William Huskisson, an English statesman, born at Birch-Moreton, Worcestershire, March 11, 1770, died at Eccles, Lancashire, Sept. 15, 1830. He was originally intended for the medical profession, and in his 14th year went to Paris to pursue his studies. Here he resided for several years, and adopted the revolutionary doctrines of the day; but he afterward abandoned them, and became private secretary to the British ambassador, Lord Gower, with whom he returned to England in 1792, and in 1795 was made under secretary of state for war and the colonies. In 1796 he entered parliament, of which, with the exception of two years, from 1802 to 1804, he remained a member until his death. Following the fortunes of Mr. Pitt, he retired from office with him in 1801, and became secretary of the treasury on the formation of the new Pitt ministry in 1804. He attached himself to Mr. Canning, taking office with him in 1807 and retiring in 1809. In 1814 he was appointed chief commissioner of woods and forests, and in 1823 entered the cabinet as president of the board of trade and treasurer of the navy, which offices he retained until the death of Canning. In the Goderich cabinet and in that of the duke of Wellington he held the office of secretary for the colonies till May, 1829, when the redemption of a pledge formerly given obliged him to vote against his colleagues, and he resigned.

As a public man he was chiefly known by his speeches on financial and commercial subjects; and he is regarded as the great pioneer in the free-trade movement. In 1823 he carried through parliament an act for removing various restrictions upon commerce. He was also active in procuring the repeal of the combination laws and the relaxation of the restrictions on the exportation of machinery. He was present at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester railway, and at Parkside, while conversing with the duke of Wellington, was run over by a locomotive, and died the same evening.