William Bateman, 1st Viscount Bateman

Who was William Bateman, 1st Viscount Bateman?

William Bateman, 1st Viscount Bateman KB, FRS, was a British Whig politician.

Bateman was the son of Sir James Bateman, of Shobdon Court, Shobdon, Herefordshire, Lord Mayor of London, by his wife Esther Searle, daughter of John Searle, of Finchley, Middlesex. He was returned to parliament for Leominster in 1721, a seat he held until 1722. In 1725 he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Baron of Culmore, in the County of Londonderry, and Viscount Bateman. He once again represented Leominster in parliament between 1727 and 1734. He was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1732 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1733.

Lord Bateman married Lady Anne Spencer, daughter of Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sunderland and Lady Anne Churchill, daughter of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, in 1720. He died in Paris in December 1744 and was succeeded in the viscountcy by his son, John. Lady Bateman died in February 1769.