William Steuart (Scottish politician) facts for kids
William Steuart (born May 25, 1686 – died September 13, 1768) was a Scottish lawyer and politician. He was a member of the House of Commons, which is like the main law-making group in Britain, from 1713 to 1741. Steuart was a close helper and friend to the powerful Duke of Argyll. He worked to support the Duke's ideas and plans in Parliament and in other areas of public life. He also held several important government jobs throughout his career.
Early Life and Education
William Steuart was the only son of Thomas Steuart, who worked as a clerk in Orkney, Scotland. His mother was Isobel Young. William went to King's College, Aberdeen in 1701 to study. By 1707, he became an "advocate," which is a type of lawyer who speaks for people in court.
William was lucky to have the support of the Duke of Argyll and his brother, Lord Ilay. Because of their help, he got a good job in 1705 as a main clerk for the Scottish Exchequer. The Exchequer was like the government's money office. This job paid a lot of money, about £500 a year, which was a large sum back then!
After Scotland and England joined together to form Great Britain, some old Scottish government jobs were changed or removed. William's job was one of them. But he was given a new important role in 1708. He became the King's remembrancer for the Scottish Exchequer, and he kept this job for the rest of his life.
Becoming a Politician
William Steuart first tried to become a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1710 for a place called Tain Burghs, but he didn't win that election. However, in 1713, he was successfully elected as an MP for Inverness Burghs.
At this time, his powerful friends, the Duke of Argyll and Lord Ilay, had disagreed with a leading government minister named Robert Harley. So, Steuart's election was seen as a way to challenge the government's power. He always supported the ideas of his patrons, the Duke and Lord Ilay. For example, he voted against removing a writer named Richard Steele from Parliament. He also voted to make sure that a law about religious education covered Catholic schools too. In 1714, he was given another important job as secretary to the Prince of Wales for Scotland.
Working in Parliament
In the 1715 election, William Steuart was re-elected as MP for Inverness Burghs without anyone running against him. He also tried to become an MP for Orkney and Shetland but wasn't successful there.
From 1715 onwards, he generally voted with the government's plans. He also became a director of the East India Company from 1716 to 1719. This was a very powerful company that traded goods from places like India.
In 1722, he was elected as an MP for Ayr Burghs. Around 1724, the Duke of Argyll and Lord Ilay had a big disagreement and didn't speak to each other for many years. William Steuart became the person who helped them communicate, passing messages between the two brothers.
When King George I died in 1727 and his son became King George II, William lost his job as secretary to the Prince of Wales. But in the 1727 election, he was elected as an MP for both Ayr Burghs and Elgin Burghs. He chose to represent Ayr Burghs. In 1731, he was given a new job as the paymaster of pensions, which meant he was in charge of paying out money to people who received pensions from the government. He was re-elected for Ayr Burghs after getting this new job.
In the 1734 election, he was elected unopposed for Elgin Burghs. By 1739, he had several government jobs that paid him about £1,400 a year, which was a very large income. Even when the Duke of Argyll started to disagree with the government, William Steuart continued to support Lord Ilay. He decided to leave Parliament in 1741.
Later Life
In 1741, William Steuart married Frances Cheyne. They did not have any children. He passed away on September 13, 1768.
