Background
William Dowdeswell was born in 1721, the son of William Dowdeswell and his second wife, Anne Hammond, into a rich Worcestershire family that owned considerable property around Tewkesbury.
William Dowdeswell was born in 1721, the son of William Dowdeswell and his second wife, Anne Hammond, into a rich Worcestershire family that owned considerable property around Tewkesbury.
William was educated at Westminster School and then at Christ Church, Oxford, although he does not appear to have received a degree. He also went to the University of Leyden, where he was associated with many future political figures, including Charles Townshend (1725-1767) and John Wilkes. He then toured Italy, Sicily, and Greece.
In 1747 William Dowdeswell was elected to Parliament for the family borough of Tewkesbury. He retained this seat until 1754, but was then out of Parliament until 1761, when he became M.P for the county of Worcester, representing it until his death.
In the House of Commons, Dowdeswell was an active, landed Whig, opposing the Cider Act in 1764 and demanding the reduction of naval expenditure in 1765. As a result he was invited to be the chancellor of the exchequer when Lord Rockingham formed his ministry in 1765. He held that post, which included membership in the Privy Council, from July 1765 until August 1766.
William Dowdeswell lost his office with the breakup of the Rockingham ministry in 1766 and refused to accept offers of office in the subsequent ministries. Indeed, he remained an active M.P. for the rest of his life. He became ill in 1774 and died on 6 February 1775.
Dowdeswell then led the Rockingham party in the House of Commons, taking an active part in debate until his death.
Quotes from others about the person
He succeeded George Grenville as chancellor, inspiring Bishop Warburton to opine, “The one just turned out never in his life could learn that two and two made four; the other knew nothing else”. Others were similarly critical, although Dowdeswell does appear to have had a reasonable understanding of economics.
William Dowdeswell was married to Bridget, the fifth and youngest daughter of Sir William Codrington, the first baronet.