Sir Charles Hanbury Williams mixed a career as an MP and diplomat with the cut and thrust of a satiric poet. Influenced by Alexander Pope, he started his sideline as a rhyming political pundit just as the older poet was bidding his fond farewell in

The Dunciad

. Born Charles Hanbury in London on 8 December 1708, he was the fourth of six sons of John Hanbury (1664?–1734) and his second wife, Bridget (d. 1741),

née

Ayscough of Lincolnshire. The Hanbury family owned iron-mines and foundries in the south of Wales dating back to the 1570s. The poet’s father had attended Pembroke College, Oxford, and begun legal training at Middle Temple before returning to run the family business in Pontypool, Monmouthshire.

How Charles Hanbury acquired the surname Williams on his 21st birthday reads like

3314 words

Citation: Nichol, Donald W.. "Charles Hanbury Williams". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 February 2024 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14955, accessed 25 April 2024.]

14955 Charles Hanbury Williams 1 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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