Sir William Heathcote, 1st Baronet facts for kids
Sir William Heathcote (born March 15, 1693, died May 10, 1751) was an important person in British history. He lived in Hursley, England. Sir William was a successful merchant, which means he bought and sold goods. He was also a politician, serving in the House of Commons. This is like the main law-making group in Britain. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for many years.
William was the second son of Samuel Heathcote. His older brother was Sir Gilbert Heathcote, 1st Baronet. William was also a close friend of John Locke, a famous thinker. He even helped Locke with work related to the country's money system.
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A Successful Merchant and Home Builder
Sir William Heathcote was very good at business. He earned enough money to buy a large piece of land called the Hursley estate in 1718. Between 1721 and 1724, William built a beautiful new house there. It was made of red brick and designed in the Queen Anne style. Today, this house is known as Hursley House. It was built where an old hunting lodge used to be.
His Time in Parliament
Sir William Heathcote was a Member of Parliament (MP) for a long time. He represented two different areas in the House of Commons. From 1722 to 1727, he was the MP for Buckingham. Then, from 1729 to 1741, he represented Southampton.
On August 16, 1733, he was given a special title. He became a baronet, which is a hereditary title in Britain. This meant he was known as Sir William Heathcote, 1st Baronet, of Hursley.
Sir William's Family
In 1720, Sir William Heathcote married Elizabeth. She was the only daughter of Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield. Sir William and Elizabeth had a large family with six sons and three daughters.
- Mary (died May 20, 1812) married Thomas Parker, 3rd Earl of Macclesfield. They had two sons and one daughter.
- Elizabeth Drake (1730–1797) married Vice-Admiral Francis William Drake. They had two daughters.
- Reverend Henry (around 1721–1803)
- Sir Thomas Heathcote, 2nd Baronet (July 23, 1721 – June 27, 1787)
- George (died March 31, 1735) He passed away when he was a baby.
- Reverend William (September 10, 1723 – September 22, 1748)
- Gilbert (1732–1800)
- Jenetta (1737–1809)
Sir William Heathcote passed away in 1751. After his death, his son, Thomas, inherited the family estate and the baronetcy title.
His Sister, Lady Drake
Sir William had a sister named Anne. She was born in 1702. Anne married Sir Francis Henry Drake. One of their sons was Francis William Drake. He later married Sir William Heathcote's daughter, Elizabeth, in 1763. Another son was Sir Francis Samuel Drake, 1st Baronet. Anne Lady Drake passed away in 1768.
