William Archer (British politician)

Archer was born William Eyre on 4 June 1677. He was 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. As his uncle Sir Philip Gell, 3rd Baronet died in 1719 without any children, the Gell family estate passed to William's brother, John Eyre, who assumed the surname Gell. After his brother's death in 1739, the lands of Hopton Hall were inherited by John's eldest son, and Archer's nephew, Philip Eyre Gell, who was High Sheriff of Derbyshire.[1][lower-alpha 1]

He entered Gray's Inn in 1696 and was called to the bar in 1705. He became a bencher in 1724.[4]

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. Archer died in office in 1739.[4]

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 before Eleanora died on 2 May 1717.[5]

After his first wife's death, he married, as his second wife, Susanna Newton, the only daughter of Sir John Newton, 3rd Baronet, of Barrs Court. Through this marriage, his second son inherited further estates from Susanna's brother, Sir Michael Newton, 4th Baronet, who died childless in 1743.[4] Together they were the parents of:[6]

• John Archer (c. 1722–1800), who married Lady Mary Fitzwilliam, a daughter of John Fitzwilliam, 2nd Earl Fitzwilliam.[7] Her sister was Lady Anne Fitzwilliam (the second wife of Francis Godolphin, 2nd Baron Godolphin) and her brother was William Fitzwilliam, 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam (who married Lady Anne, a daughter of the 1st Marquess of Rockingham).[8]
• Michael Archer (c. 1727–1803), an MP for Beverley who married Anne Bagshawe, the only daughter of Samuel Bagshawe of Ford Hall and Catharine (née Caldwell) Bagshawe (a daughter of Sir John Caldwell of Castle Caldwell), in 1799; he took name of Newton in 1743 to succeed to his uncle's estates.[9]
• Catherine Archer (c. 1728–1810), who married Philip Blundell.[10]
• Susanna Archer (c. 1729–1804), who married Edward Harley, 4th Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer in 1751; at the time of her marriage, her inheritance was worth £50,000 (equivalent to £8,358,088 in 2021).[4][11] She succeeded to the estates of her brother Michael in 1803.[10]

Archer died on 30 June 1739, aged 59.[12] His widow died 28 January 1761.[10]

Notes

Sources

• ARCHER, William (1677-1739), of Coopersale, in Theydon Garnon, Essex, and Welford, Berks. at History of Parliament Online