Sir William Anson

The Right Honourable Sir William Anson Bt, FBA
"All Souls". Caricature by Spy published in Vanity Fair in 1901.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education
In office 11 August 1902 – 4 December 1905
Monarch	Edward VII
Prime Minister	Arthur Balfour
Preceded by	New office
Succeeded by	Thomas Lough
Personal details
Born	14 November 1843 Walberton, Sussex
Died	4 June 1914 (1914-06-05) (aged 70)
Nationality	British
Political party	Liberal Unionist
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford

Sir William Reynell Anson, 3rd Baronet PC, FBA (14 November 1843 – 4 June 1914) was a British jurist and Liberal Unionist politician from the Anson family.

Anson was born at Walberton, Sussex, the eldest son of Sir John William Hamilton Anson, 2nd Baronet, and his wife Elizabeth Catherine (née Pack). Educated at Eton, 1857–62, and Balliol College, Oxford, 1862–66, he took a first class in both Classical Moderations, 1863, and Literae Humaniores ('Greats', a combination of philosophy and ancient history), 1866. He was elected to a fellowship of All Souls in the following year.

In 1869, he was called to the Bar, and went on the home circuit until 1873, when he succeeded to the baronetcy. In 1874, he became Vinerian reader in English law at Oxford, a post attached to a Fellowship of All Souls College, which he held until he became, in 1881, Warden of All Souls.

Anson identified himself both with local and university interests; he became an alderman of the city of Oxford in 1892, chairman of quarter sessions for the county in 1894, was Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University in 1898–1899, and Chancellor of the Diocese of Oxford in 1899. In that year he was returned, without opposition, as Member of Parliament (MP) for Oxford University in the Liberal Unionist interest, and consequently resigned the vice-chancellorship.