Sir William Barker, 5th Baronet (1685 – 23 July 1731) of Grimston Hall, Suffolk was aBritish Tory politician who sat in theHouse of Commons between 1708 and 1731.
Barker was the son ofSir John Barker, 4th Baronet and his wife Bridget Bacon, daughter of Sir Nicholas Bacon of Shrubland Hall, Suffolk. In 1696, he succeeded his father in thebaronetcy.[1] He attended Ipswich school and was admitted atPembroke College, Cambridge on 7 April 1702, aged 16.[2] He married Mary Bence, only daughter ofJohn Bence, MP, ofHeveningham, Suffolk.
After having narrowly failed to get elected ina by-election a year earlier, Barker was returned as ToryMember of Parliament forIpswich in a contest at the1708 British general election where his father in law was retiring as an MP. He voted against the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell in 1710. At the1710 British general election, he was returned again in a contest for Ipswich. He was listed among the 'Tory patriots' who voted against the continuation of the war and among the 'worthy patriots' who laid open the mismanagements of the previous ministry. He was also a member of the October Club. At the1713 British general election, he was returned unopposed as MP forThetford.[3]
Barker did not stand at the1715 general election and was out of parliament for a few years in the course of which his wife Mary died on 1 January 1716. He was returned unopposed as MP forSuffolk at a by-election on 31 October 1722. He spoke against the Government on 23 November 1724 on the army estimates, and on 12 April 1727 on the vote of credit. At the1727 British general election he was returned for Suffolk in a contest. He spoke against the Government on 7 May 1728 on a vote of credit, and twice in April 1729 on the civil list arrears.[4]
Barker married as his second wife Anne Spencer, widow of Edward Spencer, of Rendlesham, Suffolk, atSt Marylebone Church, London, on 9 February 1731. A few months later, he died on 23 July 1731 at his house inEast Street, near Red Lion Square. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son Sir John Barker, 6th Baronet, his only child by his first wife.[5] He also left £500 in his will to provide for the upbringing and apprenticeship of Charles King, offspring of Mary King, who may have been his illegitimate son.[3]
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forIpswich 1708–1713 With:William Churchill | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forThetford 1713–1715 With:Dudley North | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forSuffolk 1722 –1731 With:Sir Thomas Hanmer 1722–1727 Sir Jermyn Davers, Bt 1727–1731 | Succeeded by |
| Baronetage of England | ||
| Preceded by | Baronet (of Grimston Hall) 1696–1731 | Succeeded by John Barker |
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