William Oldsworth
Encyclopedia
William Oldsworth was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
between 1597 and 1601.
Oldsworth was appointed Recorder of Gloucester in 1587. He was nominated by his predecessor Richard Pate
, who may have sold him the office. Luke Garnons
was instrumental in blocking the appointment for a while and Oldsworth was not elected to parliament in the following election when Garnons and Thomas Atkyns
were elected as the two more populist candidates.
There was continuous political factionalism in Gloucester as the corporation was split between an establishment group which was sympathetic to puritan ideas, and a more populist faction, led by Garnons and John Jones, who had strong links with the cathedral and tried to encourage the freeman vote. In 1597, Garnons and Oldsworth representing opposing factions were elected Members of Parliament for Gloucester
and it was alleged that the bench had deliberately excluded from the poll many freemen who supported Atkyns. They held their seats until 1601.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
between 1597 and 1601.
Oldsworth was appointed Recorder of Gloucester in 1587. He was nominated by his predecessor Richard Pate
Richard Pate
Richard Pate, was an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucester in the Parliament of 1559 and 1563-1567.Pate was born in Cheltenham and was a nephew of Richard Pate, Bishop of Worcester...
, who may have sold him the office. Luke Garnons
Luke Garnons
Luke Garnons was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1584 and 1601.Garnons was a draper of Gloucester and in 1566, he became an alderman of the City of Gloucester. As part of his civic interests in Gloucester he was deeply involved in maritime trade...
was instrumental in blocking the appointment for a while and Oldsworth was not elected to parliament in the following election when Garnons and Thomas Atkyns
Thomas Atkins (MP)
Thomas Atkins was an English politician during the reign of Elizabeth I. He was the Member of Parliament for Gloucester from 1571 to 1593.-References:...
were elected as the two more populist candidates.
There was continuous political factionalism in Gloucester as the corporation was split between an establishment group which was sympathetic to puritan ideas, and a more populist faction, led by Garnons and John Jones, who had strong links with the cathedral and tried to encourage the freeman vote. In 1597, Garnons and Oldsworth representing opposing factions were elected Members of Parliament for Gloucester
Gloucester (UK Parliament constituency)
Gloucester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was established in 1295 to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons but in 1885 representation was reduced to one member under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885...
and it was alleged that the bench had deliberately excluded from the poll many freemen who supported Atkyns. They held their seats until 1601.