Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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Wikipedia
Sir Joseph Williamson, FRS (July 25, 1633 – October 3, 1701), English politician, was born at Bridekirk, near Cockermouth, where his father, also called Joseph, was vicar.
He was educated at St. Bees School, at Westminster School and at Queen's College, Oxford, of which he became a fellow, and in 1660 he entered the service of the Secretary of State, Sir Edward Nicholas, retaining his position under the succeeding secretary, Sir Henry Bennet, afterwards Earl of Arlington. He was involved with the foundation of the London Gazette in 1665. He entered parliament in 1669, and in 1672 was made one of the clerks of the council and a knight.
In 1673 and 1674 he represented his country at the Congress of Cologne, and in the latter year he became Secretary of State, having practically purchased this position from Arlington for £6,000, a sum that he required from his successor when he left office in 1679. Just before his removal he had been arrested on a charge of being implicated in the popish plots, but he had been at once released by order of Charles II.
After a period of comparative inactivity Sir Joseph represented England at the Congress of Nijmegen in 1697, and in 1698 he signed the first treaty for the partition of the Spanish Monarchy. He died at Cobham, Kent, on 3 October 1701.
Williamson was the second President of the Royal Society, but his main interests, after politics, were rather in antiquarian than in scientific matters. Taking advantage of the many opportunities of making money which his official position gave him, he became very rich. He left £6,000 and his library to Queen's College, Oxford; £5,000 to found a school at Rochester, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School; and £2,000 to Thetford. A great number of Williamson's letters, dispatches, memoranda, etc, are among the English state papers.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Henry Coventry |
Secretary of State for the Northern Department 1674–1679 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Sunderland |
| Parliament of England | ||
| Preceded by Sir John Banks, Bt Sir Roger Twisden, Bt |
Member of Parliament for Rochester with Francis Clerke 1690–1691 Caleb Banks 1691–1695 Sir Cloudesley Shovell 1695–1701 1690–1701 |
Succeeded by Francis Barrell William Bokenham |
| Preceded by Sir Francis Guybon Baptist May |
Member of Parliament for Thetford with Sir John Wodehouse, Bt 1695–1696 |
Succeeded by Sir John Wodehouse, Bt James Sloane |
| Preceded by Sir John Wodehouse, Bt James Sloane |
Member of Parliament for Thetford with James Sloane 1698–1699 |
Succeeded by James Sloane Lord Paston |
| Preceded by James Sloane Lord Paston |
Member of Parliament for Thetford with Edmund Soame 1701 |
Succeeded by Edmund Soame Sir Thomas Hanmer |
Annotations
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“One of the ablest of Pepys’ colleagues in the public service.
Under-Sectretary of State 1660-74…” etc., eventually an Admiralty Commissioner, and knighted in 1672.“In some ways his carrer parallels that of Pepys. Virtually contemporaries, they both rose from small beginnings; both were formidable adminstrators who created new standards of efficiency; and both had learned tastes and served as Presidents of the Royal Society (Williamson in 1676-7), and were instrumental in founding Mathematical Schools (Pepys’s in Christ Hospital, Williamson’s in Rochester, by bequ4est). Williamson kept a diary, but only of public events and only for a short period (Dec. 1667-Jan. 1669).”
(p. 487, Volume X—Companion to “The Diary of Samuel Pepys,” HarperCollins, 1995 paperback edition.)
In light of the note regarding parallel paths between Sam and Williamson above, which seem to me possibly extend to character as well as career, Sam’s comment about his counterpart, “…a pretty knowing man and a scholler, but, it may be, thinks himself to be too much so,” may well have been Williamson’s pronouncement about Sam too.
http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1663/02/06/#annotations -
Spoiler but if you want to see into the future to his run in the Powers to be goto http://www.british-history.ac.uk/people.asp? Josph Williamson
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Caveat emptor: Address respecting the Committal of Mr. Sec. Williamson.
Resolved, &c. That an humble Address be made to his Majesty, representing to his Majesty the Reasons that induced this House to commit Mr. Secretary Williamson to the Tower: And that his Majesty be humbly desired, not to release Mr. Secretary Williamson from his Imprisonment: And that his Majesty will be pleased to recall all the Commissions that have been granted to any Papists, or suspected Papists, within the Kingdoms of England and Ireland, and any other his Majesty’s Dominions and Territories.
[ there be more ]From: ‘House of Commons Journal Volume 9: 19 November 1678’, Journal of the House of Commons: volume 9: 1667-1687 (1802), p. 542. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=27693&strquery=Williamson. Date accessed: 07 February 2006.
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Joseph WilliamsonThis chap is twice mentioned by Sam who describes him as “…a pretty knowing man and a scholler, but, it may be, thinks himself to be too much so,” and “… a pretty understanding and accomplished man, but a little conceited.”
Clement says above that in some ways his career parallels that of Pepys. So trying to avoid spoilers here is a sumary up the present time from…
Intelligence and Espionage in the Regn of Charles II, 1660-1685.
“There is little doubt that Williamson’s part in the establishment of an efficient intelligence and espionage system was an important one. For some 19 years he was to have a major influence on the secretariat’s involvement in the covert world.
He was born (1633) in Bridekirk, Cumberland. His father was vicar of the parish, and the family relatively poor. He started his education at the grammar school in St. Bees, which had links with Queens College Oxford.
He secured the patronage of MP Richard Tolson who brought him to London in the late 1640’s as a clerk, and was admitted to Westminster School in 1648. There he learnt the ideals of discipline and hard work, and the value of keeping notebooks. He had a driving ambition for power and tangible financial rewards, as well as a penchant for gathering useful information.
He was recommended to Queens College in Oxford in 1650, and in 1657 he had a Masters degree by diploma.
At the Restoration he secured a post in the office of the Secretary of State Nicholas. In December 1661 he was appointed Keeper of the King’s Library and the State Paper Office with a salary of £160 per year.
When Arlington took over as Secretary he was dismissed, but Arlington quickly realised that the office could not be run without him and he was reinstated, and having Arlington’s confidence.”
(SPOILER…There were undoubtedly opportunities for making money in the service of the government and Williamson was to prove that he never be slow in taking any financial opportunities which presented themselves. This was so much so that by 1668 he was rumoured to be worth £40,000 in ready money.)