BLATHWAYT, WILLIAM [SSNE 1332]
- Surname
- BLATHWAYT, BLAITHWAITE, BLATHWAY
- First name
- WILLIAM
- Title/rank
- POLITICIAN
- Nationality
- ENGLISH
- Social status
- GENTRY
Text source
William Blathwayt was a politician who lived between 1649-1717. He was secretary to Sir William Temple at The Hague in 1668 and Charge d'Affaires there between 1671-1672. He egaged in public business successively in Rome, Stockholm and Copenhagen and served as secretary-at-war between 1683-1704. William was made clerk of the Privy Council in 1689 and acted as secretary of state with William III in Flanders, and commissioner of trade between 1696-1706. He was MP for Newtown, Isle of Wight between 1685-8, and Bath between 1693-1710. In London in 1692 Blathwayt served as the main diplomat in discussion with representatives of Bruanschweig-Luneburg-Calenburg (Hannover). He wrote a letter to Rev Dr John Robinson in Stockholm from Roosbeck on 11/21 July 1694 indicating his belief that the Nordic Crowns would be satisfied by the actions of William and Mary in sorting out the problem of seized neutral vessels brought up in England
Sources: Swedish Riksarkivet, Anglica 523. Mr Blaithwaite to John Robinson from the camp at Roosbeck, 11/21 July 1694.
ODNB; L. Bittner and L. Gross, Reportorium der diplomatischen vertreter aller lander, vol. 1, 1648-1715 (Oldenburg and Berlin, 1936), pp.181-204; G.M. Bell, A Handlist of Diplomatic representatives 1509-1688 (London, 1990), p.203.
Service record
- STUART KINGDOMS, THE DUTCH REPUBLIC
- Arrived 1668-01-01
- Departed 1668-12-31
- Capacity SECRETARY, purpose DIPLOMACY
- STUART KINGDOMS, ROME
- Arrived 1668-12-31
- Departed 1682-12-31
- Capacity SECRETARY, purpose CIVIL SERVICE
- STUART KINGDOMS, STOCKHOLM
- Arrived 1668-12-31
- Departed 1682-12-31
- Capacity SECRETARY, purpose CIVIL SERVICE
- STUART KINGDOMS, COPENHAGEN
- Arrived 1668-12-31
- Departed 1682-12-31
- Capacity SECRETARY, purpose CIVIL SERVICE
- STUART KINGDOMS, THE DUTCH REPUBLIC
- Arrived 1671-06-01
- Departed 1672-01-15
- Capacity CHARGE d'AFFAIRES, purpose DIPLOMACY
- STUART KINGDOMS,
- Arrived 1683-01-01
- Departed 1704-12-31
- Capacity SECRETARY AT WAR, purpose DIPLOMACY
- Arrived 1689-01-01
- Departed 1689-12-31
- Capacity PRIVY COUNCILLOR, purpose GOVERNMENT
- STUART KINGDOMS, SPANISH NETHERLANDS
- Arrived 1689-01-01
- Departed 1690-12-31
- Capacity SECRETARY OF STATE, purpose CIVIL SERVICE
- STUART KINGDOMS,
- Arrived 1696-01-01
- Departed 1706-12-31
- Capacity COMMISSIONER OF TRADE, purpose CIVIL SERVICE