Sir William Waller

William Waller
General Sir William Waller by Cornelius Johnson, 1643, National Portrait Gallery, London, NPG 5819
Born	c. 1597 Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent, England
Died	19 September 1668 (aged 70–71)
Allegiance	Parliament
Rank	Major-General

Sir William Waller (c. 1597 – 19 September 1668) was an English Parliamentary general during the English Civil War. He received his education at Magdalen Hall, Oxford, and served in the Venetian army and in the Thirty Years' War. He received a knighthood in 1622 after taking part in Vere's expedition to the Electorate of the Palatinate.

William Waller was born in Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent, the son of Sir Thomas Waller and his wife Margaret Lennard, the daughter of Margaret Fiennes, 11th Baroness Dacre. His father was a descendant of the Waller family of Groombridge Place, Kent, constable of Dover Castle and member of parliament for Dover. His cousin was the Parliamentarian and regicide Hardress Waller. William Waller attended Magdalen College, Oxford, but did not graduate. He succeeded to the estates of his father in 1613 and was knighted on 30 June 1622.

As from 1636 Waller owned a quarter-share in the Providence Island Company.

In 1640 Waller was elected Member of Parliament for Andover in the Short Parliament. He was elected MP for Andover for the Long Parliament on 3 May 1642.