Clockwise, from top left, The Duke of Wellington, Lord Palmerston, George Canning and Second Viscount Melbourne.
WIGHT LIVINGIT SEEMS to be a lesser-known fact which, like so many other things, has become lost in the mists of time.
The ongoing battle to keep the IW united as a single parliamentary constituency, and opposing Whitehall plans to divide it, has had people reaching for their history books to delve back through the Island’s rich political past.
And it has unearthed some long forgotten Island history, including an ancestor of the current prime minister, David Cameron, and a link between the Iron Duke, the hero of Waterloo, and the Island’s county town.
But probably the most fascinating fact, and one which appears to go completely unrecognised, is that no less than four Island MPs have gone on to become future prime ministers, more than anywhere else in the UK.
It includes one of the most famous military commanders in British history, described by Queen Victoria as 'the greatest man this century has ever produced’ — Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington.
But what may be less well-known about Sir Arthur is the fact he was at one time MP for Newport.
In the unreformed parliament of the early 19th century, it was easy to pop Sir Arthur into a safe Tory seat with which he had no personal connection.
His political life began in 1806 when he became MP for Rye in Sussex, followed by a seat in Cornwall and then Newport, a borough first represented in the parliament of 1295.
He held one of the borough’s two seats between 1807 and 1811 alongside Henry Temple, later Lord Palmerston, who would also go on to become one of country’s most notable prime ministers.
The other two were George Canning, who was appointed prime minister in 1827, and the Honourable William Lamb, later second Viscount Melbourne, who was MP for Newport for just two weeks before being elected for Bletchingley, which he preferred to represent.
But to look around Newport you would have no idea they were ever here — surely as much a folly as Palmerston’s forts?
With this in mind, Sarah Burdett, chairman of the IW Society, has suggested a new audio tour of the town, similar to that produced for Ryde, highlighting its political claim to fame.
And Cllr Peter Whiteman, chairman of Newport Parish Council, is also in favour of some kind of memorial, such as a plaque in the Minster Church of Sts Thomas.
He said: "It is a surprising fact which should be recognised."
The country is about to undergo the biggest shake-up in Parliamentary seats in modern times and the IW — the largest constituency in the UK — could be at the eye of the impending political storm. With an electorate of 110,000 voters, some could find themselves sharing an MP with the mainland, something which hasn’t happened since 1832.
I wonder what William Mount, Member of Parliament for Yarmouth from 1818 to 1819 and Newport from 1831 to 1832, would make of his great, great, great grandson — one David Cameron — and his government’s plans to carve up the Island?
The Island’s current MP, Andrew Turner, said his predecessors had made interesting contributions to the political life of our nation.
He said: "Many have been colourful characters with dramatic and often rather racy careers. I enjoy reading about the antics of my illustrious predecessors, but I think I am suited to a slightly calmer lifestyle!"