   william wickham (11 november 1761 â 22 october 1840) was a british civil servant and politician who was a founder of british foreign secret service activities during the french revolution, and was later a privy counsellor and chief secretary for ireland. ==early years== born into wealth in cottingley, yorkshire, england, he was the eldest son of henry wickham, esq., of cottingley, lieutenant-colonel in the lst regiment of foot guards, and a justice of the peace for the west riding. his mother was elizabeth, daughter of william lamplugh, vicar of cottingley. wickham attended harrow school and christ church, oxford, where he was a protegÃ© of cyril jackson.durey (2006), 719â720. he took a law degree in geneva, switzerland in 1786. he was also called to the bar in england, at lincoln's inn. in 1788 he married eleonora madeleine bertrand (d. 1836), whose father was professor of mathematics in the university of geneva. they had one son, henry lewis wickham (b. 1789); henry's son, william, was a member of parliament for petersfield. ==magistrate== from 1790 to 1794, wickham was a commissioner of bankrupts.sparrow (n.d.) following the passing of the middlesex justices act of 1792, wickham was appointed in 1793 as one of the new stipendiary magistrates. in this position he began to undertake secret work for the government, at the behest of lord grenville, the then [[secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs|foreign secre
1761_births 1840_deaths British_civil_servants British_diplomats British_spies Members_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom_for_Irish_constituencies_(1801a1922) Members_of_the_Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom_for_constituencies_in_Cornwall Members_of_the_Privy_Council_of_Ireland People_educated_at_Harrow_School People_from_Cottingham,_East_Riding_of_Yorkshire Spymasters UK_MPs_1802a06 UK_MPs_1806a07