William Nedham (c. 1740–1806) was an Irish and British politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1774 and 1790. Nedham was the third son of

Robert Nedham The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

MP and his wife Catherine Pitt, daughter of

Robert Pitt Robert Pitt (1680 – 21 May 1727) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1705 to 1727. He was the father and grandfather of two prime ministers, William Pitt the elder and William Pitt the younger. Early life Pitt was the ...

MP of

Boconnoc Boconnoc ( kw, Boskennek) is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, approximately four miles east of the town of Lostwithiel. According to the UK census 2011, 2011 census the parish had a population of 9 ...

, Cornwall. His family had long established connections in Jamaica, but he and his father never lived there. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, C ...

from 1756 to 1761 and was admitted at

Trinity Hall, Cambridge Trinity Hall (formally The College or Hall of the Holy Trinity in the University of Cambridge) is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. It is the fifth-oldest surviving college of the university, having been founded in 1350 by ...

on 31 January 1762. He was also admitted at the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wal ...

on 2 May 1758. He was awarded MA in 1766. In 1767, he succeeded his brother and had property at Howbery Park, Oxfordshire, Edwinstone, Nottinghamshire and Symonds Place,

Waresley Waresley is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Waresley-cum-Tetworth, in Cambridgeshire, England. Waresley lies approximately south of Huntingdon and south-east of the town of St Neots. Waresley is situated within Hunting ...

Park, Huntingdonshire. Nedham was a member of the Parliament of Ireland for Newry from 1767 to 1776. He was returned 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 Winchelsea on the Nesbitt interest at a by-election on 13 August 1774, but Parliament was dissolved six weeks later. At the 1774 general election he stood at Wallingford where he was supported by Lord Abingdon, but had to withdraw after polling began. He was

High Sheriff of Oxfordshire The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'. The title of High Sheriff is therefore much older ...

in 1774–5. He was returned for Winchelsea again in a by-election on 3 January 1775 after Arnold Nesbitt decided to sit for Cricklade instead. In the 1780 general election Nedham was returned for

Pontefract Pontefract is a historic market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England, east of Wakefield and south of Castleford. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is one of the towns in the City of Wake ...

by his friend

Robert Monckton-Arundell, 4th Viscount Galway Sir Robert Monckton-Arundell, 4th Viscount Galway PC (4 July 1752 – 23 July 1810), was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was a younger son of William Monckton-Arundell, 2nd Viscount Galway and succeeded ...

. He was once again returned for Winchelsea at the 1784 general election on the Nesbitt interest. He did not stand in

1790 Events January–March * January 8 – United States President George Washington gives the first State of the Union address, in New York City. * January 11 – The 11 minor states of the Austrian Netherlands, which took p ...

. He appears never to have spoken in the House of Commons. Nedham died unmarried at his home in Grosvenor Square on 27 April 1806, aged 65.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nedham, William 1740s births 1806 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of Trinity Hall, Cambridge Members of the Inner Temple British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1784–1790 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies High Sheriffs of Oxfordshire