Hon. William Henry Bouverie (30 October 1752 – 23 August 1806) was a British politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

for 26 years from 1776 to 1802.

Biography

Bouverie was the second son of

William Bouverie, 1st Earl of Radnor William Bouverie, 1st Earl of Radnor FRS DL (26 February 1725 – 28 January 1776) was a British peer, styled Hon. William Bouverie from 1747 until 1761. Early life He was the eldest son of Jacob Bouverie, 1st Viscount Folkestone and Mary Cla ...

and his second wife Rebecca Alleyne, daughter of John Alleyne, and was born on 30 October 1752. He was educated at

Harrow School Harrow School () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English boarding school for boys) in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London, England. The school was founded in 1572 by John Lyon (school founder), John Lyon, a local landowner an ...

about 1765 and matriculated at

University College, Oxford University College, formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as "Univ", is a Colleges of the University of Oxf ...

on 19 March 1771. He was awarded BA in 1773 and MA in 1776. He married Lady Bridget Douglas, daughter of

James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton James Douglas, 14th Earl of Morton, KT, FRS (1702 – 12 October 1768) was a Scottish peer and astronomer who was president of the Philosophical Society of Edinburgh from its foundation in 1737 until his death in 1768. He also became preside ...

on 16 August 1777. In January 1776, Bouverie's father died and his step-brother was raised to the peerage, leaving a vacancy at

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

. Bouverie was returned without a contest as Member of Parliament for Salisbury on the family interest in the ensuing by-election on 19 February 1776. He was re-elected unopposed in

1780 Events January–March * January 16 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of Cape St. Vincent: British Admiral Sir George Rodney defeats a Spanish fleet. * February 19 – The legislature of New York votes to all ...

. The English Chronicle wrote of him in 1781, "He is a very constant attendant on his parliamentary duties, and as constantly divides with the Opposition. He has never attempted to display his abilities as an orator in the House ... He possesses an estate of near two thousand pounds per annum, and with this fortune supports the consequence of his rank with great liberality and great respect." He was a member of the

St. Alban's Tavern group The St. Alban's Tavern group was an informal association of 78 United Kingdom, British Member of Parliament, Members of Parliament who aimed to bring about a reconciliation of William Pitt the Younger and Charles James Fox in a unified Ministry. The ...

which tried to bring together Fox and Pitt. He was re-elected unopposed in

1784 Events January–March * January 6 – Treaty of Constantinople: The Ottoman Empire agrees to Russia's annexation of the Crimea. * January 14 – The Congress of the United States ratifies the Treaty of Paris with Great Brit ...

. His first recorded speech was on 22 July 1784, eight years after he entered Parliament. He then spoke several times during the Regency crisis, but few other speeches are reported by him. A distant cousin Elizabeth Bouverie devised the manor and mansion-house at

Betchworth Betchworth is a village and civil parish in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England. The village centre is on the north bank of the River Mole and south of the A25 road, almost east of Dorking and west of Reigate. London is north of the ...

to him in the 1780s. He was returned unopposed at Salisbury again in

1790 Events January–March * January 8 – United States President George Washington gives the first State of the Union address, in New York City. * January 11 – The 11 minor states of the Austrian Netherlands, which took pa ...

and in

1796 Events January–March * January 16 – The first Dutch (and general) elections are held for the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic. (The next Dutch general elections are held in 1888.) * February 1 – The capital of Upper Can ...

. In 1797 he was a major in the Wiltshire supplementary militia. His health was deteriorating and he retired from Parliament at the 1802 general election in favour of his nephew Viscount Folkestone. He received thanks at Salisbury for his "upright and judicious conduct" during 26 years in the House. Bouverie was major commandant of the Betchworth Volunteers in 1803 and 1804. He died on 23 August 1806. His obituary in the ''

Gentleman's Magazine ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' was a monthly magazine founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1907, ceasing publication altogether in 1922. It was the first to use the term '' ...

'' (1806, p. 877) paid tribute to the "polished elegance of his manners", mentioned his interest in literature and medicine, and added that "there were few subjects on which he was not intimately well informed". As well as lands in Betchworth and London, he left shares in the

Drury Lane theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dru ...

and

Covent Garden theatre The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

.The National Archives William Henry Bouverie of Betchworth (co. Surrey)
/ref> His son Charles Henry Bouverie was also a Member of Parliament. His daughter Rebecca married

William à Court, 1st Baron Heytesbury William à Court, 1st Baron Heytesbury (11 July 1779 – 31 May 1860), known as Sir William à Court, 2nd Baronet, from 1817 to 1828, was an English diplomat and Conservative politician. Background and education Heytesbury was the eldest son o ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bouverie, William Henry 1752 births 1806 deaths Younger sons of earls People educated at Harrow School Alumni of University College, Oxford Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies UK MPs 1801–1802