Thomas Rowney (30 April 1668 – 31 August 1727) was an English

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

politician who sat in the

English House of Commons 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 of ...

between 1695 and 1708 and in the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

from 1708 to 1722.

Early life

Rowney was baptised on 31 April 1668. He was the only surviving son of Thomas Rowney, of

St Giles, London St Giles is an area in London, England and is located in the London Borough of Camden. It is in Central London and part of the West End of London, West End. The area gets its name from the parish church of St Giles in the Fields. The combined p ...

by his second wife, Catherine Bateman (d. 1705). His father, the son of a minor Worcestershire gentleman, had first settled in Oxford around 1650, setting up practice as an attorney. He married the widow of a fellow lawyer which enhanced his wealth and standing, and he acquired considerable property in Oxford's outlying parishes. He was educated at

Shilton Shilton may refer to: Places *Shilton, Oxfordshire, England *Shilton, Warwickshire, England **Shilton railway station, a former station Other

*Shilton (surname) *Earl Shilton, a town in Leicestershire, England *Chilton (disambiguation) *Shelt ...

, near

Burford Burford () is a town on the River Windrush, in the Cotswold hills, in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England. It is often referred to as the 'gateway' to the Cotswolds. Burford is located west of Oxford and southeast of Chelt ...

, in

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

, in a small school which produced at the same time a

Lord High Treasurer The Lord High Treasurer was an English government position and has been a British government position since the Acts of Union of 1707. A holder of the post would be the third-highest-ranked Great Officer of State in England, below the Lord H ...

( Lord Oxford and Mortimer), a Lord High Chancellor ( Lord Harcourt) and a Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas ( Lord Trevor). He then matriculated at

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its foun ...

in 1684. He entered the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

in 1686, and was

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 1694.

Career

He served as

High Sheriff of Oxfordshire The High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, in common with other counties, was originally the King's representative on taxation upholding the law in Saxon times. The word Sheriff evolved from 'shire-reeve'. The title of High Sheriff is therefore much older ...

from 1691 to 1692. In 1694, he succeeded to his father's extensive landed property outside Oxford, less than two months after qualifying as a barrister. "His wealth was considerable, by 1721 comprising landholdings in

Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Staffordshire and Leicestershire to the north, Northamptonshire to the east, Ox ...

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

, and including ancestral lands at Great Hurdington in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

where he remained a magistrate after 1714." For most of his adult life, Rowney was a prominent and much-respected figure in Oxford. and was well acquainted with senior

politicians and

university don A don is a fellow or tutor of a college or university, especially traditional collegiate universities such as Oxford and Cambridge in England and Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. The usage is also found in Canada and in the United States. Lik ...

s. In August 1717, the corporation elected him to the ancient office of "barge commissioner," which was reserved for eminent citizens. He was instrumental in the rebuilding of

Oxford Town Hall Oxford Town Hall is a public building on the street called St Aldate's in central Oxford, England. It is both the seat of Oxford City Council and a venue for public meetings, entertainment and other events. It also includes the Museum of Oxfo ...

, and his son Thomas saw its completion in 1751.

Political career

In the election of 1695, Rowney stood for

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

. He was put up on the Tory slate, likely at the bidding of the 1st Earl of Abingdon, and "was elected after several weeks of bitter campaigning, during which a Whig mob once came close to attacking his house in St. Giles parish." Rowney was returned unopposed in the first election of 1701. Rowney sat for Oxford until 1722 when he was succeeded by his eldest son,

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

Personal life

He married, by license dated 27 May 1691, Elizabeth Noel (d. 1730), a daughter of Edward Noel of

St Clement Danes St Clement Danes is an Anglican church in the City of Westminster, London. It is now situated near the 19th-century Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand in Aldwych. Although the first church on the site was reputedly founded in the 9th cent ...

, London. Rowney spent most of his time within the city, where his house, which was extensively rebuilt and finished in 1702, was considered one of the finest. Together, they were the parents of three sons and one daughter, including: * Thomas Rowney (–1759), who married Ms. Trollope in 1756. * Elizabeth Rowney, who married

Sir Clobery Noel, 5th Baronet Sir Clobery Noel, 5th Baronet ( – 30 July 1733), of Kirkby Mallory, Leicestershire, was an English Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1727 to 1734. Early life Noel was the eldest son of Sir John Noel, 4th Baronet and his wi ...

, of

Kirkby Mallory Kirkby Mallory is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Kirkby Mallory, Peckleton and Stapleton, in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire, England. In 1931 the parish had a population of 231. It is known mainly ...

, in 1714. Rowney died on 31 August 1727 and was buried in the parish church of St Giles, Oxford.

References

External links

Thomas Rowney the Elder (1668–1727), High Sheriff of Oxfordshire (1691), MP for Oxford (1695–1722)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rowney, Thomas 1668 births 1727 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies English MPs 1695–1698 English MPs 1698–1700 English MPs 1701 English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1702–1705 English MPs 1705–1707 British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 Members of the Inner Temple Alumni of St John's College, Oxford High sheriffs of Oxfordshire Tory MPs (pre-1834)