William Bromley (1699?–1737), of Baginton, Warwickshire, was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Tory politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

between 1725 and 1737.

Early life

Bromley was second, but only surviving, son of William Bromley, Speaker of the House of Commons and his last wife Elizabeth Stawell, daughter of

Ralph Stawell, 1st Baron Stawell Ralph Stawell, 1st Baron Stawell (c.1641 – 1689) was an English landowner, soldier, Member of Parliament and peer. He was born c.1641, the fifth son (third surviving) of John Stawell (1600–1662), who was MP for Somerset and one of the leadin ...

. He was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

in 1714, and matriculated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

on 27 February 1717, at the age of 15. From 1721 to 1724 he undertook as Grand Tour through Italy and France.

Career

Bromley entered Parliament unopposed as

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Fowey Fowey ( ; kw, Fowydh, meaning 'Beech Trees') is a port town and civil parish at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. The town has been in existence since well before the Norman invasion, with the local ch ...

at a by-election on 15 March 1725 pending a general election. At the

1727 British general election The 1727 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 7th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election was trigg ...

he was returned unopposed as MP for . He was put forward by the party opposed to

Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader ...

to move the repeal of the

Septennial Act The Septennial Act 1715 (1 Geo 1 St 2 c 38), sometimes called the Septennial Act 1716, was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain. It was passed in May 1716. It increased the maximum length of a parliament (and hence the maximum period between ...

on 13 March 1734. At the 1734 British general election he was re-elected for Warwick, but was unseated on petition. At a by-election on 2 February 1737, after the death of

George Clarke George Clarke (7 May 1661 – 22 October 1736), of All Souls, Oxford, was an English architect, print collector and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1702 and 1736. Life The son of Sir William Clarke ...

, he was elected to represent

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 ...

, which his father had represented for 30 years. He died suddenly five weeks later, on 12 March 1737. His portrait is in the Bodleian Gallery.

Family

Bromley married Lucy Throckmorton, daughter of Clement Throckmorton of Haseley, Warwickshire on 2 July 1724. They had two sons and a daughter, including his heir William Throckmorton Bromley MP.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bromley, William 1699 births 1737 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Oxford University