William Hale (– 2 October 1717) was a British Whig politician.
Hale was the son of Richard Hale of King's Walden, Hertfordshire (son of William Hale), and his wife Elizabeth Meynell (daughter of Isaac Meynell of Meynell Langley, Derbyshire).[1] Richard Hale died in 1689, and in 1690 Elizabeth remarried Robert Cecil .[2]
Hale entered Brasenose College, Oxford in 1702, aged 16.[3]
Hale and Sir Cleave More stood as the Whig candidates in Bramber in 1708. They were defeated by two Tories, but petitioned, and were seated on 15 January 1709. Hale supported the naturalization of the Palatines, and voted for the impeachment of Henry Sacheverell. He was elected for St Albans in 1713, and voted against the expulsion of Richard Steele in 1714, but was shortly afterwards unseated on petition. He regained the seat in 1715, holding it until his death on 2 October 1717.[1]
Hale married Catherine Paggen, daughter of Peter Paggen of Wandsworth, Surrey. They had two sons:[4]
After Hale's death, Catherine remarried Humphry Morice, later Governor of the Bank of England.[5]