 Even after leaving the Admiralty, the Bolton political connections remained sufficiently strong to ensure his continued promotion.However, he had apparently already become a figure of satire and is believed to have inspired the character of "Captain Whiffle" in Smollett's 1748 novel "The Adventures of Roderick Random".In 1754, following his father's succession to the Dukedom, he became known as Lord Harry Powlett, and replaced his elder brother Charles Powlett as MP for the family's pocket borough of Lymington.