Sir William Williams, 2nd Baronet, of Gray's Inn facts for kids

Sir William Williams, 2nd Baronet (born around 1665 – died October 20, 1740), was an important landowner and politician from Wales. He lived at Glascoed in Llansilin, Denbighshire. He was a member of the Tory Party and served in the British House of Commons (which is like the main law-making body in Britain) from 1708 to 1710.

Becoming a Leader

William Williams was the son of Sir William Williams, 1st Baronet, of Gray's Inn. His father was a very important person who even became the Speaker of the House of Commons.

In 1684, William Williams married Jane Thelwall. She was related to a famous family, being the great-granddaughter of Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet. Her family name, Thelwall, is similar to the Welsh name Llewellyn.

William Williams took on several important roles in his community. In 1695, he became the High Sheriff of Denbighshire. A High Sheriff was a bit like a chief law enforcement officer for a county back then. When his father passed away on July 11, 1700, William inherited his father's title and became the 2nd Baronet. He continued to serve as High Sheriff for other areas too, including Montgomeryshire in 1704, Merioneth in 1706, and Caernarvonshire in 1707.

Time in Parliament

At the 1708 British general election, William Williams was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Denbigh Boroughs. This meant he represented that area in the House of Commons. He was elected without anyone running against him, which is called being "returned unopposed."

As a member of the Tory party, he often supported their views. For example, he voted with the Tories on a decision about an election issue. He also voted against a process called "impeachment" for a person named Dr. Sacheverell in 1710. Impeachment is when a public official is accused of wrongdoing. He decided not to run for election again in 1710, likely because he wasn't feeling well.

Family and Legacy

William Williams' first wife, Jane, passed away in 1706. He later married Catherine Davies as his second wife.

In 1719, he inherited a huge amount of land and property from his first wife's relative, Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet. This included the large Wynnstay estate near Ruabon, Denbighshire, and other lands in Montgomery, Merioneth, and Llangedwyn. At that time, Sir John Wynn and Sir William Williams were the two biggest landowners in North Wales. When their estates combined, they became much larger than any other in the area.

To honor his first wife's family and their important history, Sir William changed his name to Sir William Williams-Wynn of Wynnstay.

Sir William Williams-Wynn died on October 20, 1740, when he was about 75 years old. He had several children with his first wife, including Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 3rd Baronet, Robert Williams, who also became a Member of Parliament, and Richard Williams, another Member of Parliament. His daughter, Sydney, married John Wynne.