William Forester (1655–1718)
Sir William Forester
Early life
Forester was the eldest surviving son of Francis Forester of Dothill and his wife, Lady Mary Newport, a daughter of Richard Newport, 1st Baron Newport, of High Ercall, and widow of John Steventon of Dothill Park.[1][2]
He entered Trinity College, Cambridge in 1673 and graduated as MA in 1675.[3]
Career
He succeeded to Dothill Park in about 1675 under the will of his half-brother Richard Steventon (died 1659) and this became the main family seat at least until his grandson obtained Willey Park by marrying the heiress of George Weld.[4]
Forester was
In May 1695, Forester fought a duel against fellow MP, Colonel Beaumont (who disarmed Forester), over accusations made in the House of Commons. In August 1703 he was one of the commissioners sent by Queen Anne to receive the Archduke Charles of Austria at The Hague.[6]
Personal life
In 1684, he married Mary, a daughter of James Cecil, 3rd Earl of Salisbury, with whom he had two sons and three daughters.[1] One son was another William Forester who also sat for Wenlock, while one of his daughters, Mary, married Sir George Downing, 3rd Baronet (the latter, nephew of his wife, having been brought up in Forester's household).[7]
Forester died in 1718, aged 62, and was buried at Wellington.[6]
References
- ^ a b c "FORESTER, William (1655-1718), of Dothill Park, Salop". History of Parliament Online (1660-1690). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ Weyman, Henry T. (1902). "Members of Parliament for Wenlock". Transactions of the Shropshire Archaeological Society (T.S.A.S.), Third Series, Volume II. p. 333.
- ^ Venn, J. and J.A. (1922). Alumni Cantabrigienses, Part I, Volume II. Cambridge University Press.
- ^ 'Wellington: Manors and other estates', A History of the County of Shropshire: Volume 11: Telford (1985), pp. 215–221. Shropshire manor. Date accessed: 20 May 2008.
- ^ "T.S.A.S., Third Series, Volume II". pp. 333–334.
- ^ a b c "FORESTER, Sir William (1655-1718), of Dothill Park, nr. Wellington, Salop". History of Parliament Online (1690-1715). Retrieved 20 August 2019.
- ^ [1] History of Parliament Online article on Sir George Downing. Accessed 21 May 2024.
External links
- Burkes Peerage (1939 edition).