William Atwood

William Atwood (c. 1650 – 1712) was an English lawyer, known also as a political and historical writer.

William Atwood was son and heir of John Atwood of Broomfield, Essex. He studied at Queen's College, Cambridge, before being admitted to the Inner Temple in 1669 and Gray's Inn in 1670, and becoming a Barrister in 1674.

He acted for the defence for Henry Booth, Lord Delamere at his treason trial in 1685-6. Booth was accused of participation in Monmouth's Rebellion, and the judge in the case was Judge Jeffreys, as Lord High Steward. The defence secured an acquittal.

He became Chief Justice of New York in 1701; in 1697 the Privy Council in London had moved to set up colonial vice-admiralty courts, able to act quickly in matters of piracy (a live matter in New York at the time), and wrecks. He was removed a year later, by Lord Cornbury, on a corruption charge.

Atwood's position was in fact made very difficult by the governors and the factional politics of New York, after the death of Jacob Leisler. Atwood had presided at the treason trial of mayor Nicholas Bayard (c.1644-1707) of the anti-Leislerian party, at the time of governor Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont. Bellomont was both a major sponsor of William Kidd, charged with piracy, and a Leislerian. When Bellomont died in 1701, the change of governor when Cornbury took over meant a complete about-turn for the local factions, and undermined Atwood's position.

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