Sir Scrope Bernard Morland (1758-1830) was private secretary to Nugent Buckingham and a family friend. 

A son of Francis Bernard, Governor of New Jersey and Massachusetts (1758-60), Bernard struck up a friendship with William Wyndham Grenville at Oxford during the 1770s. William's brother, Nugent Buckingham, took Bernard to Ireland in 1782 as his permanent private secretary and in doing so securing him as long-term member of the Grenvillites. This was hugely beneficial to him financially, as was his marriage to Harriet, daughter of the wealthy London banker, William Morland in 1785. (Rather later in 1811, Scrope added Morland to his own surname.) Richard Temple, Nugent Buckingham's son and the first Duke, said that Bernard's "sole object has been... to fasten the Bernard family on the Country for the largest possible space of time." (Quoted in Sack, p43). After 1792, he was preoccupied with the financial affairs of the Buckinghams as a banker and political agent. His early prosperous career as a banker ended in failure when Duckett, Morland & Co. collapsed in March 1832. Higgins argues that Scrope's neglect of his business duties precipitated the near ruin of the Bernard-Morland family.

• Educated at Christ Church, Oxford, where joined Bucks Militia. 
• Tutor to son of Dr Buller of Alresford, Hants (1782).
• Private Secretary to Lord Temple (Nugent Buckingham) in Ireland (1782). 
• Appointed Examiner of the Hearth Money Collection in Ireland at £608 a year 1782- 83. 
• Became Lord of Nether Winchendon manor in 1784. 
• Married Harriet Morland, 26 July 1785.
• Secretary to a commission into the conduct of public services (1785-88)
• William Wyndham Grenville, then join paymaster,  procured Bernard the post of joint Agent & Solicitor of Invalids, a post he gave to his brother as it was incompatible with his parliamentary duties (1785)
• Appointed Usher of Black Rod in Ireland at £608 and Agent for Irish Half Pay at £600 a year, 1787-89.
• Elected MP for Aylesbury 1789 and 1796.
• William Wyndham Grenville, Home Secretary (1789-91), appointed Bernard Under Secretary. In 1792 Bernard received a pension of £554 a year (despite just 3 years service). This he gave to his wife to be settled on her father for his life and then revert of her; on early early death Scrope lost the pension.
• Partner in Ransom & Morland Bank. (Later Duckett & Morland, which failed after Scrope's death on 20 March 1832).
• Caught up in Bent's election bribery scandal at Aylesbury in 1802, 1818, 1821.
• Reentered Parliament in 1806 for St Mawes, Cornwall; a pocket borough belonging to the Marquess of Buckingham (Nugent Buckingham)
• In 1811, adopted additional surname of Morland. 
• Died 19 April, 1830, at his house at 50 Pall Mall, London.
• Buried in family vault at Great Kimble.

A member of Brooks's Club.

Sources

Higgins, Volumes II & IV. Sack.

Further Information

• Nether Winchendon House