WELD, George I (c.1635-1701), of Willey Park, Salop.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, ed. D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, S. Handley, 2002
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1661 - 1678
1685 - 1687
1689 - 14 Sept. 1701

Family and Education

b. c.1635, 1st s. of Sir John Weld† of Chelmarsh and Willey Park, Salop by Elizabeth, da. of Sir George Whitmore of Balmes House, Hackney, Mdx.  educ. Shrewsbury 1643–c.1652; Balliol, Oxf. 1653, BA 1655; G. Inn 1672.  m. settlement 1 Oct. 1670, Mary, da. of Sir Peter Pindar, 1st Bt., of Edinshaw, Cheshire, 5s. (1 d.v.p.) 3da.  suc. fa. 1681.1

Offices Held

Ensign of ft. Tower garrison c.June 1660–Jan. 1662, lt. Jan. 1662–bef. Oct. 1662, capt. by Oct. 1662–7; dep. to Sir John Robinson, 1st Bt.†, as lt. of the Tower 1662–7; commr. of inspection into the revenue [I] 1676–82; capt. of ft. Berwick garrison June–Nov. 1685.2

Bailiff, Much Wenlock 1685–6, 1692–3; freeman, Ludlow 1690.3

Biography

Weld’s father and grandfather had both been active Royalists during the Civil War, and Weld himself was a Tory. In the Cavalier Parliament he had given consistent support to the Earl of Danby’s (Sir Thomas Osborne†) administration, from which he received first the payment of various arrears of salary and subsequently a lucrative place on the Irish establishment. He was removed from local office in 1688 for having refused to agree to the repeal of the Test Act and Penal Laws, but voted with the Tories in the Convention.

On his father’s death he became master of a strong interest at Much Wenlock, a borough close to his estates, and was returned there at every subsequent election during his lifetime. After the election of 1690 he was listed as a Tory and as a Court supporter in March by Lord Carmarthen (as Danby had become) and in December as likely to support Carmarthen in the event of a Commons attack on his ministerial support. The following April Robert Harley* also classed Weld as a Court supporter. He does not seem to have been an especially active Member, however. On 23 Feb. 1694 he was given leave of absence to recover his health. He figured on Grascome’s list of 1693–5, apparently in error, as a placeman, and in the 1694–5 session was listed as ‘friend’ by Henry Guy* in connexion with the Commons’ investigation of Guy for corruption. In the next Parliament a forecast for a division on the proposed council of trade on 31 Jan. 1696 first classed Weld as ‘doubtful’, and then as likely to oppose the Court. He refused at first to sign the Association, opposed the fixing of the price of guineas at 22s. in March, and voted on 25 Nov. against Sir John Fenwick’s† attainder. Although he was listed in about September 1698 as a Country party supporter, he voted on 18 Jan. 1699 against the disbanding bill. In early 1700 an analysis of the House named him as being in the Earl of Bradford’s interest. He was forecast in February 1701 as likely to support the Court in a supply resolution to continue the ‘Great Mortgage’. In March 1701 he or his son George Weld II* was named as a deputy-lieutenant for Shropshire. Weld died on 14 Sept. 1701, according to the parish register of Willey, between 11 a.m. and noon ‘while we were at divine service’, and was buried there.4

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Author: D. W. Hayton

Notes

  • 1. Trans. Salop Arch. Soc. ser. 3, i. 209–12; ii. 335; Shrewsbury Sch. Reg. 24; N. and Q. ser. 10, vi. 9.
  • 2. CSP Dom. 1661–2, pp. 248, 528; 1663–4, pp. 342–3; 1673–5, p. 313; Cal. Treas. Bks. iii. 693–4; v. 180; vii. 617–18.
  • 3. Salop RO, Forester mss, copy of Much Wenlock corp. bk.; Ludlow bor. recs. admission of freemen.
  • 4. CSP Dom. 1700–2, p. 249; Salop Par. Reg. Soc. Hereford dioc. xvi. Willey, 28.