William Dowdeswell (Chancellor)
|
The Right Honourable William Dowdeswell |
|
|---|---|
| Chancellor of the Exchequer | |
|
In office 16 July 1765 – 2 August 1766 |
|
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Marquess of Rockingham |
| Preceded by | Hon. George Grenville |
| Succeeded by | Hon. Charles Townshend |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1721 |
| Died | 6 February 1775 (aged 53–54) Nice, France |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Bridget Codrington |
| Alma mater |
Christ Church, Oxford University of Leiden |
| Signature | _(signature).jpg){kind=small} |
William Dowdeswell PC (12 March 1721 – 6 February 1775) was a British politician. He went abroad to recover his health in 1774 but died the next February in Nice.
A son of William Dowdeswell of Pull Court, Bushley, Worcestershire, he was educated at Westminster School, at Christ Church, Oxford, then at the University of Leiden. One of his fellow students was Baron d'Holbach. He spent the summer of 1746 with him at the uncle´s Messire François-Adam, Baron d’Holbach, Seigneur de Heeze, Leende et autres Lieux (ca. 1675–1753) estate Heeze-Leende.
Dowdeswell became member of Parliament for the family borough of Tewkesbury in 1747, retaining this seat until 1754, and from 1761 until his death he was one of the representatives of Worcestershire. Becoming prominent among the Whigs, Dowdeswell was made Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1765 under the Marquess of Rockingham, and his short tenure of this position appears to have been a successful one, he being in Lecky's words a good financier, but nothing more.
To general astonishment, he refused to abandon his friends and to take office under Chatham, who succeeded Rockingham in August 1766. Dowdeswell then led the Rockingham party in the House of Commons, taking an active part in debate until his death.
...
Wikipedia