Joseph Williamson (politician)

See Joseph Williamson (philanthropist) for the Joseph Williamson famous for creating seemingly pointless tunnels in Liverpool, England)

Sir Joseph Williamson, FRS (25 July 1633 – 3 October 1701) was an English civil servant, diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England variously between 1665 and 1701 and in the Irish House of Commons between 1692 and 1699.

Williamson was born at Bridekirk, near Cockermouth, where his father, also called Joseph, was vicar. He was educated at St. Bees School, Westminster School and Queen's College, Oxford, of which he became a fellow. In 1660 he entered the service of the Secretary of State, Sir Edward Nicholas, retaining his position under the succeeding secretary, Sir Henry Bennet, afterwards Earl of Arlington. He was involved with the foundation of the London Gazette in 1665.

Williamson was elected Member of Parliament for Thetford in 1669 and held the seat until 1685.[1] In 1672 he was made one of the clerks of the council and a knight. In 1673 and 1674 he represented his country at the Congress of Cologne, and in the latter year he became Secretary of State, having practically purchased this position from Arlington for £6,000, a sum that he required from his successor when he left office in 1679. In 1677 he became the third President of the Royal Society, but his main interests, after politics, were in antiquarian rather than in scientific matters.

Just before his removal from the post of Secretary of State, he was arrested on a charge of being implicated in the popish plots[2], but he was at once released by order of Charles II. Charles however dismissed him after he gave orders to search Somerset House, the Queen's official residence without the King's permission; the King remarked coldly " I do not wish to be served by a man who fears anyone more than me".[3] After a period of comparative inactivity Sir Joseph represented England at the Congress of Nijmegen, and in 1678 he signed the first treaty for the partition of the Spanish Monarchy.

In 1690 Williamson was elected Member of Parliament for Rochester and held the seat until 1701.[4] He was also elected MP for Thetford in three separate elections, but each time chose to sit for Rochester instead.

Between 1692 and 1695, Williamson was also MP in the Irish parliament for Clare. In 1695 he represented Portarlington for few months and subsequently Limerick City until 1699.

Williamson died at Cobham, Kent, on 3 October 1701. He had become very rich by taking advantage of the many opportunities of making money which his official position gave him. He left £6,000 and his library to Queen's College, Oxford; £5,000 to found a school at Rochester, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School; and £2,000 to Thetford. A great number of Williamson's letters, dispatches, memoranda, etc., are among the English state papers. He has been described as one of the great English civil servants of his time and credited with building up an intelligence service which rivaled that of John Thurloe under Cromwell.

References

Political offices
Preceded by
Henry Coventry
Secretary of State for the Northern Department
1674–1679
Succeeded by
The Earl of Sunderland
Parliament of England
Preceded by
Sir John Banks, Bt
Sir Roger Twisden, Bt
Member of Parliament for Rochester
1690–1701
With: Francis Clerke 1690–1691
Caleb Banks 1691–1695
Sir Cloudesley Shovell 1695–1701
Succeeded by
Francis Barrell
William Bokenham
Preceded by
Sir Francis Guybon
Baptist May
Member of Parliament for Thetford
1695–1696
With: Sir John Wodehouse, Bt
Succeeded by
Sir John Wodehouse, Bt
Preceded by
Sir John Wodehouse, Bt
James Sloane
Member of Parliament for Thetford
1698–1699
With: James Sloane
Succeeded by
James Sloane
Lord Paston
Preceded by
James Sloane
Lord Paston
Member of Parliament for Thetford
1701
With: Edmund Soame
Succeeded by
Edmund Soame
Sir Thomas Hanmer
Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by
Unknown
Member of Parliament for Clare
1692–1693
With: Sir Donough O'Brien, 1st Bt
Succeeded by
Sir Donough O'Brien, 1st Bt
Sir Henry Ingoldsby, 1st Bt
Preceded by
Daniel Gahan
Richard Warburton
Member of Parliament for Portarlington
1695
With: Richard Warburton
Succeeded by
George Warburton
Richard Warburton
Preceded by
Joseph Coghlan
Sir Charles Feilding
Member of Parliament for Limerick City
1695–1699
With: Joseph Coghlan
Succeeded by
Robert Blennerhassett
Richard Ingoldsby