William Sandys (waterworks engineer) facts for kids

William Sandys (born around 1607 – died December 1669) was an important English politician. People often called him Waterworks Sandys because he was a skilled engineer. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Evesham in three different Parliaments between 1640 and 1669. During the English Civil War, he lived in France and helped the Royalist side by getting weapons. He was famous for improving rivers like the River Avon and the River Wye to make them easier for boats to use. He also worked on many other river projects.

Who Was William Sandys?

William Sandys was born in a place called Fladbury in Worcestershire. He was the second son of Sir William Sandys and his second wife, Margaret. William came from a well-known family. His older brother was Sir Miles Sandys, who was also an MP. His grandfather was Miles Sandys, and his great-uncle was Edwin Sandys, who became the Archbishop of York.

Sometimes, William Sandys is confused with his cousins, who also had the same name. One cousin was called Golden Sandys, and another was William Sandys of Ombersley. All three of them went to Oxford University around the same time. That's why people started calling him Waterworks Sandys. This special nickname helped everyone know which William Sandys they were talking about!

Early Life and Education

William Sandys started studying at Gloucester Hall, Oxford in 1623 when he was 16 years old. He officially joined Oxford University on June 13, 1623. On the very same day, his cousin, William Sandys of Ombersley, also joined. Later, in 1626, William Sandys became a student at the Middle Temple, which is a place where people studied to become lawyers.

In 1633, he left London and moved to Fladbury. He married Cicely, the daughter of Sir John Stede. Cicely brought a good amount of money with her when they married. They made their home in Fladbury, where they had the right to use the manor (a large estate) from the Bishop of Worcester.

Improving Rivers for Travel

In 1635, William Sandys got permission to improve the River Avon. Many towns and counties that would benefit from the river improvements supported his plan. He received official approval from the King in 1636.

Within a few years, he made the River Avon navigable, meaning boats could travel on it. He managed to make it navigable at least up to Stratford upon Avon, and maybe even further. He did this by building special structures called 'sluices'. These were like modern locks that help boats move between different water levels. By 1640, the river was fully open for boats to Stratford.

However, this big project cost a lot of money. William Sandys had to borrow money and put his lands and the river navigation as a guarantee. Because of this, his creditors (the people he owed money to) ended up taking control of his properties and the river project.

Politics and the Civil War

William Sandys also had a special agreement from the King to collect a new tax on coal exports. This tax was put in place without the approval of Parliament. This project didn't work out well, and he gave up the agreement. However, the fact that he took this agreement was later used against him.

In 1640, he was elected to represent Evesham in the Short Parliament. He was elected again for the same area in the Long Parliament. But he was later removed from Parliament because he was seen as a "monopolist" due to his coal tax agreement. Not long after this, he went to live in another country.

During the English Civil War, William Sandys worked as an agent for the Royalist side. He bought weapons and supplies in Dunkirk for the King's army. Later, he traveled around trying to raise money to help bring Charles II back as king. He was a gentleman-usher (a type of attendant) at the King's court while they were in exile, but he wasn't encouraged to attend often.

After the King Returned

After the King was restored to power, William Sandys again represented Evesham in Parliament. He was a very active member for the rest of his life. He was still very interested in making rivers easier to travel on.

He tried to get back control of the River Avon project. But it seems his claim was bought out by others. He and Windsor Sandys (who was probably his son) worked to improve the River Wye up to Mordiford. They used money that had been raised during the time the King was away. However, this project didn't make enough money to cover its costs. Eventually, the river was given over to the county.

William and Windsor Sandys were also involved in the River Wey Navigation project in Surrey. It's not completely clear what their role was, but Windsor Sandys eventually sold their interest in it. Overall, William Sandys was involved in about seven different river improvement plans. However, most of these projects never got past the first step of getting a law passed by Parliament.

When William Sandys died in December 1669, he didn't own much property. This was because he had lost his estates and hadn't been able to make money from the Avon project. He mainly had his interests in the river navigation schemes.

Family Life

On April 24, 1633, William Sandys married Cicely, who was the daughter of Sir John Stede. After William died, Cicely had trouble getting back her share of the manor of Fladbury. She believed she had kept this right under agreements made in the 1630s.