William Gregory (1625–1696)
Encyclopedia
Sir William Gregory was a British
judge
and politician
. He was educated at All Souls College, Oxford
and was then called to the Bar
. In 1653 he married Elizabeth Smith, with whom he had one daughter, Sarah, who died in 1691 before her father. It was not until 1677 that William gained prominence, being elected a Serjeant-at-law
. In March 1677 the election of Sir Thomas Williams as a Member of Parliament
for Weobly
was called into question and declared void, so William Gregory offered himself as a candidate and was elected without opposition on the 9th of March.
After only a year in Parliament he was elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons in the Habeas Corpus Parliament
, as a compromise between Parliament, who wished to reelect Sir Edward Seymour
and the King
, who was averse to him. During his time in Parliament Gregory was instrumental in the passing of the Habeas Corpus Act 1679
, and was subsequently knighted and then confirmed as Baron of the Exchequer. In 1689 he was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench, a position he held until his death.
In 1677 Gregory purchased the manor and estate of How Caple, Herefordshire
, from Edward Caple, whose family had held it since 1289, and subsequently added to it with the purchase of lands in Woolhope
and Fawnhope, including the manors of Fawnhope and Sellershope, spending most of his free time at the manor house at How Caple. He was afflicted with kidney stone
s, an illness he bore well: a 1694 letter to Sir Edward Harley
says:
He left adequate funds in his will to rebuild the parish church of St Andrew and St Mary at How Cable (1693–1695), with the exception of the chancel, which remains medieval. The building is apparently admired for its architectural beauty despite being built in a time where architectural design was at its lowest ebb.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was educated at All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
and was then called to the Bar
Call to the bar
The Call to the Bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party, and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received a "call to the bar"...
. In 1653 he married Elizabeth Smith, with whom he had one daughter, Sarah, who died in 1691 before her father. It was not until 1677 that William gained prominence, being elected a Serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
. In March 1677 the election of Sir Thomas Williams as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Weobly
Weobley (UK Parliament constituency)
Weobley was a parliamentary borough in Herefordshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in 1295 and from 1628 until 1832, when the borough was abolished by the Great Reform Act.- MPs 1628–1660 :...
was called into question and declared void, so William Gregory offered himself as a candidate and was elected without opposition on the 9th of March.
After only a year in Parliament he was elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons in the Habeas Corpus Parliament
Habeas Corpus Parliament
The Habeas Corpus Parliament, also known as the First Exclusion Parliament, was a short-lived English Parliament which assembled on 6 March 1679 during the reign of Charles II of England, the third parliament of the King's reign. It is named after the Habeas Corpus Act, which it enacted in May,...
, as a compromise between Parliament, who wished to reelect Sir Edward Seymour
Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet
Sir Edward Seymour, of Berry Pomeroy, 4th Baronet, MP was a British nobleman, and a Royalist and Tory politician.-Life:...
and the King
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, who was averse to him. During his time in Parliament Gregory was instrumental in the passing of the Habeas Corpus Act 1679
Habeas Corpus Act 1679
The Habeas Corpus Act 1679 is an Act of the Parliament of England passed during the reign of King Charles II by what became known as the Habeas Corpus Parliament to define and strengthen the ancient prerogative writ of habeas corpus, whereby persons unlawfully detained cannot be ordered to be...
, and was subsequently knighted and then confirmed as Baron of the Exchequer. In 1689 he was appointed Chief Justice of the King's Bench, a position he held until his death.
In 1677 Gregory purchased the manor and estate of How Caple, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, from Edward Caple, whose family had held it since 1289, and subsequently added to it with the purchase of lands in Woolhope
Woolhope
- Location :Woolhope is located about 7 miles east of Hereford.- History :The manor of Woolhope in Herefordshire, along with three others, was given to the cathedral at Hereford before the Norman Conquest by the benefactresses Wulviva and Godiva, local Anglo-Saxon landowners before the Norman...
and Fawnhope, including the manors of Fawnhope and Sellershope, spending most of his free time at the manor house at How Caple. He was afflicted with kidney stone
Kidney stone
A kidney stone, also known as a renal calculus is a solid concretion or crystal aggregation formed in the kidneys from dietary minerals in the urine...
s, an illness he bore well: a 1694 letter to Sir Edward Harley
Edward Harley (Parliamentarian)
Sir Edward Harley KB was an English Parliamentarian.He was born in Brampton Bryan, Herefordshire, the son of Sir Robert Harley, KB and his third wife Brilliana, the daughter of Edward Conway, 1st Viscount Conway...
says:
My distemper hath been very sharp apon me this winter, and I have not been out of this chamber these three months. My trust is that god, who has hithero of his goodness supported me under it, will sanctifie it onto me.
He left adequate funds in his will to rebuild the parish church of St Andrew and St Mary at How Cable (1693–1695), with the exception of the chancel, which remains medieval. The building is apparently admired for its architectural beauty despite being built in a time where architectural design was at its lowest ebb.