William Chetwynd, 3rd Viscount Chetwynd

William Richard Chetwynd, 3rd Viscount Chetwynd (1684 – 3 April 1770) was the youngest son of John Chetwynd (1643–1702) and thus younger brother of Walter Chetwynd, 1st Viscount Chetwynd and John Chetwynd, 2nd Viscount Chetwynd. He succeeded to their Irish peerage under a special remainder.

He was educated at Westminster School (c.1698–1702) and Christ Church, Oxford. In 1706, he became secretary to his elder brother John on his appointment as British envoy to Savoy at Turin, and in 1708 became British Resident at Genoa, whence he was recalled in 1712.

In 1715, he was elected Member of Parliament for Stafford, holding the seat until 1722. He held office as a junior Lord of the Admiralty being elected for Plymouth in 1722, but lost both his place and his seat in 1727, having voted with his friend Viscount Bolingbroke. He re-entered Parliament for Stafford in 1734, retaining the seat for the rest of his life.

References

• H. M. Stephens, ‘Chetwynd, William Richard, third Viscount Chetwynd (1685?–1770)’, rev. Philip Carter, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (Oxford University Press, 2004) , accessed 15 Nov 2008.
• Burkes' Peerage (1939 edition).