste, both in music and 

 in his appreciation of the merits of any book that he 



