Sir William Portman, 6th Baronet

Sir William Portman, 6th Baronet (5 September 1643 – 18 March 1690) FRS was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1661 and 1690.

[4] He was a strong ‘abhorrer’ during the exclusion crisis in Charles II's reign, and while attending parliament in May 1685 he received a mysterious warning of the Duke of Monmouth's impending insurrection in the west.

He directed the search of post-coaches in the neighbourhood of Taunton, in the hope of intercepting treasonable correspondence, and took an active part in investigating the causes of disaffection, and later on in organising the militia.

After the battle of Sedgmoor (6 July 1685) Portman, with the Somerset militia, formed a chain of posts from Poole to the northern extremity of Dorset, with a view to preventing Monmouth's escape.

On 8 July he and Lord Lumley captured the fugitive Duke near Ringwood in the New Forest, and did not trust him out of their sight until he was delivered safe at Whitehall.

William is said to have intended him for high promotion, but he died at his seat of Orchard Portman, near Taunton, on 20 March 1690.

Arms of Portman: Or, a fleur-de-lis azure
Arms of Berkeley of Stoke Gifford: Gules, a chevron ermine between ten crosses pattee argent . These arms may be seen in The Gaunts Chapel , Bristol and are the arms of the Barons Berkeley with the difference of a chevron ermine in place of a chevron argent