Sir Basil Firebrace, 1st Baronet

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Sir Basil Firebrace, 1st Baronet (1652 – 7 May 1724) was a supplier of wines to the royal household, Sheriff of London, and MP for Chippenham, Wiltshire, from 1690 to 1692. He was prosecuted for fraud and bribery, acquitted, and created a baronet in 1698.

Early life

Firebrace was the second son of Sir Henry Firebrace, a courtier to both Charles I and Charles II, and Elizabeth Dowell; he was born in 1652.[1]

Career

Firebrace became a vintner and supplier of wines to the royal household.[2] He was Sheriff of London in 1687, and knighted; he was also appointed Colonel of the Orange Regiment of the London militia.[1] He was admitted into the Worshipful Company of Vintners the following year and became an Alderman for Billingsgate.[3][4]

He was elected MP for Chippenham as a Tory on 9 December 1690, but the election was declared void almost a year later, on 1 December 1691, and was re-run on 14 December. He again won but an election petition unseated him in favour of Thomas Tollemache on 22 January 1692.[5] In 1694 he purchased West Lodge, Enfield Chase, where he resided until 1716.[6]

File:FirebraceDebatesCorruption.jpg
Contemporary pamphlet detailing Parliamentary proceedings against Firebrace and others

Firebrace also became a prominent figure in the East India Company[7] and was imprisoned in the Tower of London by Parliament for bribery and fraud in relation to its activities.[8][9] In April 1695 the House of Lords ordered that he be kept in "close confinement", having no contact with other prisoners.[10] He was perhaps more of a go-between than a principal,[11] and although criticised for his entrepreneurialism, he was eventually acquitted of all charges.[12]

He was appointed 1st Baronet Firebrace in 1698 by King William III.,[13] was bankrupted in 1701 and again imprisoned, for stabbing a creditor.[2]

Legacy

He married Elizabeth, the daughter of merchant Thomas Hough on 7 September 1671, at St Margaret's, Westminster.[1]

They produced five children, two of whom, Basil and Thomas, died in infancy.[6] Of the survivors, Hester (c. 1675- c.1725) married Basil Feilding, 4th Earl of Denbigh, Charles (1680–1727) later inherited the baronetcy[13] and their final child, George, was born in 1681.[6]

Firebrace died on 7 May 1724;[2] W. H. Auden was among his descendants.[14]

Notes

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References

Parliament of England
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Chippenham
1690–1692
With: Alexander Popham		 Succeeded by
Thomas Tollemache
Alexander Popham
Baronetage of England
New creation Baronet
(of London)
1698–1724		 Succeeded by
Charles
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Beaven 1908, pp. 168–195
  4. ↑ Beaven 1908, pp. 75–119
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ West Lodge
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ http://www.kouroo.info/kouroo/transclusions/18/31/EminentBritishStatesmen_EarlOfDanby.pdf
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[unreliable source?]
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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