Thomas Sandys (or ''Sands'' or ''Sandes''; 1600–1658) was an English politician, MP for Gatton. Sandys was born in 1600, the elder son of John Sandys of

Leatherhead Leatherhead is a town in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England, about south of Central London. The settlement grew up beside a ford on the River Mole, from which its name is thought to derive. During the late Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon ...

, Surrey. He was educated at

Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517 by Richard Fo ...

, matriculating in 1617, aged 17. He became a barrister-at-law at the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

in 1625, and a

bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher c ...

in 1648. In the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an Parliament of England, English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660, making it the longest-lasting Parliament in English and British history. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened f ...

elected in 1640, Sandys was elected MP for Gatton along with Sir

Samuel Owfield Sir Samuel Owfield (1595–1644) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1644. Owfield was the son of Roger Owfield, Fishmonger, of Billiter Lane, London and his wife Thomasine More, daughter o ...

(who died in 1644 and was replaced by his son

William Owfield William Owfield (1 July 1623 – 1664) was an English landowner and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1645. Owfield was the eldest son of Sir Samuel Owfield, of Upper Gatton, Surrey and Covent Garden, and his wife Katherine Smith, ...

in 1645). A rival candidate for Sandys' seat was returned by the Copley family, a Mr. Sanders, who was declared not duly elected on 5 November 1641. Although Sandys supported Parliament against the King, both he and William Owfield were secluded from Parliament in

Pride's Purge Pride's Purge is the name commonly given to an event that took place on 6 December 1648, when soldiers prevented members of Parliament considered hostile to the New Model Army from entering the House of Commons of England. Despite defeat in the ...

in 1648. Sandys played no part in politics during the ascendancy of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

, and died at the end of 1658.

References

, - 1600 births 1658 deaths People from Leatherhead Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Members of the Middle Temple English MPs 1640–1648 {{1640-England-MP-stub