Major-General Sir William Gosset KCH CB (18 January 1782 – 27 March 1848) was a British Army officer who served as Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons from 1835 to 1847.^[1]

Gosset was born in Jersey and was of French Huguenot descent. He was the son of Matthieu Gosset of Bagot and his second wife, Marguerite Durell. He had three half-brothers by his father's first marriage, including Matthew Gosset, Viscount of Jersey. His great-uncle was the sculptor Isaac Gosset and his uncle, also named Isaac, was a noted bibliophile.^[2]

Gosset was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1798. During the Napoleonic Wars, he was sent to Holland in the Walcheren Campaign in 1809. Gosset was secretary to William à Court's mission to the Barbary States in 1813.^[3]

During the Bombardment of Algiers in August 1816, he served as major commandant of the engineers under Admiral Viscount Exmouth and destroyed an enemy frigate.^[3] In honour of his assistance, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the Bath (CB) by Queen Victoria in November 1816,^[4] and the following year was appointed a Commander of the Order of Saint Ferdinand and of Merit, by King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies.^[5]

He served as Member of Parliament for Truro from 1820 to 1826, secretary to Lord Anglesey as Master-General of the Ordnance from 1827 to 1828, private secretary to Anglesey as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1828 to 1829, Under-Secretary for Ireland from 1831 to 1835 and Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons from 1835 until his death.^[3]

He was knighted in 3 May 1831 by the Queen and appointed a Knight Commander in the Royal Guelphic Order that same year.^[3]

In 1808, he married Gertrude Martha, daughter of Ralph Allen Daniell of Trelissick, near Truro. He settled in Cornwall, where he and his wife had one son – who also served as Serjeant-at-Arms – and three daughters.^[3][6][7]

• Sir Ralph Gosset KCB (1809–1885), Serjeant-at-Arms from 1875–85
• Elizabeth Louisa Gosset (1811–1897), married Frederick Willis, Esq.
• Gertrude Mary Gosset (1814–1879)^[8]
• Jennetta Anne Gosset (1817–1890), married Wilbraham Taylor, son of Edward Taylor, MP

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