William Gregory (1625–1696)

Born the son of the vicar of Fownhope, he was educated at Hereford Cathedral School and All Souls College, Oxford and was then called to the Bar from Gray's Inn.

[1] In March 1677 the election of Sir Thomas Williams as a Member of Parliament for Weobly was called into question and declared void, so William Gregory offered himself as a candidate and was elected without opposition on 9 March.

[1] During his time in Parliament Gregory was instrumental in the passing of the Habeas Corpus Act 1679, and was subsequently knighted and then confirmed as Baron of the Exchequer.

[3] He was afflicted with kidney stones, an illness he bore well: a 1694 letter to Sir Edward Harley says: My distemper hath been very sharp upon me this winter, and I have not been out of my chamber these three months.

[1] A more detailed account of Sir William's political career is available at The History of Parliament Online.