Thomas Edwards (c. 1673 – c. 1745) of Filkins Hall, Oxfordshire, was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

lawyer 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 1713 to 1735. Edwards was the eldest son of Thomas Edwards of Redland and Broad Street, Bristol, and his first wife. His father was an attorney-at-law, and lawyer for

Edward Colston Edward Colston (2 November 1636 – 11 October 1721) was an English merchant, Atlantic slave trade, slave trader, philanthropy, philanthropist and Tories (British political party), Tory Member of Parliament. Colston followed his father in th ...

. He matriculated at

Balliol College, Oxford Balliol College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1263 by nobleman John I de Balliol, it has a claim to be the oldest college in Oxford and the English-speaking world. With a governing body of a master and aro ...

on 29 October 1691, at the age of 18 and was admitted 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 1693. He was awarded BCL at

Hart Hall Hertford College ( ), previously known as Magdalen Hall, is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. It is located on Catte Street in the centre of Oxford, directly opposite the main gate to the Bodleian Library. The colle ...

, Oxford, and

called to the bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

in 1698. He married Mary Hayman, the daughter of Sir William Hayman, merchant and mayor of Bristol, in about 1703. Mary Hayman was also Edward Colston's niece and eventual heir. In about 1704 he moved to Broadwell Parish and acquired Filkins Hall. Edwards was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

at the 1713 general election after a turbulent contest, but was defeated at the next election in

1715 Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire in ...

. He was elected MP for Wells in

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

at a by-election on 14 December 1719, and topped the poll there at the 1722 general election. He was made a bencher of his Inn in 1724. He was elected MP for Wells again in

1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...

, and initially returned at the 1734 general election However, he was unseated on petition on 25 March 1735, due to some irregularities in the poll. Edward died intestate in around June 1743, and left two daughters. Edward's daughters inherited money from Edward Colston through their mother, who was Colston's niece. At her marriage in 1731, the younger daughter Sophia was said to be worth £20,000.

References

1670s births 1740s deaths Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Members of the Middle Temple Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Bristol British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Wells {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub