William Stephen Poyntz

Poyntz was the son of William Poyntz (d.1809) by his wife Isabella (d.1805), daughter and co-heir of Kelland Courtenay. His brothers-in-law and first cousins were Edmund Boyle, 8th Earl of Cork, and Vice-Admiral Sir Courtenay Boyle.

He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford.[1]

In June 1800, Poyntz was elected at a by-election as a Member of Parliament (MP) for St Albans and held the seat until the 1807 general election.[2] He was next elected as MP for Callington at a by-election in April 1810,[3] and held the seat until the 1818 general election.[4] In February 1823 he was elected at a by-election as MP for Chichester,[5] and held the seat until the 1830 general election.[6] In March 1831 Poyntz was elected at a by-election as MP for Ashburton,[7] where he was re-elected in May 1831[8] and held the seat until the 1835 general election,[9][10] when he was elected MP for Midhurst.[11][12] He was re-elected in 1837,[13] and held the seat until his resignation later in 1837 by taking the Chiltern Hundreds.[14]

On 1 September 1794, Poyntz married the Hon. Elizabeth Mary Browne, daughter of Anthony Browne, 7th Viscount Montagu, and sister and heir of her brother the 8th Viscount. They lived at Midgham House in Berkshire and at Cowdray Park in West Sussex. Together, they had several children. Their two sons both drowned at Bognor Regis on 7 July 1815. Only two of their daughters had issue:

• Elizabeth Georgina Poyntz, who married Frederick Spencer, 4th Earl Spencer
• Isabella Poyntz, who married Brownlow Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Exeter.

Poyntz died at the age of seventy.

Poyntz of Cowdray Park

The arms of the head of the Poyntz family of Cowdray Park are blazoned Barry of eight gules and or.

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by William Poyntz