Sir William Fraser, 4th Baronet

Sir William Augustus Fraser, 4th Baronet of Leadclune (10 February 1826 – 17 August 1898), English politician, author and collector, was born the son of Sir James Fraser, a colonel of the 7th Hussars, who had served on Wellington's staff at Waterloo.[1]

Fraser was the eldest son of Sir James Fraser, 3rd Baronet. He was educated at Eton and at Christ Church, Oxford, graduating B.A. and M.A. In 1847 he was appointed an officer in the 1st Life Guards, but retired with a captain's rank in 1852.[2] He then set about entering parliament, and the ups and downs of his political career were rather remarkable. He was returned for Barnstaple in 1852, but the election was declared void on account of bribery, and the constituency was disfranchised for two years.[1]

At the election of 1857 Sir William, who had meantime been defeated at Harwich, was again returned at Barnstaple. He was, however, defeated in 1859, but was elected in 1863 at Ludlow. This seat he held for only two years, when he was again defeated and did not re-enter parliament until 1874, when he was returned for Kidderminster, a constituency he represented for six years, when be retired. He was a familiar figure at the Carlton Club, always ready with a copious collection of anecdotes of Wellington, Disraeli and Napoleon III.[1]

He was an assiduous collector of relics; and his library was sold for some £20,000. He died in Westminster aged 72.[1]

Contents

Bibliography

His own books comprise:[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). "SIR WILLIAM AUGUSTUS FRASER". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
  2. ^ Anderson, William. The Scottish nation: or, The surnames, families, literature, honours, and biographical history of the people of Scotland, A. Fullarton, 1867 p. 264

Further reading

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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
John Fortescue
Richard Bremridge
Member of Parliament for Barnstaple
1852 – 1853
With: Richard Bremridge
Succeeded by
Richard Samuel Guinness
John Laurie
Preceded by
Richard Samuel Guinness
George Buck
Member of Parliament for Barnstaple
18571859
With: John Laurie
Succeeded by
George Potts
John Ferguson Davie
Preceded by
Beriah Botfield
George Windsor-Clive
Member of Parliament for Ludlow
1863 – 1865
With: George Windsor-Clive
Succeeded by
John Edmund Severne
George Windsor-Clive
Preceded by
Albert Grant
Member of Parliament for Kidderminster
1874 – 1880
Succeeded by
John Brinton