William Beckford (politician)

Sir
William Beckford
Sir William Beckford
Born	December 1709; Jamaica
Died	21 June 1770 (aged 60)
Other names	Alderman Beckford
Education	Westminster School
Spouse	Maria Marsh (m. 1756)
Children	9, including William and Richard
Parent	Peter Beckford (father);
Relatives	Peter Beckford (grandfather); William Beckford of Somerley (nephew); Julines Beckford (brother);

Sir William Beckford (December 1709 – 21 June 1770) was a Jamaican-born planter and Whig politician who twice served as Lord Mayor of London in 1762 and 1769. One of the best known political figures in Georgian era London, his vast wealth derived from the sugar plantations and hundreds of slaves he owned in the British colony of Jamaica. In Britain, Beckford was a supporter of the Whig party, including Prime Minister William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. He also publicly supported progressive causes and frequently championed the London public.^[1]^[2]

^ Perry Gauci, William Beckford: First Prime Minister of the London Empire (Yale University Press, 2020)
^ Christian Isobel Johnstone, The Public Buildings of the City of London Described: Volume 5. 1831, p. 120

[1] Perry Gauci, William Beckford: First Prime Minister of the London Empire (Yale University Press, 2020)

[2] Christian Isobel Johnstone, The Public Buildings of the City of London Described: Volume 5. 1831, p. 120

[1]

[2]

Sir William Beckford

Born	December 1709 Jamaica
Died	21 June 1770 (1770-06-22) (aged 60)
Other names	Alderman Beckford
Education	Westminster School
Spouse	Maria Marsh (m. 1756)
Children	9, including William and Richard
Parent	Peter Beckford (father)
Relatives	Peter Beckford (grandfather) William Beckford of Somerley (nephew) Julines Beckford (brother)