Constituency : Newport, Hants 1852-7, Salford 1857-65, Tiverton 1872-81
William was a barrister from the West Country who entered Parliament in 1852. He was appointed under-secretary of state for the Home Department by Palmerston when he became Prime Minister in 1855 and held the post until 1858. He switched to Salford for the 1857 election.
William was one of those who missed out when Palmerston had to form his government on a broader basis in 1859 but he was eventually compensated by membership of the Council of the Governor-General of India. He resigned his seat and became Minister of Finance on the Council.
William held the position until 1868. He returned to Parliament for Tiverton ( Palmerston's former seat ) in an 1872 by-election. In 1873 he caused some embarrassment to Gladstone by a public speech calling for abolition of the income tax.
William wrote two books , Common Sense Versus Common Law and A History Of England Under The Reign of George III. He was Chairman of the National Bank from 1869 until his death.
He died in 1881 aged 72.
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