William Addams Williams | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament forMonmouthshire | |
| In office 1831–1841 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Morgan |
| Succeeded by | Octavius Morgan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 August 1787 Llangibby Castle, Wales |
| Died | 5 September 1861(1861-09-05) (aged 74) Llangibby Castle, Wales |
| Political party | Whig |
| Relatives | Samuel Marsh (Maternal grandfather) |
| Occupation |
|
| Known for | MP forMonmouthshire |
William Addams Williams (10 August 1787 – 5 September 1861) was a Welsh lawyer, landowner and politician. He was a Member of Parliament forMonmouthshire from 1831–41.[1]
He was the eldest son of William Addams Williams ofLlangibby Castle, and Caroline Marsh; she was the daughter ofSamuel Marsh, who served as Member of Parliament forChippenham.[1][2]
Addams Williams married, through his connection and godfather Rev. George Avery Hatch, into aclerical family with a Welsh background at The Ham,Glamorgan. His wife, Anna Louisa Nicholl, was the daughter of Rev. Illtyd Nicholl, ofTredington parish inWorcestershire, and Anne Hatch (sister of George Avery); her brothers includedWhitlock Nicholl the physician, and Illtyd Nicholl who inherited property nearUsk.[1][3]
With his wife Anna Louisa, Addams Williams had four children; one son, also named William Addams Williams,[4] and three daughters.[5]William Evans, footballer and cleric, was a grandson.[6]
Addams Williams succeeded his father in 1823, at which point he may have given up his legal practice.[1][7] He became closely involved in local politics, and in particular in theMonmouth Boroughs constituency. He became theHigh Sheriff of Monmouthshire in 1827.[7] He was electedMP for the county constituency ofMonmouthshire in 1831, as aWhig, at the time of theGreat Reform Bill, afterSir Charles Morgan, 2nd Baronet as one of the sitting MPs had voted for awrecking amendment.[8] He was elected unopposed, a tribute to personal popularity rather than his reformist views, however.[9] He was in fact one of the small group of reformist pushing ministers to go further than theReform Act 1832 that resulted.[10]Sir Hopton Williams, Addams Williams' great-great-grandfather, was the last person from the family to hold the Monmouth seat, in 1708.[1]
As MP, Addams Williams was involved in a Monmouth roads bill.[11] He spoke against a privateenclosure bill, forSt Harmon, but it received a second reading.[12] During his career Addams Williams ensured that both local and national newspapers were informed when they omitted or incorrectly inserted him in their publisheddivision lists. He resigned his seat in 1841, in bad health.[1]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forMonmouthshire 1831–1841 With:Lord Granville Somerset | Succeeded by |