Family and Education

bap. 29 Dec. 1651, o. s. of Gascoigne Weld of Tasburgh, Norf. and Bracon Ash by his 1st w. Anne, da. of Joseph Hall, bp. of Norwich.  educ. Norwich sch. by 1665; Bury St. Edmunds sch.; Christ’s, Camb. 1668; M. Temple 1673, called 1679. unm.  suc. fa. 1701.

Offices Held

Recorder, Bury St. Edmunds 1689–d.; freeman 1694.1

Biography

Weld stood at a by-election for Bury in 1703, with the approval of the retiring Member Lord Hervey (John), but was defeated by Sir Robert Davers, 2nd Bt.* Named as a serjeant-at-law in 1705, he was returned in 1709 at another by-election, again with Hervey’s backing. He was given leave of absence for three weeks on 21 Dec. and again on 14 Mar. 1710. Listed, possibly in error, as having voted against the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell, he was classed as a Tory in the ‘Hanover list’ (notwithstanding his re-election on Hervey’s interest). It had also been reported at the time of the general election that Weld would support the Whig candidates for Norfolk. He was listed among the ‘Tory patriots’ who opposed the continuation of the war, and on 7 Mar. 1711 was given leave of absence to recover his health.2

Weld died ‘suddenly of an apoplexy’ on 18 Jan. 1712, ‘at his chambers in Serjeants’ Inn in Fleet Street’, and was buried at Bury St. Edmunds.3

Ref Volumes: 1690-1715

Author: D. W. Hayton

Notes

• 1. Suff. RO (Bury St. Edmunds), Bury St. Edmunds bor. recs. EE500/D4/1/2, f. 237; D4/1/3a, p. 12.
• 2. Hervey Letter Bks. i. 184–5, 243–5; Luttrell, Brief Relation, v. 561; HMC Townshend, 339.
• 3. Hervey Letter Bks. 318–19; British Mercury, 18–21 Jan. 1712; Frag. Gen. ix. 78.