John Mainwaring John Mainwaring John Mainwaring (1724–1807) was an English theologian and the first biographer of the composer Georg Friedrich Händel in any language. He was a Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, and became rector of the parish of Church Stretton, Shropshire, and, later professor of Divinity at Cambridge. In 1760, one year after Handel was buried in Westminster Abbey he published anonymously a biography 'Memoirs of the Life of the Late George Frederic Handel'. More than half of this biography is focused on the years before 1712, when Handel moved to London. Therefore, it is supposed he received information from
William Massey-Mainwaring who lent items from his collection to public galleries around the country. He was involved in Conservative politics and in 1892 put his name forward as a candidate for the Hackney Central constituency. Eventually he stood aside in favour of Sir Andrew Scoble. In 1895 he was elected as member of parliament for Finsbury Central, holding the seat until 1906. He died suddenly from influenza and diabetes at his London home in March 1907, aged 61. William Massey-Mainwaring The Honourable William Frederick Barton Massey-Mainwaring (28 May 1845 – 12 March 1907) was an Irish art collector and Conservative Party politician