Sir Robert Thomas, 2nd Baronet (c.1622-1685) was a Welsh politician who sat in the

House of Commons of England The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which incorporated Wales) 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 ...

from 1661 to 1681. He was knighted and succeeded as

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14t ...

in 1673 on the death of his father.John Burke and John Bernard Burke (1841), "Thomas, of Mitchelstown", ''A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Extinct and Dormant Baronetcies'' (2nd ed.), p 522.
Retrieved 27 Dec 2020.

Life

Early life

Robert Thomas was the second son and heir of Sir Edward Thomas, 1st Baronet of Llanmihangel and Bettws (in English: Michaelstown), Glamorgan, Wales Helen M. Thomas (1997) "Llanmihangel, near Cowbridge: A tale of family fortunes and misfortunes". ''Morgannwg Transactions of the Glamorgan Local History Society'', Vol. 41, p. 8-37.
Retrieved 26 Dec. 2020Leonard Naylor, "THOMAS, Robert (c.1622-aft.1684), of Cowbridge and Llanfihangel Plas, Glam.", ''History of Parliament Online''
Retrieved 26 Dec. 2020 and his wife Susan Morgan, daughter of Thomas Morgan of Rhiwperra (1564-1645, MPHenry Lancaster and Simon Healy, "MORGAN, Thomas (1564-1645), of Graig Olwy, Llangyfiw, Mon., Michaelston Fedwy, Mon. and Rhiwperra Castle, Llanfihangel-y-fedw, Glam.", ''History of Parliament Online''
Retrieved 27 Dec. 2020). Robert's older brother, William, died before 1665. Younger brothers and sisters include John Thomas (c.1630-a.1676), Lt. Col. Lewis (Lewys) Thomas, Esq (??-1648), Humphrey Thomas (c.1627-1679), Anne (c. 1634-1694, second wife to

Sir Thomas Nott Sir Thomas Nott (11 December 1606 – 1681) was an English royalist army officer and an original fellow of the Royal Society. In 1640, he acquired the remainder of the crown lease of Twickenham Park, Middlesex which he sold in 1659.Stephen Porter, ...

, becoming Lady Anne Nott), and Susanna (c.1632-1682, married Dr. John Butler, Canon of Windsor Castle).

Family

Robert Thomas married c.1654, Mary Jenkins, daughter of Judge David Jenkins, of Hensol. With Mary, he had four children. Edward Thomas (??-before 1677), Mary (a.k.a. Maud, 1651-a.1702, married Marmaduke Gibbs, Esq.), Susannah (??-1747, married Robert Savours), and Capt. Robert Thomas (1654-1691; Jesus College, Oxford B.A. 1675, M.A. 1678, Fellow 1677-1685, matr. Lincoln's Inn 1676; married Catherine Acton in 1689; died at

Battle of Aughrim The Battle of Aughrim ( ga, Cath Eachroma) was the decisive battle of the Williamite War in Ireland. It was fought between the largely Irish Jacobite army loyal to James II and the forces of William III on 12 July 1691 (old style, equivale ...

, Ireland). In London, Robert Thomas either had a second marriage ("Lady Anne his wife" appears in birth records of the Parish of St. Giles in the Fields) or a mistress ("his own whore"In notes by Sir Edward Mansell of Margam, sent to Secretary of State, Sir Joseph Williamson in 1677
Philip Jenkins (1987), "The Glamorgan Gentry in 1677", ''National Library of Wales Journal'' Vol. 25, pp.53-70
Retrieved 26 Dec. 2020). With "Lady Anne", he had three children: Ann Thomas (1672-1708), Francis Thomas (1675-1695), and Susannah (1676-??, married Robert Hutchins). Francis Thomas was murdered in London on 22 Feb. 1694/5 O.S.

Member of Parliament

In 1661, Robert Thomas was elected

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

in the

Cavalier Parliament The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, and longer than any Great British or UK Parliament to date, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter-century reign of C ...

. He succeeded to the

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

on the death of his father in 1673. He was re-elected MP for Cardiff in the two elections of 1679—in March 1679 for the short-lived Habeas Corpus Parliament (a.k.a. First Exclusion Parliament), and in September 1679 for the

Exclusion Bill Parliament The Exclusion Bill Parliament was a Parliament of England during the reign of Charles II of England, named after the long saga of the Exclusion Bill. Summoned on 24 July 1679, but prorogued by the king so that it did not assemble until 21 Octob ...

. The latter was summoned on 24 July 1679 O.S., but prorogued by the king so that it did not assemble until 21 October 1680 O.S., it was dissolved three months later on 18 January 1680/81 O.S. George Edward Cokayne (1990) ''Complete Baronetage Volume 2''
/ref>

Offices

He was a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber of Charles II in 1660-1684, serving in the Lady Quarter (25 March - 24 June).Nicholas Carlisle (1829), ''An Inquiry Into the Place and Quality of the Gentlemen of His Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Chamber'', London: Pane and Foss.
Retrieved 28 December 2020Edward Chamberlayne (1684), ''Angliæ Notitia: Or the Present State of England - The First Part'', p 164
Retrieved 28 December 2020.

Later life and death

Heavily in debt (est. £15,000-£20,000), Sir Robert Thomas was imprisoned in the Kings Bench Prison, c. 1684-1685. He finally sold his property in Glamorgan, Wales ( Plas Llanmihangel, Bettws, Flemingston) to Humphrey Edwin for £12,812 in 1685. The last record of Sir Robert Thomas was on 29 Apr 1685 at the King's Bench Prison, when he signed a petition in support of

Titus Oates Titus Oates (15 September 1649 – 12/13 July 1705) was an English priest who fabricated the "Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II. Early life Titus Oates was born at Oakham in Rutland. His father Samuel (1610� ...

, the notorious promoter of the

Popish Plot The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy invented by Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there was an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate ...

.Titus Oates (1696), ''A Tragedy, Called the Popish Plot, Reviv'd'', p 42. Retrieved 26 Dec. 2020
/ref> Though the circumstances of his death and burial are not known,His friend Aubrey made a note to himself to look for Sir Robert's burial in the church of Cowbridge, Glamorgan: "Quaere Sir Robert Thomas whereabouts in the church or chancell"
John Aubrey, (Andrew Clark, Ed.) (1898), ''Brief Lives'', Vol. 2, p5.
Retrieved 28 Dec. 2020There are no memorial inscriptions for Sir Robert Thomas at the parish church in Cowbridge
''Monumental Inscriptions, Holy Cross Parish Church, Cowbridge'', Glamorgan F.H.S. (undated)
Retrieved 28 December 2020 evidence from a court caseEdwyn v Gibbs. Plaintiffs: Humphrey Edwyn. Defendants: Marmaduke Gibbs. Subject: personal estate of the deceased Sir Robert Thomas bart. Date: 1685,
''National Archives'' C 5/83/72
/ref> suggests that Sir Robert Thomas died before the end of 1685 (

Old Style Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, this is the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 158 ...

). The baronetcy then became extinct.

Politics

Sir Robert's political and economic fortunes were intertwined. His Whig/anti-Catholic politics seem to have originated in resentment for the poor treatment his family received as Royalists during the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...

and

Interregnum An interregnum (plural interregna or interregnums) is a period of discontinuity or "gap" in a government, organization, or social order. Archetypally, it was the period of time between the reign of one monarch and the next (coming from Latin '' ...

. (His father Sir Edward Thomas suffered financial hardship and become indebted, while his father-in-law Judge David Jenkins suffered physical and emotional hardship of being tried for sedition and imprisoned in the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

for 7 years.) A second factor was rivalry between and within gentry families in Wales. Many gentry families, including the Thomases, had Catholics in their extended family. These rivalries and conflicts formed along lines of religion, political power and intrigue, economic power, and personal dislikes. A third factor shaping his politics were friendships and alliances formed with prominent Whigs and anti-Catholics in Wales and in London, including John Arnold, Sir Trevor Williams, Ford, Lord Grey, and, later, Popish Plot conspirator

. Though not on any published list, Robert Thomas was probably a member of the

Green Ribbon Club The Green Ribbon Club was one of the earliest of the loosely combined associations which met from time to time in London taverns or coffeehouses for political purposes in the 17th century. The green ribbon was the badge of the Levellers in the Eng ...

. He became an ally (if not trusted friend) of the Whig leader Anthony, Earl of Shaftesbury. In Shaftesbury's evaluation of allies and enemies (May 1677), he only rated Thomas as "worthy" rather than "doubly worthy" or "thrice worthy".K. H. D. Haley (1970), "Shaftesbury's Lists of the Lay Peers and Members of the Commons, 1677-8", ''Bulletin of the Institute of Historical Research'', Vol. 43, No. 107, pp 86–105. https://doi-org/10.1111/j.1468-2281.1970.tb01652.x On top of these factors, Sir Robert's extremism was probably fueled by his dire financial condition in the 1670s and 1680s, i.e. such political actions could be used against enemies and to curry favor with powerful friends.

Anti-Catholic Activism and Involvement in The Popish Plot

In 1678-81 while a Member of Parliament, Sir Robert Thomas became embroiled in the anti-Catholic

as an antagonist and accuser.

