Sir William Bellingham, 1st Baronet (c. 1756 – 27 October 1826)[1] was anIrish-bornBritish politician and theController of Storekeepers Accounts for theRoyal Navy. Bellingham was charged with organizing and procuringprovisions for theVancouver Expedition. Though he never saw thePacific Ocean,Bellingham Bay and the city ofBellingham, Washington, are named for him.
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William Bellingham was the son ofCol. Alan Bellingham (ofCastlebellingham) and Alice Montgomery,[2] daughter ofRev. Hans Montgomery[2] of Grey Abbey House,County Down. Bellingham was one of four siblings (O'Bryen, Thomas, and Alan).[3]
He attendedTrinity College, Dublin, graduating in 1778 as aBachelor of Arts.[2] In 1783 he marriedHester Frances Cholmondeley (1763-1844),[2] granddaughter ofGeorge Cholmondeley, 3rd Earl of Cholmondeley and daughter ofMary Woffington.
Bellingham moved toReigate,Surrey, and from 1784 through 1789 held the elected office ofMember of Parliament in theHouse of Commons.
In 1789 he was appointedcommissioner for the victualling of the Royal Navy.[2] On 21 January 1790 he was appointedController of Storekeepers Accounts, a post he held until 1793 when he was succeeded by Sir Frederick Rogers.[4] During this time he oversaw the provisioning ofGeorge Vancouver's expedition along theWest Coast ofNorth America.Bellingham Bay was named by Vancouver in his honor. Later the city ofBellingham, Washington, was named for the bay, and thus indirectly for him. He was the Receiver of the Sixpenny Office, an Admiralty fund that collected sixpence from every serving sailor's wage for the Greenwich Hospital.
He became the private secretary of the Right HonourableWilliam Pitt, and was created a baronet, of Castle Bellingham, on 19 April 1796.[5] He was also a Fellow of theSociety of Antiquaries and wasReceiver General of the Land and Assessed Taxe ofLondon.
He died in 1826 and was buried in the family vault at St Mary's Church of Ireland, Kilsaran Parish, in Castle Bellingham.[6]
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forReigate 1784 – 1789 With:Edward Leeds 1784–1787 Reginald Pole-Carew 1787–1789 | Succeeded by |
| Baronetage of Great Britain | ||
| New creation | Baronet (of Castle Bellingham) 1796 – 1826 | Succeeded by Alan Bellingham |
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