Constituency : Banffshire 1893-1900
William took over from the long-serving Robert Duff who stepped down in 1893.
William was a baronet's son from Edinburgh. He was educated at Edinburgh University. His father and brother ( who was killed in the 1857 mutiny ) had been in the Indian Civil Service and he followed in their footsteps, coming third in the entrance exams. He tried to introduce banking reforms to help the peasantry.He left the service in 1887 and was one of the founders of the Indian National Congress, serving as its president in 1889 and 1910. He helped publish the journal, India. He unsuccessfully stood for North Ayrshire in 1892.
William's parliamentary contributions were mainly about India. He was Chairman of the Indian Parliamentary Committee throughout his timer in Parliament.
William stood down in 1900.
In 1910 William returned to India to try and heal the rifts between Hindus and Muslims and moderates and hardliners.
He died in 1918 aged 79.
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