Sir William Heathcote, 5th Baronet, PC (17 May 1801 – 17 August 1881), was a British landowner and Conservative politician.

Background and education

Heathcote was the son of Reverend William Heathcote, second son of

Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Baronet ''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English language, English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist i ...

. His mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Lovelace Bigg-Wither. He was educated at

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

and

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...

. In 1825 he succeeded his uncle as fifth Baronet of Hursley as well as to the family seat of

Hursley House Hursley House is an 18th-century Queen Anne style mansion in Hursley, near Winchester in the English county of Hampshire. The building is Grade II* listed. History The Hursley estate was bought by William Heathcote, MP from the daughters of R ...

Hursley Hursley is a village and civil parish in Hampshire, England with a population of around 900 in 2011. It is located roughly midway between Romsey and Winchester on the A3090. Besides the village the parish includes the hamlets of Standon and ...

, Hampshire.

Political career

Heathcote entered Parliament as one of two representatives (MPs) for

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

in 1826, a seat he held until 1831, and in the previous year described by commentators as among those voting with the group known as

Ultra-Tories The Ultra-Tories were an Anglican faction of British and Irish politics that appeared in the 1820s in opposition to Catholic emancipation. The faction was later called the "extreme right-wing" of British and Irish politics.James J. Sack"Ultra torie ...

. He was re-elected next as MP for Hampshire North between 1837 and 1849 and for

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

between 1854 and 1868. He never held ministerial office but was sworn of the

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

in 1870. He was

High Sheriff of Hampshire This is a list of High Sheriffs of Hampshire. This title was often given as High Sheriff of the County of Southampton until 1959. List of High Sheriffs *1070–1096: Hugh de Port "Domesday Book Online" *1105: Henry de Port (son of Hugh) *1129: W ...

for 1832–33. Heathcote was a member of the Canterbury Association from 27 March 1848.

Family

Heathcote was twice married. He married firstly the Hon. Caroline Frances, daughter of

Charles Perceval, 2nd Baron Arden Charles George Perceval, 2nd Baron Arden PC FRS (1 October 1756 – 5 July 1840) was a British politician. Background and education Charles George Perceval was born at Charlton, Kent, the son of John Perceval, 2nd Earl of Egmont, by his s ...

, in 1825. They had three sons and one daughter. After her death in March 1835 he married secondly Selina, daughter of

Evelyn Shirley Evelyn Shirley may refer to: *Evelyn Shirley (1788–1856), Member of Parliament (MP) *Evelyn Shirley (1812–1882) Evelyn Philip Shirley (22 January 1812 – 19 September 1882), was a British politician, antiquary and genealogist. Background ...

, in 1841. They had eight children. Heathcote died in August 1881, aged 80, and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his eldest son from his first marriage, William. Lady Selina Heathcote died in July 1901, having sold Hursley House to Joseph William Baxendale, of the

Pickfords Pickfords is a moving company based in the United Kingdom, part of Pickfords Move Management Ltd. The business is believed to have been founded in the 17th century, making it one of the UK's oldest functioning companies, although the similar ...

logistics company.

References

Biography at family-forest.co.uk

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Heathcote, William, 5th Baronet 1801 births 1881 deaths 19th-century British landowners Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Heathcote baronets

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies UK MPs 1826–1830 UK MPs 1830–1831 UK MPs 1837–1841 UK MPs 1841–1847 UK MPs 1847–1852 Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for the University of Oxford UK MPs 1852–1857 UK MPs 1857–1859 UK MPs 1859–1865 UK MPs 1865–1868 Members of the Canterbury Association High Sheriffs of Hampshire Ultra-Tory MPs Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom