Sir Charles Hotham, 4th Baronet

Sir Charles Hotham (c.1663–8 January 1723) was a British Army officer and Member of Parliament.^[1]

He was born the only son of Charles Hotham, Rector of Wigan and educated at Sedbergh School before entering St John’s College, Cambridge in 1681, where he was awarded BA in 1685, MA in 1688 and elected a fellow from 1685 to 1692. He succeeded his cousin Sir John Hotham, 3rd Baronet as 4th Baronet on 25 August 1691, on condition that he married Sir John's niece, Bridget Gee. Sir Charles and Bridget lived at Scorborough House, the Hotham family seat near Beverley, Yorkshire, which later burned down in 1705.

He entered the Army and became a Regimental Colonel in 1705 of a regiment later to become the 27th Foot, with which he went to Spain in 1706. Suffering losses from the defence of several towns, the regiment was disbanded in 1708.^[2]

Promoted to Brigadier-General he was made Colonel in 1715 of a regiment which would later be the 44th Foot. He was Colonel of a regiment of Dragoons from 1717 until they were disbanded in 1718. He was then appointed Colonel of the 36th (Herefordshire) Regiment of Foot in 1719, from which he transferred as Colonel to the 8th (The King's) Regiment in 1720. He lastly transferred to the Royal Dragoon Guards in 1721, serving until his death.

He was the Member of Parliament for Scarborough from 1695 to 1701 and for Beverley from 1702 to 1723.

He died in 1723 and was buried at South Dalton. He had married twice: firstly Bridget Gee, with whom he had 3 sons and 7 daughters and secondly Lady Mildred, the daughter of James Cecil, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, and the widow of Sir Uvedale Corbet, 3rd Baronet, of Longnor, Shropshire. He was succeeded by his son Charles.

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