Henry Lee, and try him by court-martial for misconduct and neglect of duty. Lee, however, was sent home without being tried. Legge shortly afterwards died, on 19 September 1747. After the 1747 general election, a vacancy occurred in Portsmouth because one of the elected MPs was Thomas Gore who chose to sit for Bedford. Portsmouth was under the control of the Admiralty and the Duke thought of nominating Legge. Legge's brother George (Viscount Lewisham) had been an MP until his death from smallpox, and his brother Henry was sitting on the Bedford interest in Orford. Henry wrote back to the Duke on 4 August 1747 to say: With Edward duly returned unopposed as a supporter of the Pelham administration, the Legge family was distressed to learn four days later that he had died three months previously. Legge was not the only Member of Parliament returned posthumously, but he is the one returned the longest time after his death. Notes Attribution References History of Parliament 1710-1754, vol. 2, p. 206 1710 births 1747 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Younger sons of earls Fellows of the Royal Society British MPs 1747–1754 Politicians elected posthumously Royal Navy officers