Edward Brydges Willyams

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Edward William Brydges Willyams (1834-1916) was a Liberal MP for East Cornwall constituency and then for Truro constituency [1]. The Times reports that in 1892, he was appointed High Sheriff of Cornwall[2].

Contents

[edit] Parental family

He was born 6 November 1834, the son of Humphry Willyams (1792-1822) [3], a Banker, Land-owner and Liberal Elector of Truro [4] and Ellen Frances Brydges Neynoe, his wife. She was the daughter of Colonel William Brydges Neynoe of Castle Neynoe, County Sligo.[5]

His older brother, James Willyams died aged 38 in 1861 [5]

His aunt Sarah Mendez da Costa, was an heiress, who married his father's elder brother James (1772-1820) and had no children. However, when she died in 1863, she gave three quarters of her fortune to Benjamin Disraeli, a great friend of hers [6] [1].

[edit] Education

He was educated at Merton College, Oxford [1].

[edit] Parliamentary service

MP for East Cornwall, 1868-1874.

MP for Truro, 1880-1885.

He stood for election at St Austell in 1877, as a Liberal Unionist but was defeated by the Gladstonian candidate[7].

[edit] Marriages

He married twice, first to Jane, youngest daughter of Sir Trevor Wheler, Bt. on 26 June 1856 [8] and then on 5 June 1882 to Emily [9], a daughter of Sir Joseph Moses Levy, the proprietor of the Daily Telegraph, which then supported the Liberal Party [1]. Emily Brydges Willyams died 5 February 1902

[edit] Interests

He was a keen supporter of the old Cornish sport of hurling [1]. Racing reports in The Times from 1884 to 1910 show his ownership of several race-horses, during this period.

[edit] Difficulties

He was the co-respondent in a divorce in 1871/1872, having carried on an affair with Lady Jolliffe, the wife of Captain Jolliffe, MP for Wells. He did not stand at the General Election in 1874 [4] :Jaggard p.183-189 . [10].

Olive Willyams, the wife of his heir, Arthur Hugh Vivien Willyams, tried to obtain £4,000 from him, using promissory notes that he claimed were forged by her. She was committed to prison for three years and “was afterwards declared to have become insane [1] [11] [12] .

[edit] Death

He died on Tuesday, 10 October 1916, at his seat, Carnanton, St Columb Major.

[edit] References

Main sources

  • Obituary of Edward Brydges Willyams in The Times, Thursday, Oct 12, 1916; pg. 11; Issue 41296; column E.

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Obituary in The Times, Thursday, Oct 12, 1916
  2. ^ The Times, Wednesday, Jan 27, 1892; pg. 9; Issue 33545; col F Appointment of E.B.Willyams in the Court Circular.
  3. ^ Burke's A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain 1838, page 38: Willyams of Carnanton, on Google Books.
  4. ^ a b Edwin Jaggard Cornwall politics in the age of reform
  5. ^ a b The Gentleman's Magazine, July-December 1861, p334 Notice of the death of James Willyams on Google Books.
  6. ^ ODNB article by M. G. Wiebe, ‘Willyams, Sarah Brydges (d. 1863)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [1], accessed 26 April 2008.
  7. ^ The Times, Friday, May 20, 1887; pg. 5; Issue 32077; col F: "Election Intelligence. Cornwall, St. Austell Division." -G L M'Arthur - 3,540 ;Brydges Willyams - 3329.
  8. ^ Probably Sir Trevor Wheler, 11th Baronet (1828-1900). The marriage is reported in The Times, Monday, Jun 30, 1856; pg. 1; Issue 22407; col A
  9. ^ ThePeerage.Com family information for Levy.
  10. ^ The Times, Friday, Mar 08, 1872; pg. 11; Issue 27319; col D: "Court Of Probate And Divorce, March 7".
  11. ^ The Times, Friday, Feb 04, 1910; pg. 4; Issue 39187; col A: "The Assizes. Western Circuit., Claim on Promissory Notes."
  12. ^ The Times, Saturday, Oct 01, 1910; pg. 3; Issue 39392; col A: "Charge Of Forgery".
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Thomas Agar-Robartes
Nicholas Kendall		 Member of Parliament for Cornwall East
with Sir John Salusbury-Trelawny, 9th Baronet
1868–1874		 Succeeded by
Sir Colman Rashleigh
John Tremayne
Preceded by
John Cranch Walker and
Sir Frederick Martin Williams		 Member of Parliament for Truro
2-seat constituency until 1885
with James McGarel-Hogg, 1st Baron Magheramorne
1880–1885		 Succeeded by
William Bickford-Smith