CHETWYND, William (1721-91), of Heywood Park, Staffs.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1715-1754, ed. R. Sedgwick, 1970
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1747 - 1754

Family and Education

b. 25 Nov. 1721, 1st s. of William Richard Chetwynd, 3rd Visct. Chetwynd [I]. educ. Westminster 1728-37; Hart Hall, Oxf. 1737. m. 19 Nov. 1751, Susannah, da. of Sir Jonathan Cope, 1st Bt., 4s. 3da. suc. fa. as 4th Visct. 3 Apr. 1770.

Offices Held

Equerry to the King 1758-60.

Biography

Chetwynd was returned in association with Daniel Boone who wrote to the Prince of Wales on 22 June 1747:

All matters go on here as quietly and to our satisfaction as your Royal Highness can wish. The only difficulty I find to combat with, is to get Chetwynd approved of; which I do in order to prevent confusion and trouble, and to make the success at this place appear with all possible grace and glory to your Royal Highness, for it is well understood by whom I am recommended.1

On his election he was classed as a government supporter. He did not stand again. On succeeding to the title Chetwynd, having been disinherited by his uncle John and his father, was granted a pension of £8002 on the recommendation of Lord Gower. In 1773 he went to live in Ireland, separated from his wife. On 3 Dec. 1781 Lord Gower wrote to Lord Carlisle:

I am much solicited by an unfortunate woman and five children ... I ... think there is weight in what you say of the difficulty that would attend your making yourself a judge in a family dispute; but as I was the person who obtained the pension from the Crown for the family, for it was not personally for Lord Chetwynd, it would in my opinion be unjust, that family being now separated from him, not to give a proportion of that bounty to the wife and children ... This poor unfortunate woman, who I know to be an amiable and good creature, has received, I understand, but £25 from her husband these last eighteen months.3

In 1782 the pension seems to have been divided equally between him and his wife.4 He died in Ireland 12 Nov. 1791.

Ref Volumes: 1715-1754

Author: Eveline Cruickshanks

Notes

  • 1. HMC Fortescue, i. 115.
  • 2. Cal. Home Office Pprs. 1770-2, p. 178.
  • 3. HMC Carlisle, 543.
  • 4. Lodge, Irish Peerage.