William Fleetwood

Who was William Fleetwood?

Sir William Fleetwood was an English courtier and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640 and again from 1661 to 1674.

Fleetwood was the son of Sir Miles Fleetwood of Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire, and of Anne, daughter of Nicholas Luke of Woodend, Bedfordshire and was baptised at Cardington, Bedfordshire on 20 July 1603. He was admitted at Emmanuel College, Cambridge on 3 December 1618. He was comptroller of Woodstock Park, Oxfordshire and cupbearer to King James I and King Charles I. He was knighted on 20 July 1624. In 1633 he was incorporated at Oxford as M.A. of Cambridge.

In April 1640, Fleetwood was elected Member of Parliament for Woodstock in the Short Parliament.

In 1661 Fleetwood was re-elected MP for Woodstock for the Cavalier Parliament and sat until his death in 1674.

Fleetwood died at the age of 71.

Fleetwood was brother of Sir George Fleetwood, a baron of Sweden and of Charles Fleetwood, the parliamentary general.