William Blathwayt
Encyclopedia
William Blathwayt (1649? – August 1717) was a civil servant and politician who established the War Office
as a department of the British Government and played an important part in administering the Thirteen Colonies
of North America
.
Born in the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields
in London
, Blathwayt was born to a well-to-do family of Protestant merchants and lawyers. His father, William Blathwayt senior, was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford
and attended the Middle Temple
. William junior followed the same route, enrolling at the Middle Temple
in 1665. He joined the diplomatic service in 1668 when his uncle Thomas Povey, an influential London lawyer, found him a post at the English embassy in The Hague
.
Returning to London in the early 1670s, Blathwayt became an Clerk of the Privy Council
in Extraordinary. He was considered "as a very fit person" to be assistant to the secretary of the council, becoming heavily involved in the administration of England's colonies in North America. In 1680 he became the first auditor-general of royal revenues in America, and after 1685 became the secretary of the Privy Council's committee on trade and foreign plantations
—in effect, colonial under-secretary. It was in this capacity that he became a key figure in American affairs. He was responsible for establishing the charter of the Crown colony
of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
, the predecessor of the state of Massachusetts
. He did much to promote trade in America and the Caribbean
, promoting the slave trade and benefiting considerably from gifts and bribes received in connection with his office (as was the usual practice in his day).
In October 1686, he became a Clerk of the Privy Council in Ordinary. That same year, he married Mary Wynter, a wealthy heiress. His rise was noted by many of his contemporaries; the diarist John Evelyn
commended him as "very dexterous in business" and as one who had "raised himself by his industry from very moderate circumstances."
In 1683, Blathwayt obtained by purchase the office of Secretary at War
. This was originally merely the role of secretary to the Commander-in-Chief
of the British Army
but under Blathwayt the remit of the Secretary was greatly expanded to encompass all areas of Army administration. He effectively established the War Office
as a department of the government, although he had very little input into the actual conduct of wars. Issues of strategic policy during wartime were managed by the Northern
and Southern Department
s (the predecessors of today's Foreign Office and Home Office
respectively).
He became a Whig
Member of Parliament
for Bath
in 1693 (a post which he retained until 1710) and built a large mansion house for himself at Dyrham Park
near Bristol, which he decorated with numerous Dutch Old Masters and sumptuous fabrics and furnishings.
Blathwayt retired to Dyrham in 1710 (his wife had died in 1691). He remained there until his death in 1717; he is buried in the local churchyard.
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
as a department of the British Government and played an important part in administering the Thirteen Colonies
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies were English and later British colonies established on the Atlantic coast of North America between 1607 and 1733. They declared their independence in the American Revolution and formed the United States of America...
of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Born in the parish of St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields
St Martin-in-the-Fields is an Anglican church at the north-east corner of Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, London. Its patron is Saint Martin of Tours.-Roman era:Excavations at the site in 2006 led to the discovery of a grave dated about 410...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Blathwayt was born to a well-to-do family of Protestant merchants and lawyers. His father, William Blathwayt senior, was educated at Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
and attended the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
. William junior followed the same route, enrolling at the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
in 1665. He joined the diplomatic service in 1668 when his uncle Thomas Povey, an influential London lawyer, found him a post at the English embassy in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.
Returning to London in the early 1670s, Blathwayt became an Clerk of the Privy Council
Clerk of the Privy Council (United Kingdom)
The Clerk of the Privy Council is a civil servant in the government of the United Kingdom. He or she is the most senior civil servant in the Privy Council Office....
in Extraordinary. He was considered "as a very fit person" to be assistant to the secretary of the council, becoming heavily involved in the administration of England's colonies in North America. In 1680 he became the first auditor-general of royal revenues in America, and after 1685 became the secretary of the Privy Council's committee on trade and foreign plantations
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...
—in effect, colonial under-secretary. It was in this capacity that he became a key figure in American affairs. He was responsible for establishing the charter of the Crown colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
of the Province of Massachusetts Bay
Province of Massachusetts Bay
The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony in North America. It was chartered on October 7, 1691 by William and Mary, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of England and Scotland...
, the predecessor of the state of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He did much to promote trade in America and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, promoting the slave trade and benefiting considerably from gifts and bribes received in connection with his office (as was the usual practice in his day).
In October 1686, he became a Clerk of the Privy Council in Ordinary. That same year, he married Mary Wynter, a wealthy heiress. His rise was noted by many of his contemporaries; the diarist John Evelyn
John Evelyn
John Evelyn was an English writer, gardener and diarist.Evelyn's diaries or Memoirs are largely contemporaneous with those of the other noted diarist of the time, Samuel Pepys, and cast considerable light on the art, culture and politics of the time John Evelyn (31 October 1620 – 27 February...
commended him as "very dexterous in business" and as one who had "raised himself by his industry from very moderate circumstances."
In 1683, Blathwayt obtained by purchase the office of Secretary at War
Secretary at War
The Secretary at War was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. It was occasionally a cabinet level position, although...
. This was originally merely the role of secretary to the Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
but under Blathwayt the remit of the Secretary was greatly expanded to encompass all areas of Army administration. He effectively established the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
as a department of the government, although he had very little input into the actual conduct of wars. Issues of strategic policy during wartime were managed by the Northern
Northern Department
The Northern Department was a department of the government of England and later the Kingdom of Great Britain, responsible for dealing with government business in the northern part of Europe. This included foreign affairs concerning such northern powers as Russia, Sweden and the Holy Roman Empire...
and Southern Department
Southern Department
The Southern Department was a former department of the government of England and later the Kingdom of Great Britain. It had a variety of responsibilities, including domestic and Irish policy, colonial policy and foreign affairs concerning southern European powers such as France, Spain, Portugal,...
s (the predecessors of today's Foreign Office and Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
respectively).
He became a Whig
British Whig Party
The Whigs were a party in the Parliament of England, Parliament of Great Britain, and Parliament of the United Kingdom, who contested power with the rival Tories from the 1680s to the 1850s. The Whigs' origin lay in constitutional monarchism and opposition to absolute rule...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Bath
Bath (UK Parliament constituency)
Bath is a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, previously of the House of Commons of England. It is an ancient constituency which has been constantly represented in Parliament since boroughs were first summoned to send members in the 13th century...
in 1693 (a post which he retained until 1710) and built a large mansion house for himself at Dyrham Park
Dyrham Park
Dyrham Park is a baroque mansion in an ancient deer park near the village of Dyrham in Gloucestershire, England. For the history of the manor of Dyrham, see main article Dyrham.-Description:...
near Bristol, which he decorated with numerous Dutch Old Masters and sumptuous fabrics and furnishings.
Blathwayt retired to Dyrham in 1710 (his wife had died in 1691). He remained there until his death in 1717; he is buried in the local churchyard.