Sir Francis Sykes, 2nd Baronet facts for kids
Sir Francis William Sykes, 2nd Baronet (born November 12, 1767 – died March 7, 1804) was an important English figure. He held the title of Baronet, which is a special inherited title, and was also a politician.
Early Life and Political Start
Francis William Sykes was born in 1767. He followed in his father's footsteps, becoming involved in politics.
In 1794, he was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for a place called Wallingford. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the country's parliament. He was elected during a special election called a by-election. His father, Sir Francis Sykes, 1st Baronet, who lived at Basildon Park, was very influential in this election. However, Sir Francis William Sykes did not try to be re-elected in 1796.
A Disagreement in Bristol
In 1797, Sir Francis William Sykes was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Berkshire Militia. This was a local military group, and at the time, they were based in Bristol.
A newspaper called Farley's Bristol Journal published a letter signed 'Trim'. Sir Francis felt this letter said bad things about him. He found out that 'Trim' was a man named Mr. C.F. Williams.
When they met in College Green, Sir Francis asked Mr. Williams if he wrote the letter and if it was about him. Mr. Williams said yes. This led to a serious disagreement. A few days later, they met for a duel, which was a formal fight with weapons, common in those times. They stood ten paces apart and fired at each other. Both men received injuries during the duel. After four shots, other people present stepped in to stop the fight. They agreed that Mr. Williams would write a letter of apology, and Sir Francis would also apologize to Mr. Williams in front of witnesses.
Family Life and Later Years
On November 10, 1798, Sir Francis William Sykes married Mary Anne. She was the oldest daughter of Major Henniker and the granddaughter of John Henniker, 1st Baron Henniker.
In 1799, Sir Francis left the Berkshire Militia and moved to Germany. Sadly, his wife Mary Anne passed away on February 27, 1804, from Scarlet fever in a town called Elberfeld. He had taken care of her while she was sick. Just a short time later, on March 7, 1804, he also died from the same illness. This happened only two months after he had inherited his father's Baronet title.
Sir Francis, his wife, and their infant son (who had also passed away) were brought back to Basildon Park to be buried.
They had three children who survived them:
- Sir Francis William Sykes, 3rd Baronet, born August 8, 1799, died April 6, 1843
- Rev William Sykes, born September 25, 1800, died June 3, 1875
- An unmarried daughter
