Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath
| The Most Honourable The Marquess of Bath KG | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Secretary of State for the Northern Department | |
|
In office 7 March 1779 – 27 October 1779 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | Lord North |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Suffolk |
| Succeeded by | The Viscount Stormont |
|
In office 20 January 1768 – 21 October 1768 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister |
The Earl of Chatham The Duke of Grafton |
| Preceded by | Henry Seymour Conway |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Rochford |
| Secretary of State for the Southern Department | |
|
In office 9 November 1775 – 24 November 1779 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | Lord North |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Rochford |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Hillsborough |
|
In office 21 October 1768 – 12 December 1770 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister |
The Duke of Grafton Lord North |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Shelburne |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Rochford |
| Lord Lieutenant of Ireland | |
|
In office 5 June 1765 – 7 August 1765 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Northumberland |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Hertford |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thomas Thynne 13 September 1734 |
| Died |
19 November 1796 (aged 62) St George Hanover Square Westminster, Middlesex Great Britain |
| Political party | Tory |
| Spouse(s) | Lady Elizabeth Bentinck (m. 1759) |
| Children | Six |
| Residence | Longleat |
| Alma mater | St John's College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Politician |
Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath KG (1734–1796) was a British politician who held office under George III serving as Southern Secretary, Northern Secretary and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Between 1751 and 1789 he was known as The Viscount Weymouth. He is often best known for his role in the Falklands Crisis of 1770.
Family and Early life
He was the elder son of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount Weymouth (1710—1751), and the great-grandnephew of Thomas Thynne (c. 1640–1714), who was created Baron Thynne and Viscount Weymouth in 1682. [1]
His mother was Louisa (d. 1736), daughter of John Carteret, 1st Earl Granville, and a descendant of the family of Granville who held the earldom of Bath from 1661 to 1711. The Thynnes are descended from Sir John Thynne, the builder of Longleat, the splendid seat of the family in Wiltshire. Sir John owed his wealth and position to the favour of his master, the protector Somerset; he was comptroller of the household of the Lady Elizabeth, and was a person of some importance after that princess became queen. Another famous member of this family was Thomas Thynne (1648–1682), called on account of his wealth "Tom of Ten Thousand." He is celebrated by Dryden as Issachar in Absalom and Achitophel, and was murdered in London by some Swedes in February 1682.[1]
Political career
Born on 13 September 1734, Thomas Thynne succeeded his father as 3rd Viscount Weymouth in January 1751 and was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for a short time during 1765, although he never visited that country. Having, however, become prominent in British politics, he was appointed Secretary of State for the Northern Department in January 1768; he acted with great promptitude during the unrest caused by John Wilkes and the Middlesex election of 1768. He was then attacked and libeled by Wilkes, who was consequently expelled from the House of Commons.[1]
Falklands Crisis
Before the close of 1768 he was transferred from the northern to the southern department, but he resigned in December 1770 in the midst of the dispute with Spain over the possession of the Falkland Islands.[1]
American War of Independence
In November 1775 Weymouth returned to his former office of secretary for the southern department, undertaking in addition the duties attached to the northern department for a few months in 1779, but he resigned both positions in the autumn of that year.[1]
Later life
He was High Steward of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield from 1781 until his death.
In 1789 he was created Marquess of Bath and died in November 1796. He had married Elizabeth (died 1825), daughter of Margaret Cavendish Bentinck and William Bentinck, Duchess and Duke of Portland, by whom he had three sons and three daughters.[1] He was succeeded by his eldest son Thomas.
Weymouth was a man of considerable ability, especially as a speaker. According to more modern standards, his habits were very coarse, resembling those of his friend and frequent companion Charles James Fox. Horace Walpole refers frequently to his idleness and his drunkenness, and in early life at least "his great fortune he had damaged: by such profuse play, that his house was often full of bailiffs."
References
- Attribution
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bath, Thomas Thynne". Encyclopædia Britannica. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- ↑ Burke, Sir Bernard, (1938 ed) Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage. Shaw, London. p.243
- 1 2 3 Woodfall, H. (1768). The Peerage of England; Containing a Genealogical and Historical Account of All the Peers of that Kingdom Etc. Fourth Edition, Carefully Corrected, and Continued to the Present Time, Volume 6. p. 258.
- 1 2 Lee, Sidney, ed. (1898). "Thynne, William". Dictionary of National Biography. 56. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- ↑ Girouard, Mark, Thynne, Sir John (1515–1580), estate manager and builder of Longleat in Oxford Dictionary of Biography (Oxford University Press, 2004)
- ↑ Booth, Muriel. "THYNNE, John (?1550-1604), of Longleat, Wilts.". History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ Lancaster, Henry; Thrush, Andrew. "THYNNE, Charles (c.1568-1652), of Cheddar, Som.". History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ Rugh, R. B.; Critall, Elizabeth. "'Parliamentary history : 1529-1629', in A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 5". British History Online. Victoria County History. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ Ferris, John P. "THYNNE, Sir James (c.1605-70), of Longbridge Deverill, Wilts.". History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ Helms, M. W.; Ferris, John P. "THYNNE, Sir Thomas (c.1610-c.69), of Richmond, Surr.". History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ Marshall, Alan. "Thynne, Thomas". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 2 January 2016. (subscription required (help)).
- ↑ Heath-Caldwell, J. J. "Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath, 3rd Viscount Weymouth". JJ Heath-Caldwell. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ Hayton, D. W. "THYNNE, Hon. Henry (1675-1708).". The History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ Dunaway, Stewart (2013). Lord John Carteret, Earl Granville - His Life History and the Granville Grants. Lulu. p. 33. ISBN 9781300878070.
- ↑ "Bath, Thomas Thynne". Encyclopedia Britannica 1911. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ Thorne, Roland. "Carteret [formerly Thynne], Henry Frederick". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ "Thomas Thynne, 2nd Marquess of Bath (1765-1837)". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ Escott, Margaret. "THYNNE, Lord Henry Frederick (1797-1837), of 6 Grovesnor Square, Mdx.". History of Parliament. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ "John Thynne, 4th Marquess of Bath (1831-1896), Diplomat and landowner". National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved 2 January 2016.