Thomas Lewis (died 1736)

Thomas Lewis (c. 1679 – 22 November 1736) of Soberton, Hampshire, was a British Tory and then Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1708 and 1736.

Life

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Lewis was the eldest surviving son of Richard Lewis, MP, of Edington and Corsham, Wiltshire and his wife Mary James. He attended Salisbury School and succeeded his father in 1706, inheriting estates at Corsham in Wiltshire and The Van in Glamorgan.

He married firstly Anna Maria Curll, daughter of Sir Walter Curll, 1st Baronet of Soberton. She died in 1709 and he married secondly in February 1710, Elizabeth Turnour of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, with whom he had a daughter.[1] He lived at Soberton, which he inherited by his first marriage.

Lewis was returned as a Tory Member of Parliament (MP) for Whitchurch on 5 May 1708, but was unseated on petition on 21 December 1708. At the 1710 British general election, he was returned as MP for Winchester. He was then returned for Hampshire at the 1713 British general election.[1]

At the 1715 British general election he was returned as Tory MP for Southampton and was returned again at the 1722 British general election. In 1726 he switched to supporting Walpole's ministry. He became MP for Salisbury at the 1727 British general election and then for Portsmouth at the 1734 British general election.[2]

Lewis died on 22 November 1736, leaving his estates, which were heavily encumbered, to his only grandchild, Other Windsor, 4th Earl of Plymouth, with remainder successively to Sir Robert and Horace Walpole.[2] His tomb in Soberton was sculpted by Peter Scheemakers.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "LEWIS, Thomas (c.1679–1736), of Soberton, Hants". History of Parliament Online (1690–1715). Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b "LEWIS, Thomas (c.1679–1736), of Soberton, Hants". History of Parliament Online (1715–1754). Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  3. ^ dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Whitchurch
1708
With: Frederick Tylney
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Winchester
1710–1714
With: George Rodney Brydges
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Hampshire
1713–1715
With: Sir Anthony Sturt
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Southampton
1715–1727
With: Richard Fleming 1715–1722
Thomas Missing 1722–1727
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Salisbury
1727–1734
With: Anthony Duncombe
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Portsmouth
1734–1736
With: Philip Cavendish
Succeeded by