William Archer (British politician)

William Archer (born Eyre; 4 June 1677 – 30 June 1739), of Coopersale, in Theydon Garnon, Essex, and Welford Park, Berkshire, was an English lawyer and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1734 to 1739.

Archer was born William Eyre, the second but first surviving son of William Eyre of Holme Hall and Highlow Hall, Derbyshire, and Catherine Gell, daughter of politician Sir John Gell, 2nd Baronet. He entered Gray's Inn in 1696 and was called to the bar in 1705. He became a bencher in 1724.[1]

Archer was extremely wealthy. In addition to his own family's wealth, in 1706, he inherited the estates of Sir John Archer at Coopersale, Essex and Welford Park, Berkshire, on condition that he marry Archer's niece, Eleanor Wrottesley, daughter of Sir Walter Wrottesley, 3rd Baronet and assume the name Archer. They married, but had no children. Eleanora died 2 May 1717, after which he married, as his second wife, Susanna Newton, daughter of Sir John Newton, 3rd Baronet, of Barrs Court. Through his second wife he inherited further estates from her brother, the fourth baronet, who died childless.[1]

Archer was returned as Tory Member of Parliament for Berkshire at a by-election on 6 February 1734 after the death of Sir John Stonhouse, 3rd Baronet in 1733. He was returned unopposed a few months later at the 1734 British general election. He voted against the address on the Spanish Convention of 1739.[1]

Archer died in office on 30 June 1739, aged 59.[2] With his second wife, he had a son, John Archer,[3] and a daughter, Susanna, who in 1751 married Edward Harley, 4th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer.[4] At the time of her marriage to the earl, Susanna's inheritance was worth £50,000 (equivalent to £7,914,154 in 2019).[1]

References

1. "ARCHER, William (1677-1739), of Coopersale, in Theydon Garnon, Essex, and Welford, Berks". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
2. Collins, Arthur (1756). Peerage of England: Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of All the Peers of England, Now Existing. W. Innys. p. 313. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
3. Marrat, W. (1816). The History Of Lincolnshire, Topographical, Historical, and Descriptive. p. 306. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
4. Burke, John (1833). A General and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. H. Colburn and R. Bentley. p. 275. Retrieved 17 November 2016.

Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Sir John Stonhouse, 3rd Baronet Winchcomb Packer	Member of Parliament for Berkshire 1734–1739 With: Winchcomb Packer	Succeeded by Peniston Powney Winchcomb Packer