William Coles (1616–1697) was an English lawyer and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1659 and in 1660. Coles was the son of Barnabas Coles of Woodfalls and his wife Katherine Barnes. He was a student of

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The library and chapel were added in the mi ...

in 1635. He was admitted at

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

in 1637 and was called to the bar in 1645. In 1648, he was a commissioner for militia for Wiltshire. He was a J.P. from 1653 to July 1660. He was commissioner for scandalous ministers in 1654, commissioner for assessment in 1657, commissioner for militia for Wiltshire again in 1659 and commissioner for sequestrations in 1659. In 1659, Coles was elected

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 Downton in the

Third Protectorate Parliament The Third Protectorate Parliament sat for one session, from 27 January 1659 until 22 April 1659, with Chaloner Chute and Thomas Bampfylde as the Speakers of the House of Commons. It was a bicameral Parliament, with an Upper House having a powe ...

. He was commissioner for assessment in January 1660 and commissioner for militia for Wiltshire again in March 1660. In April 1660 he was elected MP for Downton again in a double return for the Convention Parliament. He was allowed to sit on the merits of the return, but he was unseated six days later. History of Parliament Online - Coles, William
/ref> Coles died at the age of about 80. Coles married firstly under settlement dated 25 March 1647 Eleanor Fitzjames, daughter of Leweston Fitzjames of Leweston, Dorset, and had three sons. He married secondly before 1657, Joyce who had two sons and two daughters. He married thirdly on 21 July 1690, Elizabeth Raleigh, widow. of Gilbert Raleigh of Downton and daughter of James Goddard of South Marston, Wiltshire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coles, William 1616 births 1697 deaths English MPs 1659 English MPs 1660 English lawyers 17th-century English lawyers