Sir William Rawlinson (1640–1703) was an English serjeant-at-law and Commissioner for the

Great Seal of the Realm The Great Seal of the Realm or Great Seal of the United Kingdom (known prior to the Treaty of Union of 1707 as the Great Seal of England; and from then until the Union of 1801 as the Great Seal of Great Britain) is a seal that is used to sym ...

between 1688 and 1693.

Early life

Rawlinson was the second son of William Rawlinson, of Graithwaite and

Rusland Hall Rusland Hall is a English country house, country house in the English Lake District. The present building dates from about 1720. The Hall was owned by the Rawlinson family in the 17th and 18th centuries, and by the family of Beatrice Webb in the 19 ...

, Lancashire, and was born at Graithwaite on 16 June 1640. His father had captained in a troop of parliamentary volunteers during the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, serving at Marston Moor and Ribble Bridge. His mother was Elizabeth Sawrey, daughter of Anthony Sawrey of Plumpton. He was educated at Hawkshead School and was admitted at

Christ's College, Cambridge Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college includes the Master, the Fellows of the College, and about 450 undergraduate and 170 graduate students. The college was founded by William Byngham in 1437 as ...

, on 13 April 1655, aged 15. He was admitted at

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

on 20 February 1657, and in 1667 was called to the bar.

Career

Rawlinson became a chancery lawyer. In Easter term 1686 he became a serjeant-at-law, and in 1688 at the

revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

he was appointed one of the three Commissioners for the Great Seal. He helped to draft the amendments to the act which authorised the commissioners to execute the office of

Lord Chancellor The lord chancellor, formally the lord high chancellor of Great Britain, is the highest-ranking traditional minister among the Great Officers of State in Scotland and England in the United Kingdom, nominally outranking the prime minister. The ...

in March 1689 He was knighted by King William III at

Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chief ...

on 5 March 1689. In November 1690 he gave evidence before the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

against the bill to reform the abuses of the court of chancery, and was allowed a chair in view of his infirmities. Rawlinson acted as commissioner of the seal for three years, but in March 1693

Sir John Somers John Somers, 1st Baron Somers, (4 March 1651 – 26 April 1716) was an English Whig jurist and statesman. Somers first came to national attention in the trial of the Seven Bishops where he was on their defence counsel. He published tracts on ...

became sole keeper. Somers also opposed the king's proposal to appoint Rawlinson chief

Baron of the Exchequer The Barons of the Exchequer, or ''barones scaccarii'', were the judges of the English court known as the Exchequer of Pleas. The Barons consisted of a Chief Baron of the Exchequer and several puisne (''inferior'') barons. When Robert Shute was a ...

to replace Sir Robert Atkyns, arguing that he was ignorant of common law. Rawlinson returned to the bar, and in October 1697 he was as serjeant pleading for the

Duke of Devonshire Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the Cavendish family. This (now the senior) branch of the Cavendish family has been one of the wealthiest British aristocratic families since the 16th century and has be ...

. In 1695 Godolphin tried again to secure him promotion but without success.

Later life and legacy

Rawlinson died on 11 May 1703 at

Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Great ...

, where he had purchased an old mansion, Whichcotes, in Brent Street. He was buried in Hendon church where there is a monument to his memory, with a long Latin inscription.

Family

Rawlinson was married twice. By his first wife he had two daughters, Elizabeth and Ann. Elizabeth married Gyles Earle and was the mother of William Rawlinson Earle and Ann married John Aislabie and was the mother of William Aislabie. His second wife was Jane Noseworthy, daughter of Edward Noseworthy of Devon, and his wife Honora Maynard, who was a daughter of Sir John Maynard (1602–1690). Their only child died in infancy.Foster, Lancashire Pedigrees; Lysons, Environs of London, ii. 230 Jane died in 1712, leaving £500 to establish a school for girls. She was buried in Ealing church, where a monument was erected.

References

External links

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Rawlinson, William 1640 births 1703 deaths Serjeants-at-law (England) Knights Bachelor English lawyers