BURRELL, William (1732-96), of Deepdene, nr. Dorking, Surr. and West Grinstead Park, Suss.

Burrell was a distinguished advocate and a notable antiquary. He practised chiefly in the Admiralty courts, and his manuscript reports of cases decided in them, 1766-74, were published in 1885. His collections for the history of SussexSee DNB. are in the British Museum, Add. 5670-5711. William Cole, the antiquary, described him as ‘an active, stirring man; a good antiquary’. ‘He is rather low, and squints a little; but very ingenious, and scholar-like.’Quoted Nichols, Literary Anecs. ix. 797.

Returned at Haslemere on the family interest, and jointly with Thomas More Molyneux, after a contest, Burrell steadily supported Administration in the House: he is not known to have ever voted against them, but was absent from the divisions on the naval captains, 9 Feb. 1773, and on Grenville’s Act, 25 Feb. 1774. Twenty-one interventions in debate during this Parliament are attributed in Cavendish to ‘Dr. Burrell’. He vacated his seat by accepting the commissionership of the Excise.

He died 20 Jan. 1796.