Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath
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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 1780 he was known as Lord Weymouth. He is often best known for his role in the Falklands Crisis
of 1770.
(1710—1751), and the great-grandnephew of Thomas Thynne (c. 1640–1714), who was created Baron Thynne and Viscount Weymouth in 1682.
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.
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
.
, but he resigned in December 1770 in the midst of the dispute
with Spain
over the possession of the Falkland Islands
.
, and he died in November 1796. 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." He married Elizabeth (died 1825), daughter of William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland
, by whom he had three sons and ten daughters.
He was High Steward of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield from 1781 until his death.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(1734–1796) was a British
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
politician who held office under George III serving as Southern Secretary, Northern Secretary and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
. Between 1751 and 1780 he was known as Lord Weymouth. He is often best known for his role in the Falklands Crisis
Falklands Crisis
Falklands Crisis can refer to:* Falklands Crisis , a dispute over the Falkland Islands between Great Britain and Spain.* Falklands War , the invasion of the Falklands by Argentina and their subsequent recapture by British forces....
of 1770.
Family and Early life
He was the elder son of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount WeymouthThomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount Weymouth
Thomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount Weymouth was an English peer, descended from the first Sir John Thynne of Longleat House.Thomas Thynne was born posthumously on 21 May 1710, the son of another Thomas Thynne and his wife Lady Mary Villiers....
(1710—1751), and the great-grandnephew of Thomas Thynne (c. 1640–1714), who was created Baron Thynne and Viscount Weymouth in 1682.
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
John Thynne
Sir John Thynne was the steward to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset and a member of parliament. He was the builder of Longleat House and his descendants became Marquesses of Bath.-Early life:...
, the builder of Longleat
Longleat
Longleat is an English stately home, currently the seat of the Marquesses of Bath, adjacent to the village of Horningsham and near the towns of Warminster in Wiltshire and Frome in Somerset. It is noted for its Elizabethan country house, maze, landscaped parkland and safari park. The house is set...
, the splendid seat of the family in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. Sir John owed his wealth and position to the favour of his master, the protector Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
; he was comptroller of the household of the Lady Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, 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
John Dryden
John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
as Issachar
Issachar
Issachar/Yissachar was, according to the Book of Genesis, a son of Jacob and Leah , and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Issachar; however some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
in Absalom and Achitophel
Absalom and Achitophel
Absalom and Achitophel is a landmark poetic political satire by John Dryden. The poem exists in two parts. The first part, of 1681, is undoubtedly by Dryden...
, and was murdered in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by some Swedes in February 1682.
Political career
Born on 13 September 1734 Thomas Thynne succeeded his father as 3rd Viscount Weymouth in January 1751 and was Lord Lieutenant of IrelandLord Lieutenant of Ireland
The Lord Lieutenant of Ireland was the British King's representative and head of the Irish executive during the Lordship of Ireland , the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 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
Secretary of State for the Northern Department
The Secretary of State for the Northern Department was a position in the Cabinet of the government of Great Britain up to 1782. Before the Act of Union, 1707, the Secretary of State's responsibilities were in relation to the English government, not the British. Even after the Union, there was...
in January 1768; he acted with great promptitude during the unrest caused by John Wilkes
John Wilkes
John Wilkes was an English radical, journalist and politician.He was first elected Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters—rather than the House of Commons—to determine their representatives...
and the Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
election of 1768. He was then attacked and libeled by Wilkes, who was consequently expelled from the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
.
Falklands Crisis
Before the close of 1768 he was transferred from the northern to the southern departmentSecretary of State for the Southern Department
The Secretary of State for the Southern Department was a position in the cabinet of the government of Kingdom of Great Britain up to 1782.Before 1782, the responsibilities of the two British Secretaries of State were divided not based on the principles of modern ministerial divisions, but...
, but he resigned in December 1770 in the midst of the dispute
Falklands Crisis (1770)
The Falklands Crisis of 1770 was a diplomatic standoff between Britain and Spain over possession of the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. These events were nearly the cause of a war between France, Spain and Britain — the countries poised to dispatch armed fleets to contest the barren...
with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
over the possession of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
.
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.Later Life
In 1789 he was created Marquess of BathMarquess of Bath
Marquess of Bath is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1789 for Thomas Thynne, 3rd Viscount Weymouth. The Thynne family descends from the soldier and courtier Sir John Thynne , who constructed Longleat House between 1567 and 1579...
, and he died in November 1796. 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
Charles James Fox
Charles James Fox PC , styled The Honourable from 1762, was a prominent British Whig statesman whose parliamentary career spanned thirty-eight years of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and who was particularly noted for being the arch-rival of William Pitt the Younger...
. 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." He married Elizabeth (died 1825), daughter of William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland
William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland
William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland KG , styled Viscount Woodstock from 1709 to 1715 and Marquess of Titchfield from 1715 to 1726, was a British peer....
, by whom he had three sons and ten daughters.
He was High Steward of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield from 1781 until his death.