Sir William Williams, 1st Baronet, of Gray's Inn

Sir William Williams, 1st Baronet (1634 – 11 July 1700) was a Welsh lawyer and politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for Chester and later Beaumaris, and was appointed Speaker for two English Parliaments during the reign of Charles II. He later served as Solicitor General during the reign of James II. Williams had a bitter personal and professional rivalry with Judge Jeffreys (the hanging judge).

Sir
William Williams
Speaker of the House of Commons
In office
1680–1685
MonarchCharles II
Preceded bySir William Gregory
Succeeded bySir John Trevor
Solicitor General for England and Wales
In office
1687–1689
MonarchJames II & VII
Preceded bySir Thomas Powys
Succeeded bySir George Treby
Personal details
Born1634
Anglesey, Wales
Died(1700-07-11)11 July 1700
London, England
Resting placeLlansilin, Wales
Alma materJesus College, Oxford
ProfessionLawyer, politician

Early life

edit

Williams was born in Anglesey, the eldest son of Hugh Williams and Emma Dolben. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford, followed by Gray's Inn, to which he was admitted in 1650.[1]

Parliament

edit

After unsuccessfully standing for Chester in the 1673 by-election, Williams was elected Member of Parliament for the constituency in the 1675 by-election. His profile grew, and he was elected to become Speaker of the House of Commons, a post which he held during the 3rd (Exclusion Bill Parliament, 1680–1681) and 4th (1681; Oxford Parliament) parliaments of Charles II. He was the first Welsh Speaker.[2]

In June 1684, allegations were made against him that he had libelled the Duke of York (later James II & VII) for authorizing, as Speaker, the publication of Thomas Dangerfield's Information in 1680. Dangerfield, one of the most notorious of the Popish Plot informers, was by now utterly discredited (he was killed in a scuffle with a barrister the following year). To provide the protection of a seat in parliament, Williams stood and was elected for Montgomeryshire in 1685; however, his return was cancelled on petition, on the grounds that the contributory boroughs had no opportunity of voting. The prosecution resumed, and he was fined £10,000. He was also fined £20,000 after similar action was instigated by the Earl of Peterborough.[3] Supporters worked on his behalf, including the Earl of Rochester; subsequently, £8,000 was accepted as full payment for the former fine, and Peterborough accepted a token payment for the latter after persuasion from James, now king.

Previously a critic of James II, Williams entered the king's service in 1687, being appointed Solicitor General. He had been knighted two days previously, and in June 1688 he was created a baronet, of Gray's Inn in Middlesex. He held an important role in the prosecution of the Seven Bishops, but the violent antipathy between himself and the Lord Chief Justice, Sir Robert Wright, who accused him, with no relevance whatever to the issue before the Court, of taking bribes, probably contributed to the verdict of not guilty. Judge Jeffreys (the hanging judge) tried to ruin Williams with a fine for publishing a libel: this led to the pair engaging in a bitter personal and professional rivalry.

He represented Beaumaris for the 1689 Convention Parliament, and turned against James after he fled England during the Glorious Revolution. He was placed on the committee appointed to draft the Bill of Rights. William III appointed Sir George Treby to succeed him as Solicitor General in the same year. Williams was made a King's Counsel and appointed Custos Rotulorum of Merionethshire and Denbighshire as consolation. The parliament declared the judgement against him for the publication of Dangerfield's Information illegal. He was not elected to Parliament in 1690, and prepared to stand again for Chester with Roger Whitley in 1695. Whitley was instead returned with Sir Thomas Grosvenor, and Williams was again returned for Beaumaris. He refused to take the new oath declaring William the rightful and lawful king, leading to his dismissal as King's Counsel. He left parliament in 1698.[4]

Personal life

edit

Williams married Margaret Kyffin on 14 April 1664, and they had four sons and one daughter.

Williams died at his Gray's Inn chambers in 1700 and was buried at Llansilin in Wales. His baronetcy passed to his son William.

References

edit
  1. ^ Welsh Biography Online
  2. ^ "Speakers of the House of Commons" (PDF). House of Commons Library. 9 July 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
  3. ^ "Proceedings against Sir William Williams, bart. for the publication of Dangerfield's Narrative". A Complete Collection of State Trials and Proceedings for High Treason and Other Crimes and Misdemeanors. 13 (410, column 1369). 1812.
  4. ^ History of Parliament Online - Williams, William
edit
Parliament of England
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Chester
1675–1685
With: Robert Werden 1675–1679
Sir Thomas Grosvenor, Bt 1679–1681
Roger Whitley 1681–1685
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Beaumaris
1689–1690
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Beaumaris
1695–1698
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Speaker of the House of Commons
1680–1685
Succeeded by
Preceded by Solicitor General for England and Wales
1687–1689
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Custos Rotulorum of Denbighshire
1689–1690
Succeeded by
Preceded by Custos Rotulorum of Merionethshire
1689–1690
Succeeded by
Baronetage of England
New creation Baronet
(of Gray's Inn)
1700–1740
Succeeded by