William Badger (died 1629) facts for kids

William Badger (born around 1523 – died 18 January 1629) was an important person in England a long time ago. He was a member of the English Parliament for the city of Winchester in 1597. Parliament is a group of people who help make laws for the country.

Early Life and Career

William Badger was the son of Robert Badger, who was a brewer (someone who makes beer) in Winchester. William chose a different path and became a lawyer, also known as an attorney. He practiced law in his hometown of Winchester.

Roles in Winchester

William Badger held several important jobs in Winchester:

• By 1551, he became a "freeman" of Winchester. This meant he had special rights as a citizen of the city.
• From 1553 to 1555, he was the "borough chamberlain." This job involved managing the city's money.
• He served as the Mayor of Winchester three times:
  • 1572–1573
  • 1586–1587
  • 1597–1598

Public Service and Beliefs

William Badger was known to be a "papist" in 1572. This was a term used for people who followed the Roman Catholic faith during a time when the official church in England was the Church of England. Even though he was Catholic, the Church of England Bishop of Winchester still asked him for legal advice.

Work for the Church

In 1575, William Badger became the clerk of the lands for the Winchester diocese. A diocese is an area managed by a bishop. From 1580, he shared this job with his son, Robert.

Supporting England

In April 1589, William Badger showed his support for England by giving £50 to the Armada fund. This money helped prepare England to defend itself against the Spanish Armada, a large fleet of ships sent by Spain.

Time in Parliament

When William Badger was a member of Parliament in 1597, he worked on important issues.

Committee Work

• On 13 December 1597, he joined a group of lawyers on a committee. They discussed a new law about "tillage," which means preparing land for growing crops.
• As a representative for Winchester, he also helped on a committee in January 1598 that dealt with rules about bread.

Later Life and Legacy

William Badger lived a very long life for his time. He passed away without leaving a will (this is called dying "intestate").

Burial and Estate

He was buried in Winchester Cathedral on 18 January 1629. His daughter, Grace, was given the responsibility of managing his property and money on 2 February 1630.

A Long Life

A historian named A.B. Rosen, who wrote about William Badger for the History of Parliament, noted how unusual it was for someone to join Parliament for the first time when they were over 70 years old and then live to be over 100! However, the records show that this was indeed the case for William Badger.