William Hucks (1672–1740) was an English brewer and Whig 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 ...

between 1709 and 1740.

Early life

Hucks was baptized on 22 October 1672, the eldest son of William Hucks, brewer of

St Giles-in-the-Fields St Giles in the Fields is the Anglicanism, Anglican parish church of the St Giles, London, St Giles district of London. The parish stands within the London Borough of Camden and forms part of the Diocese of London. The church, named for Saint ...

and his wife Lydia Head. His father owned the Horn brewery in Duke Street, Bloomsbury. Hucks followed his father's trade and was made a Freeman of the Brewers’ Company in 1687. He inherited the brewery when his father died in 1691 and worked it with his brothers and later his son. He married by licence dated 1 September 1696, Elizabeth Selwood, daughter of Robert Selwood of Abingdon, Berkshire.

Political career

At the 1698 election, Hucks stood unsuccessfully for Parliament at Abingdon. He stood again at the 1708 general election, and though defeated in the poll, was returned as Member of Parliament for Abingdon on petition on 20 January 1709. He followed Whig policies by supporting the naturalization of the Palatines in 1709 and the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell in 1710. At the 1710 general election, he stood for Parliament at Wallingford, but was unsuccessful. He was elected MP for Wallingford in a contest at the 1715 general election. Also in 1715, he was appointed King's Brewer. In parliament he voted consistently with the Government. He retained his seat in further contested elections in

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel '' Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), ...

1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...

and

1734 Events January– March * January 8 – Salzburgers, Lutherans who were expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, Austria, in October 1731, set sail for the British Colony of Georgia in America. * February 16 – ...

Later life and legacy

Hucks maintained his involvement in the parish of St Giles and was a vestryman between 1709 and 1731. He was responsible for the raising of a statue of George I which was set up on the steeple of

St George's, Bloomsbury St George's, Bloomsbury, is a parish church in Bloomsbury, London Borough of Camden, United Kingdom. It was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and consecrated in 1730. The church crypt houses the #Museum of Comedy, Museum of Comedy. History The C ...

. He increased his holding of land in the Wallingford area, and acquired a lease of

Wallingford Castle Wallingford Castle is a medieval castle situated in Wallingford in the English county of Oxfordshire (historically Berkshire), adjacent to the River Thames. Established in the 11th century as a motte-and-bailey design within an Anglo-Saxon ' ...

which included

Ewelme Ewelme () is a village and civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire, northeast of the market town of Wallingford. The 2011 census recorded the parish's population as 1,048. To the east of the village is Cow Common and to ...

in about 1727. He died on 28 November 1740. He and his wife had two sons and a daughter. He was succeeded by his only surviving son

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

References

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hucks, William 1672 births 1740 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 English brewers