William Skrine (c. 1721–1783) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1771 to 1780. He committed suicide after losing heavily at cards. Skrine was the son of Dr. William Skrine, of

Claverton, Somerset Claverton is a small village and civil parish about east of Bath at the southern end of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 115. History The parish was part of the hundred o ...

and his wife Ann Spurstow, daughter of Henry Spurstow of Cheshire. His father was a physician or apothecary at Bath and thus made many connections with titled families and built up a considerable fortune. Skrine succeeded his father who died when he was aged four on 5 December 1725. He matriculated at

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its founder, Sir Thomas White, intended to pro ...

on 24 January 1738, aged 16. In 1758, he sold

Claverton Manor The American Museum and Gardens (formerly American Museum in Britain) is a museum of American art and culture based at Claverton, near Bath, England. Its world-renowned collections of American furniture, quilts and folk art are displayed in a ...

to Ralph Allen. He married firstly, Jane Sumner on 21 May 1764; she died in 1766. His second wife was Julia Maria Siordet of Piedmont whom he married in about 1776. Skrine was a close friend of

Horace Walpole Horatio Walpole (), 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian, and Whigs (British political party), Whig politician. He had Strawb ...

, and was returned on the Orford interest 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

Callington Callington ( kw, Kelliwik) is a civil parish and town in east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom about north of Saltash and south of Launceston. Callington parish had a population of 4,783 in 2001, according to the 2001 census. This had inc ...

, after a contest at a by-election on 22 November 1771. He was returned unopposed in

1774 Events January–March * January 21 – Mustafa III, List of Ottoman Sultans, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dies and is succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I. * January 27 ** An angry crowd in Boston, Massachusetts seizes, tars, and f ...

. He voted steadily with the Government. His attendance at divisions was good, but there is no indication that he spoke in Parliament. He decided to relinquish his seat in

1780 Events January–March * January 16 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of Cape St. Vincent: British Admiral Sir George Rodney defeats a Spanish fleet. * February 19 – The legislature of New York votes to allow ...

. Skrine played cards at Brook's. He lost very heavily on 8 March 1783, and shot himself in the head at a tavern in Newgate Street. He appointed

Lord Barrington Viscount Barrington, of Ardglass in the County of Down, was a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1720 for the lawyer, theologian and politician John Barrington. He was made Baron Barrington, of Newcastle in the County of Limeri ...

as executor, and as guardian of his children. His daughter Louisa Skrine, who may have been an illegitimate child of Jane Sumner and

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS (13 November 1718 – 30 April 1792) was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten. During his life ...

, married

Sir Thomas Clarges, 3rd Baronet Sir Thomas Clarges, 3rd Baronet (1751–1782) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1780 to 1782. Clarges was the son of Thomas Clarges of Aston, Hertfordshire and his wife Anne Shute of John Shute, 1st Viscount Barri ...

in 1777. His other daughter Elizabeth Ann Skrine married Charles Loraine Smith in 1781.

External links

Claverton House near Bath ye Seat of Skrine esq 1738 purchased by Ralph Allen Esqr

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skrine, William 1720s births 1783 deaths Alumni of St John's College, Oxford British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 British politicians who died by suicide Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Callington Suicides by firearm in England