Reputation

Both in his home county of Glamorgan, Wales and in London, Sir Robert Thomas was a controversial person with a mixed reputation. He was described variously as a "royalist sufferer",Phillip Jenkins (1980). Anti-popery on the Welsh Marches in the Seventeenth Century. ''The Historical Journal'', 23(2), pages 275-293. doi:10.1017/S0018246X00024286 "unmannerly behaviour" towards King Charles II and the Duke of York, a "dubious ally",Phillip Jenkins (1983), ''The Making of a Ruling Class: The Glamorgan Gentry 1640-1790'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. a political "extremist" of the Country Party/Whig and anti-Catholic sort, an "isolated adventurer" rather than a Party loyalist, and a wealthy business person with "no sense". Regarding positive traits, Robert Thomas was friends with prominent literary people in London, including writer and antiquarian

John Aubrey John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquary, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the '' Brief Lives'', his collection of short biographical pieces. He was a pioneer archaeologist ...

, playwright

Thomas Shadwell Thomas Shadwell ( – 19 November 1692) was an English poet and playwright who was appointed Poet Laureate in 1689. Life Shadwell was born at either Bromehill Farm, Weeting-with-Broomhill or Santon House, Lynford, Norfolk, and educated at Bu ...

, and poet and satirist Samuel Butler. On 27 Sept. 1680 O.S. Sir Robert was one of 25 friends attending the funeral of Samuel Butler at St. Paul's Covent Garden, and was a pallbearer along with Aubrey and Shadwell.John Aubrey (Andrew Clark, Ed.), (1898) ''Brief Lives'', Vol. 1, p 136.
Retrieved 27 Dec 2020 Being a pallbearer is a notable act of friendship, in part because Butler "died in want" (poverty) and was no longer a popular figure. The following episodes convey some of his negative traits and relationships. In 1671, his father Sir Edward Thomas, 1st Baronet, filed a petition with the House of Commons, complaining of "Miscarriages, Frauds and Abuses, committed by his said Son". Robert Thomas denied the allegations and claimed he was falsely accused. After a committee investigation, the House took no action.British History Online, ''House of Commons Journal'', Vol. 9: 28 February 1671, pages 209-210
Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1802. Retrieved 26 Dec. 2020.''Debates of the House of Commons: From the Year 1667 to the Year 1694'', Volume 1, p 400, 41
Google Books
/ref> In 1677, Sir Edward Mansel of Margam, also an MP, wrote private notes on the gentry of Glamorgan, and it included the following entry (spelling in original, clarification in square brackets): ::A. Sir Robert Thomas of Languchangell _Plas_Llanmihangel_.html" ;"title="Llanmihangel_Place_.html" ;"title=" _Plas_Llanmihangel_">Llanmihangel_Place_.html"_;"title="Llanmihangel_Place_">_Plas_Llanmihangel__Baronett ::B._[Estates.html" ;"title="Llanmihangel Place "> Plas Llanmihangel ">Llanmihangel_Place_.html" ;"title="Llanmihangel Place "> Plas Llanmihangel Baronett ::B. [Estates">Llanmihangel Place "> Plas Llanmihangel ">Llanmihangel_Place_.html" ;"title="Llanmihangel Place "> Plas Llanmihangel Baronett ::B. [Estates£1700 if cleare ::C. Aged 55. A man of great business but no sence ::D. [Inclination as to the government] Known in his country as well as abroad ::E. [Wife, children] First, Judge Jenkins' daughter 1 sone 1 daughter -- Last, his own whore, 2 children In c.1684, a poem by an unknown author lampooning the gentry of Glamorgan included the following stanza with Sir Robert Thomas as subjectPhillip Jenkins (1979), "Two Poems on the Glamorgan Gentry Community in the Reign of James II", ''National Library of Wales Journal'' 21(2): 159-178
Retrieved 26 Dec. 2020 ::Sir Robert the ass ::I will not let pass ::But give the devil his due ::He never was good ::To the next of his blood ::To his wife nor his king never true. The lines "He never was good / To the next of his blood" apparently referred to the conflict he had with his father, mentioned above.

References

Sources

Jenkins, Phillip (1983), ''The Making of a Ruling Class: The Glamorgan Gentry 1640-1790'', Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Naylor, Leonard (2020), "THOMAS, Robert (c.1622-aft.1684), of Cowbridge and Llanfihangel Plas, Glam.", ''History of Parliament Online''
Retrieved 26 Dec. 2020
Thomas, Helen M. (1997) "Llanmihangel, near Cowbridge: A tale of family fortunes and misfortunes". ''Morgannwg Transactions of the Glamorgan Local History Society'', Vol. 41, p. 8-37.
Retrieved 26 Dec. 2020 {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Robert 1622 births Year of death missing Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for constituencies in Wales English MPs 1661–1679 English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 Baronets in the Baronetage of England 17th-century Welsh politicians