Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham

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The Lord Pelham
Member of the British Parliament
for East Grinstead
In office
1678–1679
Member of the British Parliament
for Lewes
In office
1679–1702
Member of the British Parliament
for Sussex
In office
1702–1705
Personal details
Bornc. 1653[1]
Died23 February 1712
Spouse(s)Elizabeth Jones
(m. 1679, died 1681)
Grace Holles
(m. 1686, died 1700)
ChildrenElizabeth Townshend, Viscountess Townshend
Lucy Pelham
Grace Naylor
Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne
Henry Pelham
Frances Wandesford, Viscountess Castlecomer
Gertrude Polhill
Lucy Clinton, Countess of Lincoln
Margaret, Lady Shelley
Parents

Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton Bt (c. 1653 – 23 February 1712) was a moderate English Whig politician and Member of Parliament for several constituencies. He is best remembered as the father of two British prime ministers (Henry Pelham and the Duke of Newcastle) who, between them, served for 18 years as first minister.

Pelham was born in Laughton, Sussex, the son of Sir John Pelham, 3rd Baronet and his wife Lucy Sidney (daughter of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester). Pelham was educated at Tonbridge School and Christ Church, Oxford.

He sat for East Grinstead from October 1678 until August 1679. In October 1679 he was returned for Lewes, serving until 1702; he subsequently chose to sit for Sussex, a seat he held until 1705.[1]

Personal life[edit]

On 26 November 1679 Pelham married Elizabeth Jones,[1] daughter of Sir William Jones, Attorney General from 1650 to 1679 and his wife Elizabeth Alleyn, with whom he had two daughters:

Pelham's wife Elizabeth died in October 1681. In May 1686, he married Lady Grace Holles[1] (daughter of Gilbert Holles, 3rd Earl of Clare and Grace Pierrepoint), with whom he had two sons and five daughters:

Both of Pelham's sons went on to serve as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He served as a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury for three separate periods (March 1690–March 1692; May 1697–June 1699 and March 1701–May 1702); in 1706, he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Pelham of Laughton (having previously succeeded to his father's baronetage in 1703).[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "PELHAM, Thomas (c.1653-1712), of Halland, Laughton, Suss". History of Parliament. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  2. ^ The Baronetage of England, Ireland, Nova Scotia, Great Britain and the United Kingdom[usurped]. Retrieved 2011-10-05.

Sources[edit]

Parliament of England
Preceded by Member of Parliament for East Grinstead
1678–1679
With: George Courthope 1678–1679
Edward Sackville 1679
Henry Powle 1679
Sir Thomas Littleton 1679
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Lewes
1679–1702
With: Richard Bridger 1679–1695
Henry Pelham 1695–1701, 1701–1702
Thomas Trevor 1701–1702
Richard Payne 1702
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Sussex
1702–1705
With: Henry Lumley
Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Vice-Admiral of Sussex
1705–1712
Succeeded by
Peerage of England
New creation Baron Pelham
1706–1712
Succeeded by
Baronetage of England
Preceded by Baronet
(of Laughton)
1703–1712
Succeeded by