William Blathwayt

William Blathwayt (or Blathwayte) (1649 – 16 August 1717 ) was an English diplomat, public official and Whig politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1685 and 1710. He established the War Office as a department of the British Government and played an important part in administering the English (later British) colonies of North America.

Early life Blathwayt was born at St Botolph's, Aldersgate and baptized in the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London on 2 March 1649, the only son of William Blathwayt, barrister, of the Middle Temple, and Anne Povey, daughter of Justinian Povey of Hounslow, Middlesex, who was accountant-general to Queen Anne of Denmark. He was born to a well-to-do family of Protestant merchants and lawyers. After his father's death, his mother remarried Thomas Vivian, of the prominent Cornish family. In 1665 he was admitted at Middle Temple.

In October 1686, Blathwayt became a Clerk of the Privy Council in Ordinary. He became the secretary of the Privy Council's committee on trade and foreign plantations — in effect, colonial under-secretary. It was in this capacity that he became a key figure in American affairs. He was responsible for establishing the charter of the Crown colony of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, the predecessor of the state of Massachusetts. He did much to promote trade in America and benefited considerably from gifts and bribes received in connection with his office (as was the usual practice in his day). His rise was noted by many of his contemporaries; the diarist John Evelyn commended him as "very dexterous in business" and as one who had "raised himself by his industry from very moderate circumstances."

Blathwayt was a witness for the prosecution at the Trial of the Seven Bishops in 1688 and he lost the politically sensitive post as secretary at war after the Glorious Revolution. He was restored to the post in May 1689 and held it to 1704.

Blathwayt retired to Dyrham in 1710 (his wife had died in 1691), remaining there until his death.

Personal life

On 23 December 1686, he married Mary Wynter (1650–1691), daughter of John Wynter of Dyrham Park and the former Frances Gerrard. John Blathwayt (1690–1754), a talented musician during his time in Italy; after his return to England, he joined the military, became a Colonel and fought at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. Anne Blathwayt (1691–1717), who married, as his second wife, Edward Southwell Sr., the Principal Secretary of State for Ireland who was a son, and heir, of diplomat Sir Robert Southwell of Kings Weston. Southwell was previously married to Elizabeth Cromwell, 8th Baroness Cromwell, who died in 1709.

Blathwayt died at Dyrham on 16 August 1717 and was buried in the local churchyard.

Art collection

Blathwayt built a large mansion house for himself at Dyrham Park near Bristol, which he decorated with numerous Dutch Old Masters and sumptuous fabrics and furnishings. His descendants sold a large part of his art collection in 1765, but some of the paintings have been purchased back or remain at Dyrham Park. Dyrham Park is today in the care of the National Trust and is open to visitors.

Descendants Through his son William, he was a grandfather of William Blathwayt (1719–1787), who married three times: to Penelope Jenkinson; Elizabeth Clarke and Mary Creighton of London. Among his numerous descendants were Robert Wynter Blathwayt (1850–1936), who inherited Dyrham Park in 1909 and married Margaret Ermentrude Chandos-Pole-Gell (a daughter of Henry Chandos Pole Gell of Hopton Hall).

He was also the ancestor of Lt. Col. Linley Wynter Blathwayt (1839–1919), the head of a cadet branch of the Blathwayt family who lived at Eagle House in Somerset. He was married to his first cousin, suffragette Emily Blathwayt, and they were the parents of Mary Blathwayt.

Gallery