William Ashhurst

For those of a similar name, see William Ashurst (disambiguation).

Sir William Ashhurst or Ashurst (26 April 1647 – 12 January 1720) was an English banker, Sheriff of London, Lord Mayor of London and Member of Parliament.

Biography

The son of Henry Ashurst[1] Ashurst was a member of the Corporation of London from 1678, and an alderman from 1687; he was knighted in 1687, and was Sheriff of London in 1691–1692 and Lord Mayor of London in 1693–1694.[2][3]

A Whig, he represented the City of London in Parliament for three separate periods between 1689 and 1710; he was generally regarded as one of the Country Whigs, but voted with the Court Whigs against the Disbanding Bill in 1698-9.[3]

He was a good friend of Edmund Calamy and was a nonconformist like the rest of his family, so unsurprisingly he was an active supporter of the Glorious Revolution and sat in the Convention Parliament (1689).[3]

He was one of the founding subscribers of the Bank of England, and a Director of the bank in 1697–1700, 1701–3, 1704–6, 1707–9 and 1711–14.[4][5]

Family

Sir William married Elizabeth the daughter of Robert Thompson.[6] When in the country they lived in a Queen Anne style red-brick mansion he built in the outer bailey of Hedingham Castle after his purchase of the castle in 1693.[2][7]

Notes

References

Further reading

Parliament of England
Preceded by
Sir Patience Ward
Sir Robert Clayton
Sir Thomas Pilkington
William Love
Member of Parliament for City of London
1689–1690
With: Sir Patience Ward
Sir Robert Clayton
Sir Thomas Pilkington
Succeeded by
Sir William Prichard
Sir Samuel Dashwood
Sir William Turner
Sir Thomas Vernon
Preceded by
Sir William Prichard
Sir Samuel Dashwood
Sir John Fleet
Sir Thomas Vernon
Member of Parliament for City of London
1695–1702
With: Thomas Papillon 1695–1701
Sir Robert Clayton 1695–1698, 1701–1702
Sir James Houblon 1698–1701
Sir John Fleet 1695–1701, Mar–Nov 1701
Gilbert Heathcote Feb–Mar 1701, Nov 1701–1702
Sir William Withers Feb–Nov 1701
Sir Thomas Abney 1701–1702
Succeeded by
Sir William Prichard
Sir John Fleet
Sir Gilbert Heathcote
Sir Francis Child
Preceded by
Sir William Prichard
Sir John Fleet
Sir Gilbert Heathcote
Sir Francis Child
Member of Parliament for City of London
1705–1707
With: Sir Robert Clayton
Samuel Shepheard
Sir Gilbert Heathcote
Succeeded by
Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
Parliament of England
Member of Parliament for City of London
1707–1710
With: Sir William Withers
Samuel Shepheard 1707–1708
Sir John Ward 1708–1710
Sir Gilbert Heathcote
Succeeded by
Sir William Withers
Sir Richard Hoare
Sir George Newland
Sir John Cass
Political offices
Preceded by
Sir John Fleet
Lord Mayor of the City of London
1693–1694
Succeeded by
Sir Thomas Lant
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