Sir Hugh Williams, 8th Baronet
Sir Hugh Williams, 8th Baronet (1718 – 19 August 1794), was a Welsh landowner and British Army officer who sat in the House of Commons for Beaumaris for many years.
He was the son of Colonel Griffith Williams of Arianws, Caernarvonshire, and Mary Williams. He joined the Army in 1739 and rose to captain in the 34th Foot in 1744. He became the 8th Baronet after his cousin, Sir Robert Williams, 7th Baronet, died in 1745. In 1756 he was a Major in the 6th Foot at Menorca, where the garrison faced attacks, and in 1759 he served with a Volunteer Battalion of the 85th Foot. In 1761 he became Lieutenant Colonel of the 53rd Foot and was made Constable of Beaumaris Castle. His regiment was sent to Gibraltar, so he asked to return home, but the transfer was refused. He retired on half-pay in 1764 to manage Beaumaris affairs.
He entered Parliament for Beaumaris in 1768 but was not very active. His stepson Thomas Bulkeley joined him in Parliament in 1774 and urged him to take a greater interest. Williams stood down in 1780, but was elected again for Beaumaris in a by-election in 1785 and held the seat until his death in 1794.
In his private life, Williams married Emma Rowlands, dowager Viscountess Bulkeley (widow of James Bulkeley, 6th Viscount Bulkeley) in 1760 in secret because her father-in-law disapproved. Emma died in 1770. They had two sons and two daughters; their eldest son, Robert Williams, succeeded him as baronet. Sir Hugh Williams died on 19 August 1794, aged about 76.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 22:48 (CET).