Sir Basil Firebrace, 1st Baronet

Firebrace was the second son of Sir Henry Firebrace, a courtier to both Charles I and Charles II, and Elizabeth Dowell; he was born in 1652.

Firebrace became a vintner and supplier of wines to the royal household.{{cite ODNB | last = Wright | first = Stephen | title = Firebrace, Sir Henry (1619/20)-1691 |date = September 2004| doi = 10.1093/ref:odnb/9480 | accessdate = 3 May 2010 | url = http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/9480 }} He went into partnership with Samuel Shepheard.{{cite web |title=Shepheard, Samuel I (c.1648-1719), of St. Magnus the Martyr, and Bishopsgate Street, London|url=http://www.histparl.ac.uk/volume/1690-1715/member/shepheard-samuel-i-1648-1719 |website=www.histparl.ac.uk |publisher=The History of Parliament Trust |accessdate=28 December 2019}} He was Sheriff of London in 1687, and knighted; he was also appointed Colonel of the Orange Regiment of the London militia. He was admitted into the Worshipful Company of Vintners the following year and became an Alderman for Billingsgate.{{Harvnb|Beaven|1908| pp=168–195}}{{Harvnb|Beaven|1908| pp=75–119}}

He was elected MP for Chippenham as a Tory on 9 December 1690, but the election was declared void almost a year later, on 1 December 1691, and was re-run on 14 December. He again won but an election petition unseated him in favour of Thomas Tollemache on 22 January 1692.{{cite web |url=http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Ccommons4.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024173617/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Ccommons4.htm |archive-date=24 October 2008 |title= THE HOUSE OF COMMONS CONSTITUENCIES BEGINNING WITH "C"|publisher=www.leighrayment.com |url-status=usurped |accessdate=4 May 2010 }} In 1694 he purchased West Lodge, Enfield Chase, where he resided until 1716.

File:FirebraceDebatesCorruption.jpg

Firebrace also became a prominent figure in the East India Company{{Cite book | title = The House of Commons, 1690–1715 | last = Hayton | first = David|author2=Eveline Cruickshanks |author3=Stuart Handley | volume = 1|year =2002 | publisher = Cambridge University Press |page = 12 | isbn = 9780521772211 | accessdate = 4 May 2010| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=d5vNEFC_fZQC&q=%22Basil+Firebrace%22&pg=PA461}} and was imprisoned in the Tower of London by Parliament for bribery and fraud in relation to its activities.[http://www.bealeshotels.co.uk/westlodgepark/downloads/WLP-Hotel_Info_Brochure.pdf West Lodge]{{cite web |url=http://www.shapero.com/detail/stock/66838/1/Rare%20Books/usd/77/author |title=An exact collection of the debates and proceedings in Parliament,[CORRUPTION.] – Bernard J Shapero Rare Books |publisher=www.shapero.com |accessdate=21 December 2010 }} In April 1695 the House of Lords ordered that he be kept in "close confinement", having no contact with other prisoners.{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=12183 |title=House of Lords Journal Volume 15 – 25 April 1695 |publisher=www.british-history.ac.uk |accessdate=20 December 2010 }} He was perhaps more of a go-between than a principal,http://www.kouroo.info/kouroo/transclusions/18/31/EminentBritishStatesmen_EarlOfDanby.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}} and although criticised for his entrepreneurialism, he was eventually acquitted of all charges.{{cite web |url=http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=840&chapter=79886&layout=html&Itemid=27 |title=Online Library of Liberty – BOOK I.: 1527–1707. – The History of British India, vol. 1 |publisher=oll.libertyfund.org |accessdate=21 December 2010 }}

He was appointed 1st Baronet Firebrace in 1698 by King William III, was bankrupted in 1701 and again imprisoned, for stabbing a creditor.

He married Elizabeth, the daughter of merchant Thomas Hough on 7 September 1671, at St Margaret's, Westminster.{{cite web |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=31882#s24 |title=Fabian – Fyge |publisher=British History Online |accessdate=20 December 2010 }}

They produced five children, two of whom, Basil and Thomas, died in infancy.{{cite web |url=http://www.halhed.com/t4r/getperson.php?personID=I57&tree=tree1 |title=Basil Firebrace b. 1652 Westminster, London, England d. 7 May 1724 |publisher=www.halhed.com |accessdate=20 December 2010 }} Of the survivors, Hester (c. 1675- c.1725) married Basil Feilding, 4th Earl of Denbigh, Charles (1680–1727) later inherited the baronetcy and their final child, George, was born in 1681.

Firebrace died on 7 May 1724; W. H. Auden was among his descendants.{{cite web |url=http://auden.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/auden/individual.php?pid=I904&ged=auden-bicknell.ged |title=Sir Basil Firebrace Bt MP – I904 – Individual Information – PhpGedView |publisher=auden.stanford.edu |accessdate=4 May 2010 }}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book | title = The Aldermen of the City of London| last = Beaven| first = Alfred P. | year = 1908|publisher = British History Online |url= http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=67242}}
• Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990, {{Page needed |date=February 2013}}
• {{Rayment-bt|date=March 2012}}

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{{succession box | before2=Alexander Popham | before=Richard Kent | title=Member of Parliament for Chippenham | with=Alexander Popham | years=1690–1692 | after2=Alexander Popham | after= Thomas Tollemache}}

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Category:1652 births

Category:1724 deaths

Category:Baronets in the Baronetage of England

Category:English MPs 1690–1695

Category:Sheriffs of the City of London

Category:Nobility from Wiltshire

Category:Prisoners in the Tower of London

Category:People from Billingsgate

Category:British East India Company people

Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Chippenham