Sir William Roberts, 1st Baronet (21 June 1638 – 14 March 1688), of

Willesden Willesden () is an area of north-west London, situated 5 miles (8 km) north-west of Charing Cross. It is historically a parish in the county of Middlesex that was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Willesden in 1933; it has formed ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

, was an English landowner and politician. The son of Sir William Roberts, a Member of Parliament and of Cromwell's House of Peers during the

English Commonwealth The Commonwealth of England was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when Kingdom of England, England and Wales, later along with Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, were governed as a republi ...

, Roberts was created a baronet on 4 October 1661. The following year, on his father's death, he inherited considerable property in what is now North

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

which was, however, much encumbered with mortgages and legacies. Described as a "very careless man", he dissipated his fortune, engaging in litigation against his mother over the disposal of his father's bequests, and falling deeper and deeper into debt. He sold an estate at Kilburn in 1664, two estates in

Harlesden Harlesden is a district in the London Borough of Brent, north-west London. Located north of the Grand Union Canal and Wormwood Scrubs, the Harrow Road flows through the centre of the area which goes eastwards to Central London and west towar ...

in 1665–1666 and 1671, and he was preparing to pay his debts by selling Oxgate when he died in 1688. The family seat of

Neasden Neasden is a suburban area in northwest London, England. It is located around the centre of the London Borough of Brent and is within the NW2 (Cricklewood) and NW10 (Willesden) postal districts. Neasden is near Wembley Stadium, the Brent Reserv ...

House he never sold, but mortgaged it so recklessly that it passed into the temporary possession of the mortgagee. He was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son, also called William.

References

'Willesden', ''The Environs of London: volume 3: County of Middlesex'' (1795), pp. 611–624. Date accessed: 27 January 2008.

'Willesden: Other estates', ''A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 7'' (1982), pp. 216–220. Date accessed: 27 January 2008
* 1638 births 1688 deaths Roberts, William, 1st Baronet English MPs 1679 English landowners English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1681 {{1681-England-MP-stub