He became Member of Parliament for St Albans in 1784, filling the place of his brother James (who, as an Irish peer, could sit in the House of Commons); James Grimston withdrew as a candidate on polling day and William took the seat.
In the 1790 general election, he stepped aside, in favour of John Calvert.
[1] On 21 January 1797, Grimston changed his surname to Bucknall, fulfilling a condition in the will of his uncle John Askell Bucknall.
They had a daughter, Sophia Askell (1784–1859), who had a court position as woman of the bedchamber to Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.
The other child of the marriage, John, died an infant.