William Levinz (MP) facts for kids

William Levinz (born around 1671, died 1747) was an important British lawyer and politician. He lived at Grove Hall and Bilby, Nottinghamshire. He was a member of the English and British House of Commons from 1702 to 1734. He was known as a Tory politician, which was one of the main political groups at the time.

Early Life and Family

William Levinz was the oldest son of Sir Creswell Levinz, who was a very famous lawyer. His mother was Elizabeth Livesay. William came from a family of educated people. His uncle, also named William Levinz, was a professor at Oxford University, teaching Greek. Another uncle, Baptist Levinz, was a bishop.

William started his law studies at Gray's Inn in 1681. He then went to St John's College, Oxford in 1688 when he was 17. His uncle William was in charge of the college at that time. In 1689, he moved to another law school called Inner Temple. He officially became a lawyer in 1693.

In 1693, William Levinz married Ann Buck. In 1701, he inherited his father's properties. One of these properties helped him get involved in politics in a place called Retford.

Political Career

William Levinz became a leading member of the Tory party in Nottinghamshire. The Tories were one of the two main political parties in Britain back then. They often disagreed with the other main party, the Whigs.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

William first tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for East Retford in 1701 but lost. He tried again in 1702 and lost again at first. However, he challenged the result, and the Parliament agreed with him. So, he became the MP for East Retford on 28 November 1702. He was very active in Parliament, often helping to count votes.

In 1705, he was elected again for East Retford. But this time, he was removed from his seat after someone else challenged the election result. For a year, from 1707 to 1708, he served as the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire, which was an important local role.

Challenges and Successes

William Levinz was elected as an MP for East Retford again in 1708. At this time, there was a disagreement among the Whigs about deer causing problems in Sherwood Forest. This helped William win.

On 14 January 1709, William Levinz had a duel with William Jessop. Jessop was a legal advisor for a powerful Whig leader. Jessop was injured in the duel.

In 1710, William Levinz voted against the idea of putting Dr. Sacheverell on trial. Later that year, he was successfully elected as an MP for Nottinghamshire. He was very busy in Parliament and was seen as a "worthy patriot" because he helped to find problems in the previous government.

In 1712, he was chosen to be a Commissioner. This meant he helped to investigate grants given by the King or Queen. In 1712, he also supported a peace agreement. In 1713, he voted against a bill about trade with France. He was re-elected without anyone opposing him for Nottinghamshire in 1713. He supported the government. He also showed his loyalty to the new royal family (the Hanoverians) by being keen to enforce laws against Roman Catholics.

Later Political Years

In 1715, William Levinz was re-elected without opposition. He also gave £100 to help create a Nottinghamshire army group during the 1715 Jacobite rebellion. This rebellion was an attempt to put a different family on the throne.

In the 1722 election, he lost by a small number of votes. He wrote that the election involved "extravagant" threats and promises, and "open and avowed" corruption.

In 1727, he considered running for both East Retford and Nottinghamshire again. He even had support from some Whigs. But in the end, he made a deal with the local Whig leaders. He agreed not to run for the county if they didn't oppose his chosen candidate for East Retford.

In 1732, two Whig MPs for Nottinghamshire left their seats at the same time. William Levinz made another agreement. He became an MP for one of the empty seats, and a Whig candidate took the other.

In 1734, William's son, also named William, became old enough to be an MP. William Levinz made an agreement with the Whigs so that his son could take his place as an MP for Nottinghamshire.

Death

William Levinz passed away in May 1747. He left behind a son and two daughters.