Thomas Cheek
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Cheek or Cheke (died March 1659) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
in every parliament between 1604 and 1653.
Cheek was the son of Sir Henry Cheek and his wife Frances Radclyffe daughter of Sir Humphrey Radclyffe of Elstow and sister of Edward Radclyffe, 6th Earl of Sussex
. He was educated at York where his school fellows included Thomas Morton
, afterwards Bishop of Durham, and Guy Fawkes
. He lost his father while a minor as he wrote a Greek letter and Latin verses to the Lord Treasurer in 1586 in which he called himself an orphan, and spoke of his father being gone to the joys of heaven. In it he prays his Lordship, that as he was always an help and a sanctuary unto his father, so he would be to him. Cheek was knighted by King James I on 11 May 1603.
In 1604, Cheek was elected Member of Parliament
for Harwich
and was re-elected MP for Harwich in 1614 and in 1621. In 1624 he was elected MP for both Bere Alston
and Essex
, and chose to sit for Essex. He was MP for Bere Alston again in 1625 and was elected MP for Maldon
in 1626. In 1628 he was elected MP for Colchester
where he sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was awarded MA from Cambridge University in 1629.
Cheek was elected MP for Harwich in April 1640 for the Short Parliament
and was re-elected for Harwich again in the Long Parliament
in November 1640. He survived at least until Pride's Purge
.
Cheek purchased Pirgo Park
in Havering Essex from the Grey family. He died at "a great age", and was buried on 25 March 1659 in St Alban, Wood Street
in the north chapel near his grandfather.
Cheek married firstly a daughter of Peter Osborn. They were married nearly twenty years, but had no issue. He married secondly Essex Rich, daughter of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick
. They had three sons, Robert, Thomas, Charles and five daughters, Frances, Essex, Anne, Isabel, and Elizabeth. Their daughter Essex married firstly Sir Robert Bevil, and secondly as his third wife Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester
. Their daughter Frances married Lancelot Lake
. Their daughter Isabel married Sir Francis Gerard, 2nd Baronet
.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
in every parliament between 1604 and 1653.
Cheek was the son of Sir Henry Cheek and his wife Frances Radclyffe daughter of Sir Humphrey Radclyffe of Elstow and sister of Edward Radclyffe, 6th Earl of Sussex
Edward Radclyffe, 6th Earl of Sussex
Edward Radclyffe, 6th Earl of Sussex was a British peer and Member of Parliament for Bedfordshire 1588-1589, Petersfield and Portsmouth....
. He was educated at York where his school fellows included Thomas Morton
Thomas Morton (bishop)
Thomas Morton was an English churchman, bishop of several dioceses.-Early life:Morton was born in York on 20 March 1564. He was brought up and grammar school educated in the city and nearby Halifax. In 1582 he became a pensioner at St John's College, Cambridge from which he graduated with a BA in...
, afterwards Bishop of Durham, and Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes , also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.Fawkes was born and educated in York...
. He lost his father while a minor as he wrote a Greek letter and Latin verses to the Lord Treasurer in 1586 in which he called himself an orphan, and spoke of his father being gone to the joys of heaven. In it he prays his Lordship, that as he was always an help and a sanctuary unto his father, so he would be to him. Cheek was knighted by King James I on 11 May 1603.
In 1604, Cheek was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Harwich
Harwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Harwich was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Until its abolition for the 2010 general election it elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
and was re-elected MP for Harwich in 1614 and in 1621. In 1624 he was elected MP for both Bere Alston
Bere Alston (UK Parliament constituency)
Bere Alston or Beeralston was a parliamentary borough in Devon, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1584 until 1832, when the constituency was abolished by the Great Reform Act as a rotten borough.-History:...
and Essex
Essex (UK Parliament constituency)
Essex was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1290 until 1832. It elected two MPs, traditionally referred to as Knights of the Shire, to the House of Commons...
, and chose to sit for Essex. He was MP for Bere Alston again in 1625 and was elected MP for Maldon
Maldon (UK Parliament constituency)
Maldon is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in 1626. In 1628 he was elected MP for Colchester
Colchester (UK Parliament constituency)
Colchester is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
where he sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was awarded MA from Cambridge University in 1629.
Cheek was elected MP for Harwich in April 1640 for the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
and was re-elected for Harwich again in the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
in November 1640. He survived at least until Pride's Purge
Pride's Purge
Pride’s Purge is an event in December 1648, during the Second English Civil War, when troops under the command of Colonel Thomas Pride forcibly removed from the Long Parliament all those who were not supporters of the Grandees in the New Model Army and the Independents...
.
Cheek purchased Pirgo Park
Pyrgo Park
Pyrgo Park is a park at Havering-atte-Bower in the London Borough of Havering, in northeast London, England. It is the site of Pirgo Palace, built before 1540 and demolished by 1814; and of Pyrgo House, built 1841, which lasted less than a century...
in Havering Essex from the Grey family. He died at "a great age", and was buried on 25 March 1659 in St Alban, Wood Street
St Alban, Wood Street
St Alban's was a church in Wood Street, City of London. It was dedicated to Saint Alban. Only its tower now remains.-History:Some argue that it dated back to King Offa of Mercia, who is believed to have had a palace on the site which included a chapel...
in the north chapel near his grandfather.
Cheek married firstly a daughter of Peter Osborn. They were married nearly twenty years, but had no issue. He married secondly Essex Rich, daughter of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick
Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick
Robert Rich, 3rd Baron Rich, created 1st Earl of Warwick was the son of Robert Rich, 2nd Baron Rich, and Elizabeth Baldry.-Marriages and children:First married Penelope Devereux on 10 January, 1581...
. They had three sons, Robert, Thomas, Charles and five daughters, Frances, Essex, Anne, Isabel, and Elizabeth. Their daughter Essex married firstly Sir Robert Bevil, and secondly as his third wife Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester
Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester
Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester KG, KB, FRS was an important commander of Parliamentary forces in the First English Civil War, and for a time Oliver Cromwell's superior.-Life:...
. Their daughter Frances married Lancelot Lake
Lancelot Lake
Sir Lancelot Lake was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1660 to 1679.Lake was the son of Lancelot Lake of Canons, Little Stanmore and grandson of Sir Thomas Lake. In 1656 he settled 20 acres of land at Stanmore marsh on trustees, for them to pay £15 p.a...
. Their daughter Isabel married Sir Francis Gerard, 2nd Baronet
Sir Francis Gerard, 2nd Baronet
Sir Francis Gerard, 2nd Baronet was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1641 and 1660....
.