William Williams (speaker)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sir William Williams, 1st Baronet (1634 – 1700) was a Welsh lawyer and politician.
Williams was educated at Jesus College, Oxford, followed by Gray's Inn, to which he was admitted in 1650.[1]
He was a lawyer, MP for Chester and later for Beaumaris, and the first Welshman to become Speaker of the House of Commons, a post which he held from 1680 to 1685, including the 1681 Oxford Parliament. A critic of King James II, he was nevertheless appointed Solicitor-General after a dispute with fellow Welshman Judge Jeffreys. He helped to draft the Declaration of Right.
Williams was knighted in 1687 and created First Baronet Williams of Gray's Inn 1688. This was by way of thanks for his support of King James II in his role as Solicitor General, and he continued to support the king in the prosecution of the "Seven Bishops". When William and Mary took the throne, however, he quickly changed sides again and became MP for Beaumaris in the next parliament.[1]
In 1689–1690 he was Custos Rotulorum, "Keeper of the Rolls", of Denbighshire.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Robert Werden and Sir Thomas Smith |
Member of Parliament for Chester with Robert Werden, to 1679; Sir Thomas Grosvenor, Bt, 1679–1681; Roger Whitley, 1681–1685 1675–1685 |
Succeeded by Sir Thomas Grosvenor, Bt and Robert Werden |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Sir William Gregory |
Speaker of the House of Commons 1680–1685 |
Succeeded by SirJohn Trevor |
| Preceded by Sir Thomas Powis |
Solicitor General for England and Wales 1687–89 |
Succeeded by Sir George Treby |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Marquess of Powis |
Custos Rotulorum of Merionethshire 1689–1690 |
Succeeded by Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet |
| Baronetage of England | ||
| Preceded by (new creation) |
Baronet (of Gray's Inn) 1700–1740 |
Succeeded by William Williams |
