 He married secondly a daughter  of General Sir John Cope, K.B. on 1 March 1775.
(meta data) TITLE: LEITH, Alexander (1741-80), of Burgh St. Peter, Norf. | History of Parliament Online # History of Parliament Online Home Research > Members > 1754-1790 > LEITH, Alexander (1741-80) ## Go To Section 1386-1421 1422-1504 1509-1558 1558-1603 1604-1629 1640-1660 1660-1690 1690-1715 1715-1754 1754-1790 1790-1820 1820-1832 ## INDEX # LEITH, Alexander (1741-80), of Burgh St. Peter, Norf. Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964Available from Boydell and Brewer ## Biography Detail Family & Education Offices Held End Notes ## Related Resources 1754-1790 Members 1754-1790 Constituencies 1754-1790 Parliaments 1754-1790 Surveys ### Constituency ### Dates TREGONY1774 - 1780 ### Family and Education b. 1741, s. of Alexander Leith (commander of the artillery at the siege of Havana, and killed there 1762) by Anne, wid. of John Milet of co. Antrim m. (1) Margaret, da. of Thomas Hay, Lord Huntington, S.C.J., and wid. of one Wren, s.p.; (2) 1 Mar. 1775, a da. of Gen. Sir John Cope, K.B., 2s. cr. Bt. 21 Nov. 1775. ### Offices Held Lt. and fireworker R.A. 1759; 1st lt. 1764; entered service of E.I. Co. 1768; lt.-col. 88 Ft. 1779 'without permanent rank or half pay'.1 ### Biography In 1774 Tregony was at the disposal of the Treasury, and as late as 6 Oct., four days before the election, North named to Robinson three possible candidates for the second seat, though not Leith; but because of 'the shortness of time' he left Robinson to settle matters, assuring him that he would be satisfied with his decision.2 The Public Ledger wrote in 1779 that Leith had voted 'with Lord North, from whom he got his baronetage; but last year he wheeled about to the minority. He is a man of which both sides are very shy.' Two speeches of his are reported in 1778, sharply attacking the Government: the first, 27 Jan., on Burgoyne's expedition, followed by his voting with the Opposition;3 the second, thus reported by Walpole:4 Sir Alexander Leith ... who had gone into virulent Opposition on being refused to be sent to Madras, and had a very bad character, abused Lord George Germain in the grossest terms, and told him he was not fit to serve the King. In 1779, as lieutenant-colonel of the 88th Foot, he was sent out to the West Indies, and consequently was absent from the divisions of February-May 1780. Robinson wrote against Tregony in his survey for the general election of 1780: 'Sir Alexander Leith will certainly not come in for this place.' Leith died in Jamaica, 3 Oct. 1780, while commanding an expedition against Nicaragua. ### Ref Volumes: 1754-1790 ### Author: Sir Lewis Namier ### Notes 1. Ms note in Army List, WO Lib. 2. Laprade, 24-25. 3. Almon, vii. 320; Walpole, Last Jnls. ii. 94. 4. Last Jnls. ii. 106. ## Go To Section 1386-1421 1422-1504 1509-1558 1558-1603 1604-1629 1640-1660 1660-1690 1690-1715 1715-1754 1754-1790 1790-1820 1820-1832 ## INDEX
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Sir Alexander Leith, 1st Baronet (created 1775)
Abstract.
Sir Alexander Charles George Leith, 1st Baronet  (1741–1780) was a British soldier and  politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1774 and 1780. 
 Leith was the son of Alexander Leith and his wife Anne who was the widow of John Milet of County Antrim. His father was killed at the siege of Havana in 1762. Leith joined the Royal Artillery and was lieutenant and fireworker in 1759. In 1764 he became 1st Lieutenant. He joined the service of the East India Company in 1768. He married firstly Margaret Wren, a widow and daughter of Thomas Hay of  Huntington.