Sir William Scawen (c. 1644 – 18 October 1722) was a British MP and Governor of the Bank of England.

Scawen was born in 1644. His father wasRobert Scawen of Horton, Buckinghamshire.

Scawen was knighted in 1692.After some years in business he was appointed a Director of theBank of England in 1694 and again from 1699 until his death. He was elevated toDeputy Governor in 1695 and toGovernor in 1697 (until 1699). He was also a Director of theEast India Company from 1710 to 1712. In 1696 he had sufficient wealth to purchase a half interest inCarshalton manor.^[1]

Scawen entered Parliament as the MP forNew Windsor in 1693, sitting until 1698, when he was again returned as the MP forGrampound in 1698 and twice in 1701 (being in December 1701 also elected forTruro). This was followed by two terms as MP forSurrey from 1705 to 1710 and from 1721 to 1722.

Scawen married Mary, the daughter ofSir William Maynard, 1st Baronet of Walthamstow, Essex but had no legitimate children. He left the Horton estate to hisbrother Thomas and the rest of his considerable estates in Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Yorkshire, Cornwall and Ireland to hisnephew Thomas, Thomas's son.

• "SCAWEN, Sir William (c. 1647-1722), of Walbrook, London and Carshalton, Surr". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved12 August 2013.

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