Sir William Ashburnham, 2nd Baronet facts for kids

Sir William Ashburnham, 2nd Baronet (born April 1, 1678 – died November 7, 1755) was an important British politician. He served in the House of Commons, which is a part of the British Parliament, for many years between 1710 and 1741.

Early Life & Family Connections

William Ashburnham was the oldest son of Sir Denny Ashburnham, 1st Baronet and his wife, Anne Watkins. His family lived at Broomham. When his father passed away in 1697, William inherited the title of Baronet. This meant he became the 2nd Baronet.

In 1701, on June 7, William Ashburnham married Margaret Pelham. She was the daughter of Sir Nicholas Pelham.

A Career in Government

Sir William Ashburnham had a long career in government. In 1710, he received a special job called Chamberlain of the Exchequer. This was a "sinecure post," which meant it was a position that paid a salary but didn't require a lot of daily work. He kept this job for the rest of his life.

Serving in Parliament

Sir William also became a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is someone elected to represent a group of people in the House of Commons.

• 1710 Election: At the general election in 1710, he was elected as the MP for Hastings. He ran unopposed, meaning no one ran against him.
• 1713 Election: He did not run for election in 1713.
• 1715 Election: He was elected MP for Seaford in the 1715 general election.
• 1717 Resignation: In 1717, he left his seat in Parliament. This was because he received another sinecure job as a Commissioner of the Alienation Office.

Return to Parliament

Sir William returned to Parliament later.

• 1722 Election: He became the MP for Hastings again in the 1722 general election.
• Later Elections: He continued to hold his seat for Hastings in the elections of 1727 and 1734.

In 1735, he was given another role, becoming a "receiver of fines." This meant he was responsible for collecting money from fines.

Retirement from Politics

By 1741, Sir William Ashburnham's health was not good. He decided to resign from his seat in Parliament. However, he kept his government jobs until he passed away.

Later Life and Legacy

Sir William Ashburnham died on November 7, 1755. He was buried in Guestling, a place in Sussex.

He and his wife, Margaret, did not have any children. Because of this, his younger brother, Charles, inherited the baronetcy after William's death.

Arms of Sir William Ashburnham, 2nd Baronet

Crest Out of a ducal coronet Or an ash tree Proper Escutcheon Gules a fess between six mullets Argent Motto Will God, And I Shall