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

Sir William Williams Bt

Speaker of the House of Commons
In office 1680–1685
Monarch	Charles II
Preceded by	Sir William Gregory
Succeeded by	Sir John Trevor
Solicitor General for England and Wales
In office 1687–1689
Monarch	James II & VII
Preceded by	Sir Thomas Powys
Succeeded by	Sir George Treby

Personal details
Born	1634 Anglesey, Wales
Died	11 July 1700(1700-07-11) London, England
Resting place	Llansilin, Wales
Alma mater	Jesus College, Oxford
Profession	Lawyer, politician

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).

Early life

Williams was born in Anglesey, the second 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

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. Supporters worked on his behalf, including the Earl of Rochester; subsequently, £8,000 was accepted as full payment for the former, 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.^[3]

Personal life

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

↑ Welsh Biography Online
↑ "Speakers of the House of Commons" (PDF). House of Commons Library. 9 July 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
↑ History of Parliament Online - Williams, WIlliam

External links

Halliday, Paul D. (2004). "Williams, Sir William, first baronet (1633/4–1700)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/29555. Retrieved 11 April 2010. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
Archives Network Wales
British History Online — The Fifth Parliament (1681)
Baronetcies: W

Parliament of England
Preceded by Robert Werden Sir Thomas Smith, Bt	Member of Parliament for Chester 1675–1685 With: Robert Werden 1675–1679 Sir Thomas Grosvenor, Bt 1679–1681 Roger Whitley 1681–1685	Succeeded by Sir Thomas Grosvenor, Bt Robert Werden
Preceded by Henry Bulkeley	Member of Parliament for Beaumaris 1689–1690	Succeeded by Thomas Bulkeley
Preceded by Thomas Bulkeley	Member of Parliament for Beaumaris 1695–1698	Succeeded by Owen Hughes
Political offices
Preceded by Sir William Gregory	Speaker of the House of Commons 1680–1685	Succeeded by Sir John Trevor
Preceded by Sir Thomas Powys	Solicitor General for England and Wales 1687–1689	Succeeded by Sir George Treby
Honorary titles
Preceded by Sir Robert Cotton	Custos Rotulorum of Denbighshire 1689–1690	Succeeded by Sir Richard Myddelton
Preceded by The Marquess of Powis	Custos Rotulorum of Merionethshire 1689–1690	Succeeded by Sir John Wynn, Bt
Baronetage of England
New creation	Baronet (of Gray's Inn) 1700–1740	Succeeded by William Williams

Speakers of the House of Commons

House of Commons
of England

14th century	Hungerford De la Mare Pickering Guildesborough Waldegrave Pickering Bussy Cheney Doreward Savage Redford Savage
15th century	Esturmy Tiptoft Chaucer Stourton Doreward Hungerford Chaucer Redman Beauchamp Flower Hunt Chaucer Baynard Flower Russell Walton Vernon Tyrell Alington, Sr. Tyrell Russell Hunt Bowes Tyrell Burley W. Tresham Burley W. Tresham Say Popham I W. Tresham Oldhall Thorpe Charlton Wenlock T. Tresham Green Strangeways Say Alington Jr. Wood Catesby Lovell Mordaunt Fitzwilliam Empson Drury Englefield
16th century	Dudley Englefield Sheffield Nevill More Audley Wingfield Rich Hare Moyle Baker Dyer Pollard Broke Higham Cordell Gargrave T. Williams Onslow Wray Bell Popham II Puckering Snagge Coke Yelverton
17th century	Croke Phelips R. Crewe Richardson T. Crewe H. Finch J. Finch Glanville Lenthall Pelham Lenthall Rous (Barebones Parliament) Lenthall Widdrington (2nd Protectorate Parliament) Chute, Long & Bampfield (3rd Protectorate Parliament) Lenthall Grimston Turnour Charlton Seymour Sawyer Seymour Gregory W. Williams Trevor Powle Trevor Foley Littleton
18th century	Harley Smith

House of Commons
of Great Britain

18th century	Smith R. Onslow Bromley Hanmer Compton A. Onslow Cust Norton Cornwall Grenville Addington

House of Commons
of the United Kingdom

19th century	Addington Mitford Abbot Manners-Sutton Abercromby Shaw-Lefevre Denison Brand Peel Gully
20th century	Lowther Whitley FitzRoy Brown Morrison Hylton-Foster King Lloyd Thomas Weatherill Boothroyd
21st century	Martin Bercow

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