Sir William Master (1600–1662) was an English politician.

Early life

William Master was born in 1600 in

Gloucestershire, England Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Glou ...

, the son of George Master and Bridget Cornwall, daughter and heiress of John Cornwall, Esq. of Marlborough. He was the grandson of

Richard Master Richard Masters (also Master, Mastre or Maistres) was a leading 16th-century English physician and personal doctor of Queen Elizabeth. Early life Masters was the son of Robert Masters of Streetend in Willesborough, Kent. He became a fellow a ...

. In 1622, he was knighted by King

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) *James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) *James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu *James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...

, and in 1623, elected to represent

Cirencester Cirencester (, ; see below for more variations) is a market town in Gloucestershire, England, west of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswolds. It is the home of ...

in Parliament. He served as

High Sheriff of Gloucestershire This is a list of Sheriffs and High Sheriffs of Gloucestershire, who should not be confused with the Sheriffs of the City of Gloucester. The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (in England and Wales the office previously kn ...

in 1627 following his appointment to the position by King

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

."Chester-Master Family"
National Archives of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 24 January 2010."Burke's genealogical and heraldic history"
p. 843. Retrieved 24 January 2010.

English Civil War

Initially Master was favourable to Parliament at the outbreak of the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

, however, following the Royalist invasion of his town, Master signed over contributions to the Royal Army after

Prince Rupert Prince Rupert of the Rhine, Duke of Cumberland, (17 December 1619 (O.S.) / 27 December (N.S.) – 29 November 1682 (O.S.)) was an English army officer, admiral, scientist and colonial governor. He first came to prominence as a Royalist cavalr ...

and

Prince Maurice Maurice, Prince Palatine of the Rhine KG (16 January 1621, in Küstrin Castle, Brandenburg – September 1652, near the Virgin Islands), was the fourth son of Frederick V, Elector Palatine and Princess Elizabeth, only daughter of King James VI ...

were quartered in his home, and he became a staunch Royalist. King

would also spend time in Master's home, once in August 1642 en route from

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

and again in 1644 en route from Oxford to Bath."The history of the ancient town of Cirencester"
p. 113. Retrieved 24 January 2010. His estate was eventually sequestered and by 1652 was still faced with difficulty as a result.

Marriage and family

Sir William married Alice, daughter of Sir Edward Estcourt, and had 12 children: *Thomas, esquire and heir *

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

, author of "Essays and Observations, Theological and Moral" *George, barrister *Richard *

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

, doctor *Robert *Mary, married Richard Browne, Esq. *Ann, married Richard Morgan, Esq. *Bridget, married Thomas Smythe, Esq. *Alice *Elizabeth *Winifred

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Master, William 1600 births 1662 deaths English knights English MPs 1624–1625 High Sheriffs of Gloucestershire Cavaliers Politicians from Gloucestershire