William Richard Chetwynd, 3rd Viscount Chetwynd (1684 – 3 April 1770) was a British politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

from 1715 to 1770.

Early life

Chetwynd was the youngest son of John Chetwynd (1643–1702) and thus younger brother of

Walter Chetwynd, 1st Viscount Chetwynd Walter Chetwynd, 1st Viscount Chetwynd (3 June 1678 – 21 February 1736), of Rudge and Ingestre, Staffordshire was a British Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1702 and 1734. Chetwynd was the eldest son of John Chetwynd o ...

and

John Chetwynd, 2nd Viscount Chetwynd John Chetwynd, 2nd Viscount Chetwynd (c.1680 – 21 June 1767) was a British diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1715 and 1747. Chetwynd was the second son of John Chetwynd of Ingestre and his wife Lucy Roane, daugh ...

. He was educated at

Westminster School Westminster School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Westminster, London, England, in the precincts of Westminster Abbey. It descends from a charity school founded by Westminster Benedictines before the Norman Conquest, as do ...

(c.1698–1702) and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

. In 1706, he became secretary to his elder brother John on his appointment as British envoy to Savoy at Turin, and in 1708 became British Resident at Genoa. During the financial crisis precipitated by the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...

, the Chetwynd brothers drew on their commercial credit to provide

General James Stanhope James Stanhope, 1st Earl Stanhope (1673 – 5 February 1721) was a British army officer and Whig politician who effectively served as Chief Minister between 1717 and 1721. He was also the last Chancellor of the Exchequer to sit in the House o ...

with the funds he needed to pay the British troops in Spain. Buchan, James (2018), ''

John Law John Law may refer to: Arts and entertainment * John Law (artist) (born 1958), American artist * John Law (comics), comic-book character created by Will Eisner * John Law (film director), Hong Kong film director * John Law (musician) (born 1961) ...

: A Scottish Adventurer in the Eighteenth Century'', Maclehose Press, London, pp. 83 - 85, William was recalled to England in 1712. He married Honora Baker, the daughter of William Baker, consul at Algiers in 1715.

Political career

Chetwynd was returned unopposed with his brother Walter as Member of Parliament for

Stafford Stafford () is a market town and the county town of Staffordshire, England. It is located about south of Stoke-on-Trent, north of Wolverhampton, and northwest of Birmingham. The town had a population of 71,673 at the 2021–2022 United Kingd ...

at the 1715 general election and was appointed to office as a junior

Lord of the Admiralty This is a list of lords commissioners of the Admiralty (incomplete before the Restoration, 1660). The lords commissioners of the Admiralty were the members of the Board of Admiralty, which exercised the office of Lord High Admiral when it was ...

in 1717. Both brothers were defeated in a contest at Stafford in

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel '' Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), ...

but he also stood for Parliament on the Navy interest at

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

and was returned there in 1722. Having voted with his friend

Viscount Bolingbroke Viscount Bolingbroke is a current title in the Peerage of Great Britain created in 1712 for Henry St John. He was simultaneously made Baron St John, of Lydiard Tregoze in the County of Wilts. Since 1751, the titles are merged with the titles ...

he lost his post at the Admiralty in 1727 and was not put forward for Plymouth again at the 1727 general election. He was elected MP for

1734 Events January– March * January 8 – Salzburgers, Lutherans who were expelled by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Salzburg, Austria, in October 1731, set sail for the British Colony of Georgia in America. * February 16 – ...

in place of his brother Walter and was returned unopposed in

1741 Events January–March * January 13 ** Lanesborough, Massachusetts is created as a township. ** Conventicle Act of 1741 is introduced in Denmark-Norway. *February 13 – Sir Robert Walpole, the Prime Minister of Great Britain ...

. In 1743 he was slightly injured in a duel at Parliament with Horatio Walpole. He was appointed master of the mint in 1744 and held the post until 1769. In 1745 he was appointed under-secretary of state and held the post until 1748. He was returned for Stafford again at the

1747 general election Events January–March * January 31 – The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital. * February 11 – King George's War: A combined French and Indian force, commanded by Captain Nicolas Antoine II Co ...

. He was returned for Stafford at the general elections of 1754, 1761 and after succeeding to his brother's Irish peerage under a

special remainder In property law of the United Kingdom and the United States and other common law countries, a remainder is a future interest given to a person (who is referred to as the transferee or remainderman) that is capable of becoming possessory upon the ...

in 1767 at the 1768 general election.

Death and legacy

Chetwynd died on 3 April 1770 aged 86. He had two sons and four daughters, but disinherited his surviving son, William, who became the 4th Viscount. Chetwynd built and lived in Chetwynd House in Stafford, which later was used as Stafford Post Office.

References

*H. M. Stephens, 'Chetwynd, William Richard, third Viscount Chetwynd (1685?–1770)’, rev. Philip Carter, ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', (Oxford University Press, 2004

accessed 15 Nov 2008. *''Burkes' Peerage'' (1939 edition). * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chetwynd, William Richard, 3rd Viscount 1684 births 1770 deaths People educated at Westminster School, London Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford British diplomats Lords of the Admiralty Masters of the Mint Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Stafford Hereditary peers elected to the House of Commons British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 British MPs 1747–1754 British MPs 1754–1761 British MPs 1761–1768 British MPs 1768–1774