Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of Stamford, PC (c. 165431 January 1720) was a British peer and politician. Grey was the only son of Thomas, Lord Grey of Groby, and inherited his title from his

grandfather Grandparents, individually known as grandmother and grandfather, are the parents of a person's father or mother – paternal or maternal. Every sexually-reproducing living organism who is not a genetic chimera has a maximum of four genetic ...

. His mother was Lady Dorothy Bourchier, daughter of

Edward Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath Edward Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath (baptised 1 March 1590Cokayne, ''The Complete Peerage'', new edition, Vol II, p. 18 – died 31 March 1636). Origins He was born in Somerset, the eldest son and heir of William Bourchier, 3rd Earl of Ba ...

. Grey took some part in resisting the arbitrary actions of James II, and was arrested in July 1685. After his release he took up arms on behalf of William of Orange in the Glorious Revolution, after whose accession to the throne he was made a

Privy Counsellor The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of ei ...

(1694) and

Lord Lieutenant of Devon The Office of the Lord Lieutenant was created during the reign of Henry VIII (1509–1547), taking over the military duties of the Sheriffs and control of the military forces of the Crown. From 1569 there was provision for the appointment of Depu ...

(1696). Politically he was described as an "unrepentant Whig", who reaffirmed his belief in the Popish Plot by voting against the motion to reverse the

attainder In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura was the metaphorical "stain" or "corruption of blood" which arose from being condemned for a serious capital crime (felony or treason). It entailed losing not only one's life, property and hereditar ...

William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford William Howard, 1st Viscount Stafford, FRS (30 November 1614 – 29 December 1680) was the youngest son of Thomas Howard, 21st Earl of Arundel, and his wife, the former Alethea Talbot. A Fellow of the Royal Society from 1665, he was a Royalist ...

. In 1697 he became

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a ministerial office in the Government of the United Kingdom. The position is the second highest ranking minister in the Cabinet Office, immediately after the Prime Minister, and senior to the Minist ...

, and in 1699 President of the Board of Trade, being dismissed from his office upon the accession of

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie. Anne is sometimes used as a male name in the ...

in 1702. From 1707 to 1711, however, he was again President of the Board of Trade. He married twice: firstly in 1651, Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Daniel Harvey (diplomat), ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (divorced), and secondly in 1691, Mary, daughter of Joseph Maynard, MP 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 ...

. On his death without surviving children, his titles and Leicestershire estate at

Bradgate Park Bradgate Park () is a public park in Charnwood Forest, in Leicestershire, England, northwest of Leicester. It covers . The park lies between the villages of Newtown Linford, Anstey, Cropston, Woodhouse Eaves and Swithland. The River Lin runs ...

passed to his first cousin Henry Grey, 3rd Earl of Stamford (1685–1739), a grandson of the first earl, from whom the later earls were descended.

Arms

The arms of the head of the Grey family are blazoned ''Barry of six argent and azure in chief three torteaux gules''.

Notes

References

* *Kenyon, J. P. ''The Popish Plot'' 2nd Edition Phoenix Press 2000 {{DEFAULTSORT:Stamford, Thomas Grey, 2nd Earl of 1650s births 1720 deaths Year of birth uncertain 17th-century English nobility 18th-century English nobility Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster Lord-Lieutenants of Devon Members of the Privy Council of England Fellows of the Royal Society People of the Rye House Plot Thomas Earls of Stamford Presidents of the Board of Trade Whig (British political party) politicians Glorious Revolution Barons Grey of Groby

Arms

See also

Notes

References