William Beecher (died 1651)

Sir William Beecher (1580–1651) was an English diplomat, soldier and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1614 and 1629.

Beecher was Chargé d'Affaires in France from 1609 to 1610.[1] In 1614, he was elected Member of Parliament for Knaresborough in the Addled Parliament. He was Agent or Chargé d'Affaires in Francs from 1617 to 1619.[1] In 1621 he was elected MP for Shaftesbury and Leominster and was expelled at Shaftesbury. He was knighted in 1622. He served as Clerk of the Privy Council from 1623 until he resigned in 1641.[2] In 1624 he was elected MP for Leominster again. He was elected MP for Dover in 1625 and for Ilchester in 1626. In 1627 he took part in the Siege of Saint-Martin-de-Ré when he commanded a small supply fleet with 400 raw troops.[3] In 1629 he was elected MP for Windsor and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was awarded MA at Cambridge University in 1629.[4]

Beecher was of Durham Gate, The Strand, Westminster and of Putney, Surrey. He died in 1651.[2]

References

  1. Gary M. Bell, A handlist of British diplomatic representatives 1509-1688 (Royal Historical Society, Guides and handbooks, 16, 1990
  2. History of Parliament Online - Beecher, William
  3. Mark C. Fissel (1991). War and Government in Britain: 1598-1650. Manchester University Press. p. 125. ISBN 978-0-7190-2887-8.
  4. "Beecher, William (BCR629W)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
Parliament of England
Preceded by
Sir Henry Slingsby
William Slingsby
Member of Parliament for Knaresborough
1614
With: Sir Henry Slingsby
Succeeded by
Sir Henry Slingsby
Sir Richard Hutton
Preceded by
Henry Croke
Sir Simeon Steward
Member of Parliament for Shaftesbury
1625
With: Thomas Sheppard
Succeeded by
Percy Herbert
Ralph Hopton
Preceded by
Sir Humphrey Baskerville
Thomas Coningsby
Member of Parliament for Leominster
1621–1624
With: Francis Smallman 1621–1622
James Tomkins
Succeeded by
James Tomkins
Edward Littelton
Preceded by
Sir Edward Cecil
Sir Richard Young
Member of Parliament for Dover
1625
With: John Hippisley
Succeeded by
John Hippisley
John Pringle
Preceded by
Richard Wynn
Sir Robert Gorges
Member of Parliament for Ilchester
1626
With: Robert Caesar
Succeeded by
Sir Robert Gorges
Sir Henry Berkeley
Preceded by
William Russell
Humphrey Newbury
Member of Parliament for Windsor
1628–1629
With: Thomas Hewett
Succeeded by
Parliament suspended until 1640
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