William Lynch (diplomat)
Sir William Lynch (c. 1730 – 25 August 1785) was a British diplomat and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1762 and 1780.
Lynch was the eldest son of John Lynch, DD Dean of Canterbury, and his wife Mary Wake, daughter of William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury.[1]
Lynch was elected Member of Parliament for Weobley at a by-election in 1762, and held the seat until 1768. He was then elected MP for Canterbury and held the seat until 1774. He was then returned again as MP for Weobley until he resigned in March 1780.[2]
In September 1768 Lynch was appointed envoy extraordinary to the court of Turin and served from 1769 to 1776.[3] He was appointed Knight of the Order of the Bath, and a privy counsellor.
In 1780, he inherited the Manor of Stalisfield, until his death.[4]
Lynch lived at The Groves at Staple, Kent, where he made great improvements, adding two wings to the house and adding a new front of stucco. He built up a collection of pictures. He created parkland in the grounds and made extensive plantations.[1]
Lynch died at Barèges in the south of France, where he went to drink the waters, and was interred at Staple in Kent.[5]
Lynch married Mary Coke, daughter of Edward Coke of Canterbury, but had no issue.[1]
References
- Parishes: Staple, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 9 (1800), pp. 185–190. Date accessed: 22 November 2010.
- "LYNCH, William (c.1730-85), of Wingham, Kent". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
- Jeremy Black British diplomats and diplomacy, 1688-1800
- Hasted, Edward (1798). "Parishes". The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent. Institute of Historical Research. 6: 438–445. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- The Gentleman's magazine, Volume 58
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Marquess of Titchfield Hon. Henry Thynne |
Member of Parliament for Weobley 1762–1768 With: Hon. Henry Thynne |
Succeeded by Simon Luttrell Hon. Henry Thynne |
| Preceded by Richard Milles Thomas Best |
Member of Parliament for Canterbury 1768–1774 With: Richard Milles |
Succeeded by Richard Milles Sir William Mayne |
| Preceded by Simon Luttrell Bamber Gascoyne |
Member of Parliament for Weobley 1774–1780 With: John St Leger Douglas |
Succeeded by Andrew Bayntun-Rolt John St Leger Douglas |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by George Pitt |
Minister at Turin 1768–1776 |
Succeeded by John Stuart, Viscount Mountstuart |