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BURRELL, William (1732-96), of Deepdene, nr. Dorking, Surr. and West Grinstead Park, Suss.
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Constituency
Dates
Family and Education
b. 10 Oct. 1732, 3rd s. of Peter Burrell I. educ. Westminster 1743-9; St. John’s, Camb. 1749; Doctors’ Commons 1760. m. 13 Apr. 1773, Sophia, da. and coh. of Charles Raymond, banker, of Valentine House, Ilford, Essex, 5s. 2da. suc. fa.-in-law as 2nd Bt. 24 Aug. 1788.
Offices Held
Director, South Sea Co. 1763-75, Sun Fire Insurance 1773-95; chancellor, diocese of Rochester 1771- d., of Worcester 1774- d.; commr. of the Excise 14 May 1774-90.
Biography
Burrell was a distinguished advocate and a notable antiquary. He practised chiefly in the Admiralty courts, and his manuscript reports of cases decided in them, 1766-74, were published in 1885. His collections for the history of Sussex1 are in the British Museum, Add. 5670-5711. William Cole, the antiquary, described him as ‘an active, stirring man; a good antiquary’. ‘He is rather low, and squints a little; but very ingenious, and scholar-like.’2
Returned at Haslemere on the family interest, and jointly with Thomas More Molyneux, after a contest, Burrell steadily supported Administration in the House: he is not known to have ever voted against them, but was absent from the divisions on the naval captains, 9 Feb. 1773, and on Grenville’s Act, 25 Feb. 1774. Twenty-one interventions in debate during this Parliament are attributed in Cavendish to ‘Dr. Burrell’. He vacated his seat by accepting the commissionership of the Excise.
He died 20 Jan. 1796.