Beilby Thompson (17 April 1742 – 10 June 1799) was a British landowner and politician, who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

from 1768 to 1796. Beilby was the son of Beilby Thompson (died 1750) and Sarah Dawes (died 1773). The Thompsons were a prominent

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

family; Beilby senior was

High Sheriff of Yorkshire The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere o ...

in 1730 and the son of Henry Thompson, MP. On his father's death in 1750, Beilby, still a boy, inherited the family estate of

Escrick Escrick is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It was in the historic East Riding of Yorkshire, but since 1974 has come under North Yorkshire. It is approximately equidistant between Selby and York on what is now the A19 road ...

, under the tutelage of his mother. He attended Cambridge between 1759 and 1764. Urged by Rockingham to stand for

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

(the seat once held by his grandfather) in 1768, his mother objected on grounds of expense. He was instead elected Member of Parliament for

Hedon Hedon is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately east of Kingston upon Hull, Hull city centre. It lies to the north of the A1033 road at the cross ...

and held that seat until 1780, then for

Thirsk Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England; it is known for its racecourse and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby. History Archeological finds indicate there was a settlement in Thirsk aro ...

until 1784. In 1784 he was a member of the

St. Alban's Tavern group The St. Alban's Tavern group was an informal association of 78 United Kingdom, British Member of Parliament, Members of Parliament who aimed to bring about a reconciliation of William Pitt the Younger and Charles James Fox in a unified Ministry. The ...

who tried to bring Fox and Pitt together. In 1790, he again represented Hedon, until 1796. Beilby gradually bought up and relocated the village of Escrick to move it away from his house. Upon his death, unmarried, in 1799, Escrick passed to his brother Richard (died 1820), High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1801, and then to their nephew Paul Beilby Lawley, who assumed the surname of Thompson.

References

1742 births 1799 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1768–1774 British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 British MPs 1790–1796 {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub