William Sotwell

William Sotwell (1571–1639) was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1621 and 1624.

Biography

Sotwell, born on 23 November 1571, was the eldest son of John Sotwell, clerk, of Penistone, Yorkshire, and Andover, Hants, and Mary, daughter of Christopher Ellis of Rothwell, Yorkshire. He was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford (1590) and Lincoln's Inn (1590) and was called to the bar in 1598.^[1]

Sotwell was a landowner of Greenham, Berkshire. He also inherited property at North Tidworth^[2] and Andover.^[3] In 1621, he was elected Member of Parliament for Ludgershall. He was re-elected MP for Ludgershall in 1624.^[1] He died on 18 June 1639.^[2][1]

Family

Sotwell married Eleanor (died 1607), third daughter of William Knight of Thatcham, Berksshire. They had a son and three daughters. The son and two daughters predeceased their father,^[1] the surviving daughter Elizabeth married firstly Francis Trenchard of Cutteridge, Wiltshire and secondly John Bulkeley.^[4]

Notes

1. Lancaster 2010.
2. Baggs, Freeman & Stevenson 1995, pp. 153-163.
3. Page 1911, pp. 345-358.
4. Helms & Watson 1983.

References

• Baggs, A P; Freeman, Jane; Stevenson, Janet H (1995), "Parishes: North Tidworth", A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 15: Amesbury hundred, Branch and Dole hundred, pp. 153–163
• Helms, M. W.; Watson, Paula (1983), "Bulkeley (Bunckley), John (1614-62), of Nether Burgate, Fordingbridge, Hants.", in Henning, B.D., The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, Boydell and Brewer
• Lancaster, Henry (2010), "Sotwell, William (1571-1639), of Stroud Green, Greenham, Berks. and Lincoln's Inn, London.", in Thrush, Andrew; Ferris, John P., The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1604-1629, Cambridge University Press
• Page, William, ed. (1911), "Parishes: Andover with Foxcott", A History of the County of Hampshire: Volume 4, pp. 345–358