PRAED, William (1747-1833), of Tyringham, Bucks. and Trevethoe, nr. St. Ives, Cornw.

The first time Praed was brought in for St. Ives by his father he was unseated on petition. By 1780 their hold on the borough was well-nigh complete, and Praed’s further elections were uncontested. He voted with North in each of the six divisions, December 1781-March 1782, for which lists are available; did not vote on Shelburne’s peace preliminaries, 18 Feb. 1783; voted against Fox’s East India bill, 27 Nov. 1783, and ranked henceforth as a follower of Pitt. He was, however, a member of the St. Alban’s Tavern group; and he voted against Richmond’s fortifications plan, 27 Feb. 1786. Only one intervention of his in debate is recorded in the period: on 3 Mar. 1785, in support of continuing the Westminster scrutiny.

Praed became a partner in his father’s Truro bank in 1779; founded c.1801 the London bank of Praed Co., 189 Fleet Street; and was instrumental in having the bill for the Grand Junction Canal passed by Parliament, ‘and in forming a company for carrying on that undertaking in 1790’.1Boase Courtney, Biblio. Cornub. ii. 524; L. S. Pressnell, Country Banking in Industrial Rev. 295-6.

He died 9 Oct. 1833.