William Dowdeswell (politician, born 1721)

William Dowdeswell PC (12 March 1721 – 6 February 1775)^[1] was a British politician who was a leader of the Rockingham Whig faction.

The Right Honourable William Dowdeswell
Chancellor of the Exchequer
In office 16 July 1765 – 2 August 1766
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Rockingham
Preceded by	Hon. George Grenville
Succeeded by	Hon. Charles Townshend
Personal details
Born	1721 (1721)
Died	6 February 1775 (aged 53–54) Nice, France
Nationality	British
Political party	Whig
Spouse	Bridget Codrington
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford University of Leiden
Signature

Background and education

A son of William Dowdeswell of Pull Court, Bushley, Worcestershire, he was educated at Westminster School, at Christ Church, Oxford, then at the University of Leiden.^[2] One of his fellow students was Baron d'Holbach. He spent the summer of 1746 with him at the Heeze-Leende estate of his uncle, Messire François-Adam, Baron d'Holbach, Seigneur de Heeze, Leende et autres Lieux (ca. 1675–1753).^[3]

Political career

Dowdeswell became member of Parliament for the family borough of Tewkesbury in 1747, retaining this seat until 1754, and from 1761 until his death he was one of the representatives of Worcestershire. Becoming prominent among the Whigs, Dowdeswell was made Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1765 under the Marquess of Rockingham, and his short tenure of this position appears to have been a successful one, he being in Lecky's words a good financier, but nothing more.^[2]

To general astonishment, he refused to abandon his friends and to take office under Chatham, who succeeded Rockingham in August 1766. Dowdeswell then led the Rockingham party in the House of Commons, taking an active part in debate until his death.^[2]

In 1774 during the Parliamentary debate of the Boston Port Act he warned the act will "soon inflame all America, and stir up a contention you will not be able to pacify and quiet".^[4]

Family and death

Dowdeswell married Bridget, daughter of Sir William Codrington, 1st Baronet, in 1747. The couple are believed to have had as many as 15 children, including Charles William Dowdeswell (b. 8 June 1756).^[5]

Dowdeswell went abroad to recover his health in 1774 but died the next February in Nice.^[6] The highly eulogistic epitaph on his monument at Bushley was written by Edmund Burke.^[2]

References

1. DOWDESWELL, William (1721-75), of Pull Court, Worcs. Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
2.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Dowdeswell, William". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 457.
3. Holohan, David: Christianity unveiled by Baron d'Holbach. A controversy in documents. Hodgson Press, Kingston upon Thames (2008) ISBN 978-1-906164-04-1, p. 29
4. Great Britain. Parliament: The History, Debates, and Proceedings of Both Houses of Parliament of Great Britain from the Year 1743 to the Year 1774. In Seven Volumes. Vol. VII. J. Debrett, London (1792), p. 96
5. The Register of Births & Baptisms in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster Vol. IV. 1741-1760. 6 July 1756.
6. Jeremy Black, "The British and the Grand Tour", (1985), p. 128

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by The Viscount Gage John Martin	Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury 1747–1754 With: The Viscount Gage	Succeeded by Nicolson Calvert John Martin
Preceded by John Bulkeley Coventry Edmund Pytts	Member of Parliament for Worcestershire 1761–1775 With: John Ward 1761–1774 Edward Foley 1774–1775	Succeeded by Edward Foley William Lygon
Political offices
Preceded by George Grenville	Chancellor of the Exchequer 1765–1766	Succeeded by Charles Townshend