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Charles Hanbury Williams
Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, KB (8 December 1708 – 2 November 1759) was a British politician, diplomat and writer. He was a Member of Parliament from 1734 until his death.
Hanbury was the son of a Welsh ironmaster and Member of Parliament, John Hanbury, and his second wife, Bridget Ayscough, eldest daughter of Sir Edward Ayscough of Stallingborough and South Kelsey. With his father's marriage to Bridget came a fortune of £10,000 and connections with established political families. His mother was a close friend of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough.
Charles went to Eton, where he befriended the novelist Henry Fielding. In 1720, he assumed the name of Williams, under the terms of a bequest from his godfather, Charles Williams of Caerleon.
Williams entered Parliament in 1734, representing the Monmouthshire constituency as a supporter of Robert Walpole, and held the seat until 1747. In 1754 he was returned to the commons as member for Leominster, holding the seat until his death.
From 1747 to 1750, Williams served as the British ambassador in Dresden. In 1748 he had the same function in Poland and witnessed a Polish Sejm, where he met members of the influential Czartoryski family (August Aleksander Czartoryski). When the future King of Poland, Stanisław Poniatowski, was receiving medical treatment in Berlin, Sir Charles met him when sent there as Ambassador (1750–1751). He entered into Polish and Russian history in Saint Petersburg in 1755 by introducing Stanisław Poniatowski to the Russian Grand Duchess Catherine Alexeyevna (the future Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia), from which a famous romance developed between the Polish aristocrat and the wife of the Russian heir-apparent.
In 1739, Williams gave support for the establishment of the Foundling Hospital and served as one of its founding governors. Williams's father bought the Coldbrook Park estate near Abergavenny for him from his godfather's bequest. There he added a nine-bay, two-storey Georgian façade in 1746.
Williams played a major role as a British envoy (1752-1759) at the court in Russia during the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763. Although Russia went to war (1756-1762) against Britain's ally Prussia, Russia and Britain remained at peace.
Hanbury Williams became known as one of the prominent wits about town, and following in the tradition of Alexander Pope (1688-1744) he wrote a great deal of satirical light verse, including Isabella, or the Morning (1740), satires on Ruth Darlington and Pulleney (1741–1742), The Country Girl (1742), Lessons for the Day (1742), and Letter to Mr Dodsley (1743). Collections of his poems appeared in 1763 and of his Works in 1822. Horace Walpole praised the wit of his poetry and wrote of his "biting satire".
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Charles Hanbury Williams
Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, KB (8 December 1708 – 2 November 1759) was a British politician, diplomat and writer. He was a Member of Parliament from 1734 until his death.
Hanbury was the son of a Welsh ironmaster and Member of Parliament, John Hanbury, and his second wife, Bridget Ayscough, eldest daughter of Sir Edward Ayscough of Stallingborough and South Kelsey. With his father's marriage to Bridget came a fortune of £10,000 and connections with established political families. His mother was a close friend of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough.
Charles went to Eton, where he befriended the novelist Henry Fielding. In 1720, he assumed the name of Williams, under the terms of a bequest from his godfather, Charles Williams of Caerleon.
Williams entered Parliament in 1734, representing the Monmouthshire constituency as a supporter of Robert Walpole, and held the seat until 1747. In 1754 he was returned to the commons as member for Leominster, holding the seat until his death.
From 1747 to 1750, Williams served as the British ambassador in Dresden. In 1748 he had the same function in Poland and witnessed a Polish Sejm, where he met members of the influential Czartoryski family (August Aleksander Czartoryski). When the future King of Poland, Stanisław Poniatowski, was receiving medical treatment in Berlin, Sir Charles met him when sent there as Ambassador (1750–1751). He entered into Polish and Russian history in Saint Petersburg in 1755 by introducing Stanisław Poniatowski to the Russian Grand Duchess Catherine Alexeyevna (the future Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia), from which a famous romance developed between the Polish aristocrat and the wife of the Russian heir-apparent.
In 1739, Williams gave support for the establishment of the Foundling Hospital and served as one of its founding governors. Williams's father bought the Coldbrook Park estate near Abergavenny for him from his godfather's bequest. There he added a nine-bay, two-storey Georgian façade in 1746.
Williams played a major role as a British envoy (1752-1759) at the court in Russia during the Seven Years' War of 1756-1763. Although Russia went to war (1756-1762) against Britain's ally Prussia, Russia and Britain remained at peace.
Hanbury Williams became known as one of the prominent wits about town, and following in the tradition of Alexander Pope (1688-1744) he wrote a great deal of satirical light verse, including Isabella, or the Morning (1740), satires on Ruth Darlington and Pulleney (1741–1742), The Country Girl (1742), Lessons for the Day (1742), and Letter to Mr Dodsley (1743). Collections of his poems appeared in 1763 and of his Works in 1822. Horace Walpole praised the wit of his poetry and wrote of his "biting satire".
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