William Fremantle (politician)

The Right Honourable Sir William Henry Fremantle GCH
Treasurer of the Household
In office 27 May 1826 – 17 July 1837
Monarch	George IV William IV Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Liverpool George Canning The Viscount Goderich The Duke of Wellington The Earl Grey The Viscount Melbourne Sir Robert Peel, Bt
Preceded by	Lord Charles Bentinck
Succeeded by	Earl of Surrey
Personal details
Born	28 December 1766
Died	19 October 1850 (aged 83)
Nationality	British
Spouse(s)	Selina Mary Elwell (d. 1841)

Sir William Henry Fremantle GCH PC (28 December 1766 – 19 October 1850) was a British courtier and politician. He served as Treasurer of the Household from 1826 to 1837.

Background

Fremantle was the son of John Fremantle, of Aston Abbots, Buckinghamshire, by his wife Frances Edwards, daughter of John Edwards, of Bristol. He was the brother of Sir Thomas Fremantle and the uncle of Thomas Fremantle, 1st Baron Cottesloe, and Sir Charles Fremantle.^[1]

Political career

Fremantle began his parliamentary career by being elected MP for the Irish borough of Enniskillen at a by-election on 31 July 1806. He represented the seat until the dissolution of Parliament on 24 October 1806.^[2][3] He served under Lord Grenville as Junior Secretary to the Treasury between 1806 and 1807. He stood for Saltash in November 1806, was initially defeated but returned on petition in February 1807. He stood for Saltash once again in May 1807 alongside his brother Thomas. This time there was a double return and in February 1808 Fremantle was declared not elected.^[4] In May 1808 he was successfully returned for Tain Burghs, a seat he held until 1812,^[5] and then represented Buckingham until 1827.^[6] He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1822.^[7] In 1826 he was appointed Treasurer of the Household, which he remained until 1837. He was also Ranger of Windsor Great Park.^[1]

Personal life

Fremantle married Selina Mary Elwell, daughter of Sir John Elwell, 4th Baronet, and widow of Felton Lionel Hervey, in 1797. She died in November 1841. Fremantle died in October 1850, aged 83.^[1] Following the death of his brother, Stephen, he acted as a proxy father to his nephew, John Fremantle who went on to fight in the Peninsular War and at Waterloo.^[8]

References

1. thepeerage.com Rt. Hon. Sir William Henry Fremantle
2. Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801-1922, edited by B. M. Walker. Royal Irish Academy, 1978.
3. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 2)
4. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "S" (part 2)
5. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 1)
6. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 6)
7. The London Gazette: no. 17783. p. 97. 19 January 1822.
8. Glover, Gareth; Fremantle, John (2012). Wellington's Voice: The Candid Letters of Lieutenant Colonel John Fremantle, Coldstream Guards, 1808-1821. Casemate Publishers. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-78337-867-8.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Sir William Henry Fremantle