Sir William Wheler, 1st Baronet (''ca.'' 1611 – 6 August 1666) of the city of Westminster, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1660. He was knighted by the

Lord Protector Lord Protector (plural: ''Lords Protector'') was a title that has been used in British constitutional law for the head of state. It was also a particular title for the British heads of state in respect to the established church. It was sometimes ...

in 1657 and was made a baronet by King Charles II in 1660.

Biography

Wheler of John Wheler, of London, goldsmith, and his wife Martha (born 1585), daughter of Robert Herrick, of St. Martin's, Leicester, was "a 4th son, born in Holland" probably in 1611. In November 1640, Wheler was elected Member of Parliament for Westbury in the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septem ...

, in which he was a member. He was a Lay Member of the Westminster Assembly in 1643. He was knighted some time before 30 January 1649. He sat until 1648 when he was excluded under Pride's Purge. He was sometime of the First Fruits office. He was knighted at Hampton Court, on 26 August 1657, by the

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

. In 1659 he represented Banffshire 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 ...

. In 1660, Wheler was elected MP for Queensborough in the Convention Parliament. He was created a baronet on 11 August 1660, with a special, remainder failing the heirs male of his body, "to Charles Wheeler ectius Wheler cosin to the said Sir William and the heires males of the body of the said Sir Charles". Wheler left London on account of the Great Plague of London and went to

Derby Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...

, where he died on 6 August 1666, at the age of 56. He was buried in All Saints in Derby where there is a monument to him which records his age at death as 66. Sir William's cousin

Charles Wheler Sir Charles Wheler, 2nd Baronet ( 1620–1683) of Birdingbury, Warwickshire, was an English cavalry officer who served in the English and Spanish armies. In 1667 he was elected a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Cambridge University. ...

succeeded to the baronetcy. However Sir William and Charles Wheler had fallen out, apparently over Charles urging Sir William to execute a settlement of his estates upon Charles (which he considered part of the arrangement for using his influence at court to help secure the baronetcy for Sir William), so instead of doing what Charles wanted, Sir William left the bulk of is estate to others and Charles only received an annual stipend of £120.

Family

Wheler married Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Michael Cole, of Kensington, Middlesex. She was laundress to Charles I. They had no children. She died in the country, but was buried 20 September 1670, at St. Margaret's, Westminster.

Notes

References

* * * * series= .S., vol. ii, 202, and vol. iii, 41 and 216 ;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wheler, William 1611 births 1666 deaths">1611 births">.S., vol. ii, 202, and vol. iii, 41 and 216 ;Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wheler, William 1611 births 1666 deaths English MPs 1640–1648 English MPs 1659 English MPs 1660 Baronets in the Baronetage of England