Pierce à Court

Pierce à Court
Pierce à Court
Member of Parliament for Heytesbury
	In office; 1722–1725 Serving with Edward Ashe
Preceded by	Edward Ashe; William Ashe
Succeeded by	Edward Ashe; William Ashe
	In office; 1713–1715 Serving with Edward Ashe
Preceded by	Edward Ashe; William Ashe
Succeeded by	Edward Ashe; Lord Charles Cavendish
Personal details
Born	c. 1677; Ivy Church, Wiltshire
Died	20 March 1725 (aged 47–48); Rodden, Somerset
Spouse	Elizabeth Ashe; (m. 1705; died 1725)
Relations	Robert Pierce (grandfather)
Children	Pierce Ashe-à Court; William Ashe-à Court
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Pierce à Court (c. 1677 – 20 March 1725) was a British Whig politician who served as a Member of Parliament.

Early life

Á Court was born at Ivy Church, Wiltshire in c. 1677.^[1] He was the only son of John à Court (c. 1646–1701) of Bath and Rodden, Somerset, and the former Mary Pierce, a daughter of Dr. Robert Pierce of Bath.

His paternal grandparents were John à Court of Frome, Somerset and Lydia (née Brewer) à Court (a daughter of William Brewer).^[2]

He graduated from Lincoln College, Oxford on 29 March 1694, aged 16.^[1]

Career

He succeeded to his father's estate in 1701.^[1]

Á Court was brought in as a Whig Member of Parliament by his brother-in-law, Edward Ashe, for the family borough, Heytesbury; serving from 1713 to 1715 and, again, from 1722 until his death in 1725. His seat was taken by Lord Charles Cavendish, a younger son of the 2nd Duke of Devonshire. His elder son, Pierce, took the seat in 1734.^[1]

Personal life

In 1705 à Court was married to Elizabeth Ashe (1682–1768) of Ivy Church, Wiltshire, a daughter of William Ashe, MP of Heytesbury,^[3] and sister of Edward Ashe, also MP for Heytesbury.^[4] Elizabeth was the eventual heir to the Heytesbury Estate (including Heytesbury House), which had been bought by her grandfather, Edward Ashe, in 1641. Together, they were the parents of five sons and one daughter, including:^[5]

Pierce Ashe-à Court (c. 1707–1768), who married Janet Brown, daughter of Col. Robert Brown and sister of Robiniana Mordaunt, Countess of Peterborough.^[6]
William Ashe-à Court (c. 1708–1781),^[7] who married Annabella Vernon, daughter of Thomas Vernon, MP for Whitchurch (a son of Sir Thomas Vernon), in 1746.^[8]
Alexander à Court (b. 1710), a Captain in the British Navy who died unmarried.^[2]
Edward à Court (1711–1745), a Captain in the British Army who died, unmarried, in Ireland.^[5]
Elizabeth à Court (1717–1723), who died young.^[5]
John à Court (1707–1707), who died in infancy.^[9]

He died at Rodden, Somerset on 20 March 1725. He was succeeded in his estates by his eldest son, Pierce.^[5]

Descendants

Through his son William, he was a grandfather of Sir William à Court, 1st Baronet, who succeeded his father as MP for Heytesbury and was created a baronet in 1795. His great-grandson, William à Court, was raised to the peerage as Baron Heytesbury in 1828.^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Lea, R. S. "A'COURT, Pierce (?1677-1725), of Ivy Church, Wilts". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
^ ^a ^b Miller (Publisher.), William (1804). The New Baronetage of England: Containing, as Well a Concise Genealogical History, as the Present State and Alliances of the English Baronets, and Baronets of Great Britain ... With Their Armorial Bearings, Correctly Engraved, Etc. [By William Miller.]. William Miller; Edmund Lloyd. p. 868. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
^ Ferris, John. P. "ASHE, William (1647-1713), of the Inner Temple and Heytesbury, Wilts". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
^ Lea, R. S. "ASHE, Edward (?1673-1748), of Heytesbury, Wilts". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, volume 2, page 1899.
^ Drummond, Mary M. "A'COURT ASHE, Pierce (?1707-68), of Ivy Church, Wilts". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
^ Lea, R. S. "A'COURT, William (c.1708-81), of Heytesbury, Wilts". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
^ Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
^ George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume V, page 304.
^ Debrett, John. Debrett's Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland. (1811). p. 384.

External links

Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages ^{[self-published source]} ^{[better source needed]}

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Edward Ashe William Ashe	Member of Parliament for Heytesbury 1713–1715 With: Edward Ashe	Succeeded by Edward Ashe William Ashe
Preceded by Edward Ashe William Ashe	Member of Parliament for Heytesbury 1722–1725 With: Edward Ashe	Succeeded by Edward Ashe Lord Charles Cavendish

[PAChop-1] Lea, R. S. "A'COURT, Pierce (?1677-1725), of Ivy Church, Wilts". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 31 July 2025.

[Miller1804-2] Miller (Publisher.), William (1804). The New Baronetage of England: Containing, as Well a Concise Genealogical History, as the Present State and Alliances of the English Baronets, and Baronets of Great Britain ... With Their Armorial Bearings, Correctly Engraved, Etc. [By William Miller.]. William Miller; Edmund Lloyd. p. 868. Retrieved 31 July 2025.

[WAhop-3] Ferris, John. P. "ASHE, William (1647-1713), of the Inner Temple and Heytesbury, Wilts". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 31 July 2025.

[EAhop-4] Lea, R. S. "ASHE, Edward (?1673-1748), of Heytesbury, Wilts". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 31 July 2025.

[Mosley2003-5] Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, volume 2, page 1899.

[AaCAhop-6] Drummond, Mary M. "A'COURT ASHE, Pierce (?1707-68), of Ivy Church, Wilts". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 31 July 2025.

[WAaCHoP-7] Lea, R. S. "A'COURT, William (c.1708-81), of Heytesbury, Wilts". www.historyofparliamentonline.org. History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 31 July 2025.

[Kidd1990-8] Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.

[Cokayne1983-9] George Edward Cokayne, editor, The Complete Baronetage, 5 volumes (no date (c. 1900); reprint, Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publishing, 1983), volume V, page 304.

[10] Debrett, John. Debrett's Peerage of England, Scotland, and Ireland. (1811). p. 384.

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Pierce à Court

Member of Parliament for Heytesbury
In office 1722–1725 Serving with Edward Ashe
Preceded by	Edward Ashe William Ashe
Succeeded by	Edward Ashe William Ashe
In office 1713–1715 Serving with Edward Ashe
Preceded by	Edward Ashe William Ashe
Succeeded by	Edward Ashe Lord Charles Cavendish

Personal details
Born	c. 1677 Ivy Church, Wiltshire
Died	20 March 1725(1725-03-20) (aged 47–48) Rodden, Somerset
Spouse	Elizabeth Ashe (m. 1705; died 1725)
Relations	Robert Pierce (grandfather)
Children	Pierce Ashe-à Court William Ashe-à Court