Sir William Harbord, 1st Baronet
Sir William Harbord, 1st Baronet (possibly c. 1696 – 17 February 1770) was a Norfolk country gentleman and Member of Parliament. He was born William Morden.
Life
He was the eldest son of John Morden of Suffield (died 1726) and his wife Judith, daughter of William Cropley of Shelland in Suffolk. He went to school in Thurlow and Bury St Edmunds before arriving at Caius College, Cambridge on 4 February 1713 aged only 16. Three years later he moved to Middle Temple to practise law. He succeeded his father in 1726 and also inherited the Norfolk properties of his mother's brother Harbord Harbord in 1742, assuming the surname Harbord in place of that of Morden by royal licence that year to meet the will's conditions. He was elected MP for Bere Alston towards the end of the 1727 Parliament by his neighbour Sir John Hobart, 5th Baronet.
On 25 April 1732 he married Elizabeth Britiffe – her father was Robert Britiffe, Recorder of Norwich and her half-sister was Judith, Sir John Hobart's first wife. They had two sons. With the heavy financial backing of Robert Walpole he fought and lost the Norfolk constituency in 1734, but was returned unopposed for Dunwich later in the same parliament. He remained an MP until 1754, from 1741 reverting to the constituency of Bere Alston and always voting for the Government.
He was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath on 28 May 1744 and a baronet on 22 March 1746. His eldest son Harbord (1734–1810) inherited the baronetcy on his death in 1770.[1]
References
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lord Hobart Edward Bacon |
Member of Parliament for Bere Alston February–May 1734 With: Sir Archer Croft |
Succeeded by Sir Francis Henry Drake John Bristow |
| Preceded by Sir George Downing, Bt Sir Orlando Bridgeman, Bt |
Member of Parliament for Dunwich 1738-1741 With: Sir George Downing, Bt |
Succeeded by Sir George Downing, Bt Jacob Garrard Downing |
| Preceded by Samuel Heathcote John Bristow |
Member of Parliament for Bere Alston 1741-1747 With: Samuel Heathcote |
Succeeded by Sir Francis Henry Drake William Morden |
| Preceded by Samuel Heathcote William Morden |
Member of Parliament for Bere Alston 1747-1754 With: Sir Francis Henry Drake |
Succeeded by Sir Francis Henry Drake John Bristow |
| Baronetage of Great Britain | ||
| New creation | Baronet 1746–1770 |
Succeeded by Harbord Harbord |