Sir William Wyndham, a British statesman, born at Orchard-Wyndham, Somersetshire, in 1687, died in Wells, July 17, 1740. He was educated at Oxford, and entered the house of commons for his native county. He identified himself with the tories, and was secretary at war in the Oxford and Bolingbroke ministry in 17ll-'13, and chancellor of the exchequer in 1713-'14. In the quarrel between Oxford and Bolingbroke he took the part of the latter, and was suspected of treasonable relations with the pretender. On the outbreak of the rebellion in Scotland under the earl of Mar in 1715, he was arrested at his house in Somersetshire, but escaped. A reward of £1,000 was offered for his apprehension, and after lurking for some time in disguise he surrendered himself and was committed to the tower. He was finally released without a trial, but remained until his death a leader of the parliamentary opposition to the ministry of Sir Robert Walpole. - His son, Sir Charles Wyndham, who inherited from his mother's brother, the duke of Somerset, the title of earl of Egremont, was chosen by Fox and Waldegrave to be secretary of state after the dismissal of Pitt by George II. in 1757; but the return of Pitt to office frustrated the arrangement.

Egremont however received the place on Pitt's final resignation, Oct. 5, 1761. He died in 1763.