Sir William Rich, 2nd Baronet

English politician

Sir William Rich, 2nd Baronet (c. 1654 – 1711), of Sonning, Berkshire, was an English politician.

He was a son of Sir Thomas Rich, 1st Baronet, and his second wife, Elizabeth, daughter of William Cockayne, alderman and merchant of London.^[1]

He was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Reading in 1689–1698 and the period 26 November 1705 – 1708, and for Gloucester in 1698.^[2]

Born around 1654, Rich was the second but only surviving son of Sir Thomas Rich, and his second wife, Elizabeth Cockayne. In 1667, he succeeded his father as the 2nd Baronet Rich of Sonning, Berkshire, a title created in the Baronetage of England in 1661.

Political career

Rich's political interests became evident in 1680 when he accompanied the Duke of Monmouth and Lord Lovelace on a visit to Oxford. He sought to contest the 1685 general election for Reading but was denied due to not being a freeman of the town. Although the initial election was declared void, Rich came last in the subsequent by-election. Despite these setbacks, he was listed among those opposed to King James II.

Following the Glorious Revolution, Rich's political fortunes improved. He was successful in the 1689 election for Reading and sat in Parliament until 1698. During this period, he aligned himself with the Court Whigs and supported the disabling clause in the bill to restore corporations. Re-elected in 1690, he continued to vote consistently with the Court Whigs.

Rich briefly represented Gloucester in 1698 before returning to Reading for another term (1705-1708). He died in 1711 and was buried at Sonning. It wasn't until 1784 that another member of his family, his great-grandson, the 5th Baronet, re-entered Parliament as a government supporter.

Marriages

Rich married Lady Anne Bruce (d. 1716) in 1672. Lady Anne was the daughter of Robert Bruce, 1st Earl of Ailesbury. Despite his marriage into a royalist family, Rich emerged as a strong Whig politician.

References

↑ Ford, David Nash (2001). "Berkshire History: Sonning Church: Sir Thomas Rich". Nash Ford Publishing. Retrieved 9 May 2008.
↑ "RICH, Sir William, 2nd Bt. (C.1654-1711), of Sonning, Berks. | History of Parliament Online".

Parliament of England

Preceded by

William Trye
Robert Payne

Member of Parliament for Gloucester
1698–1701
With: William Selwyn

Succeeded by

William Selwyn
John Bridgeman

Preceded by

William Aldworth
Thomas Coates

Member of Parliament for Reading
1689–1698
With: Sir Henry Fane

Succeeded by

Sir Owen Buckingham
John Dalby

Preceded by

Tanfield Vachell
Sir Owen Buckingham

Member of Parliament for Reading
1705–1707
With: Sir Owen Buckingham

Succeeded by

Parliament of Great Britain

Preceded by

Parliament of England

Member of Parliament for Reading
1705–1708
With: Sir Owen Buckingham

Succeeded by

Owen Buckingham (younger)
Anthony Blagrave

Baronetage of England

Preceded by

Thomas Rich

Baronet
(of Sunning, Berkshire)
1667–1711

Succeeded by

Robert Rich

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