Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet

Sir Francis Dashwood, 1st Baronet (c. 1658 – 4 November 1724), of St. Botolph without Bishopsgate, London, and West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was a British merchant, landowner and Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1708 to 1713.

[citation needed] Dashwood and his brother Samuel joined their father's business early and became leading silk importers.

In 1698, the Dashwood brothers were able to invest £15,000 to buy the estate of West Wycombe from their brother-in-law Thomas Lewis.

Samuel Dashwood was Lord Mayor of London in 1702 and at the inauguration, Francis was knighted by Queen Anne.

There was confusion about Dashwood's political inclinations, but he acted as a Whig in voting for the naturalization of the Palatines in February 1709, and supporting the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell in 1710.

[4] In about 1720, Dashwood bought the Buckinghamshire manor of Halton, and spent lavishly to beautify the manor-house and to embellish his home at West Wycombe.