Thomas Strangways (1643–1713) of Melbury House in Melbury Sampford near Evershot, DorsetMelbury House (map)
/ref> was an English landowner and Tory politician who sat in the English and

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 mem ...

between 1673 and 1713. As a militia colonel he was active in opposing the Monmouth rebellion. For his last nine years in Parliament, he was the longest sitting member of the House of Commons (

Father of the House Father of the House is a title that has been traditionally bestowed, unofficially, on certain members of some legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the title refers to the longest continuously- ...

Early life

Strangways was born in 1643, the fourth but second surviving son of

Giles Strangways Giles Strangways (3 June 1615 – 20 July 1675) of Melbury House in Somerset, was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1640 and 1675. He fought on the Royalist side during the Civil War Origins He was ...

(1615-1675), MP of Melbury Sampford and his wife Susanna Edwards, daughter of Thomas Edwards, Mercer, of London and Fair Crouch, Wadhurst, Dorset. He matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford on 6 June 1660. He was a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the Dorset Militia Foot by 1671 and became colonel in 1675. On 19 January 1675 he married Susan Ridout, daughter and heiress of John Ridout of Frome, Somerset. He succeeded his brother John in 1676, inheriting the Melbury Sampford estate, where he extended Melbury House.

Career

Strangways’ father obtained the reversion of the post of Clerk of the Pells, an Exchequer sinecure for him in 1673 and nominated him as Country party candidate at by-elections for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis on 31 January 1673 and for

Poole Poole () is a large coastal town and seaport in Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester and adjoins Bournemouth to the east. Since 1 April 2019, the local authority is Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Counc ...

on 3 February 1673. Strangways was defeated in both by-elections, but was returned as Member of Parliament for Poole at another by-election on 3 March 1673 through an electoral bargain with Lord Chancellor Shaftesbury. At the 1679 general elections, he was returned as MP for Dorset his family's

pocket borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electorat ...

and was also successful in returning supporters at four other Dorset constituencies. He was returned again at the general elections in

1681 Events January–March * January 1 – Prince Muhammad Akbar, son of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, initiates a civil war in India. With the support of troops from the Rajput states, Akbar declares himself the new Mughal Emperor ...

and

1685 Events January–March * January 6 – American-born British citizen Elihu Yale, for whom Yale University in the U.S. is named, completes his term as the first leader of the Madras Presidency in India, administering the colony ...

. After the Duke of Monmouth landed at Lyme, Strangways' militia regiment was engaged by the rebels at Bridport and his brother,

Wadham Strangways Wadham may refer to: Education * Wadham College, Oxford – a constituent college of the University of Oxford * Wadham College Boat Club – the rowing club of Wadham College, Oxford * Wadham School Wadham School is a school for pupils aged 1 ...

, was killed in the skirmish. His regiment rendered useful service during the rebellion, but King James was unwilling to reward him with the Clerkship of the Pells for the support, which made him uneasy. His concerns increased in the light of the King's religious policy and from his responses to the repeal of the Test Act and Penal Laws, he lost his local offices, and King James agents were seeking to replace him in Parliament. Nevertheless, he was slow to take sides with William of Orange until the Prince arrived in the country when he was one of the Dorset leaders to welcome him. He was returned to the Convention at the

1689 English general election The 1689 English general election, held in January 1689, elected the Convention Parliament (1689), Convention Parliament, which was summoned in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution. 513 Members of Parliament were returned, across 53 counties ...

and served on the elections committee. Strangways was a leader of the Tories in Dorset, and was returned unopposed at the

1690 English general election The 1690 English general election occurred after the dissolution of the Convention Parliament summoned in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution, and saw the partisan feuds in that parliament continue in the constituencies. The Tories made signi ...

. Though generally acting with the Country party, he was sometimes seen as a Court Tory. He took several leaves of absence during the Parliament. Returned again at the

1695 English general election The 1695 English general election was the first to be held under the terms of the Triennial Act of 1694, which required parliament to be dissolved and fresh elections called at least every three years. This measure helped to fuel partisan rivalry ...

, he refused to sign the Association in February 1696 and voted against fixing the price of guineas at 22s in March. He voted against the attainder of Sir John Fenwick on 25 November 1696. In 1698 he tried to claim the post of Clerk of the Pells for which his father had purchased the reversion, but was unsuccessful. He was returned as a Tory at the

1698 English general election After the conclusion of the 1698 English general election the government led by the Whig Junto believed it had held its ground against the opposition. Over the previous few years, divisions had emerged within the Whig party between the 'court' sup ...

and was expected to oppose the standing army in October. He was returned again at the two general elections in 1701 and was blacklisted for opposing preparations for war with France. On 26 February 1702 he supported the motion to vindicate the Commons’ proceedings in impeaching William III's ministers in the previous session. Strangways was returned again at the

1702 English general election The 1702 English general election was the first to be held during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen Anne, and was necessitated by the demise of William III of England, William III. The new government dominated by the Tories (Britis ...

and voted on 13 February 1703 against the Lords’ amendments to the bill regarding the time to take the oath of abjuration. He also voted for the tack on 28 November 1704, in spite of lobbying by Robert Harley. He was returned at the

1705 English general election The 1705 English general election saw contests in 110 constituencies in England and Wales, roughly 41% of the total. The election was fiercely fought, with mob violence and cries of " Church in Danger" occurring in several boroughs. During the pr ...

and voted against the Court candidate for Speaker on 25 October 1705. He seconded a motion to make further provision for the Duke of Marlborough, and was appointed to the committee to bring in a bill for settling on the Duke a pension of £5,000 p.a. For his last nine in Parliament, Strangways was the

being the longest serving member. At the

1708 British general election The 1708 British general election was the first general election to be held after the Acts of Union had united the Parliaments of England and Scotland. The election saw the Whigs finally gain a majority in the House of Commons, and by November ...

, he was returned as a Tory and voted against the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell in 1710. After the

1710 British general election The 1710 British general election produced a landslide victory for the Tories. The election came in the wake of the prosecution of Henry Sacheverell, which had led to the collapse of the previous government led by Godolphin and the Whig Junto. ...

, he was classed as a Hanoverian Tory and was a member of the October Club. He was one of the ‘worthy patriots’ who detected the mismanagements of the previous administration. He obtained leave of absence on the grounds of ill-health on 8 April 1712 and stood down at the

1713 British general election The 1713 British general election produced further gains for the governing Tory party. Since 1710 Robert Harley had led a government appointed after the downfall of the Whig Junto, attempting to pursue a moderate and non-controversial policy, b ...

in favour of his son Thomas.

Death and legacy

Strangways died on 21 December 1713. By his wife Susan, he had five sons (three of whom predeceased him) and four daughters. His children included: *Thomas Strangways (died 1726), who died without issue. *Elizabeth Strangways (died 1729), a co-heiress of her brother Thomas Strangways (died 1726). She married James Hamilton, 5th Duke of Hamilton, but died without issue, when her heir became her sister Susanna Strangways. *Susanna Strangways, a co-heiress of her brother Thomas Strangways (d.1726), and three years later sole heiress of her sister Elizabeth Strangways (died 1729), Duchess of Hamilton. She married Thomas Horner (1688-1741), MP, of Mells Manor in Somerset, Sheriff of Somerset in 1711/12.HORNER, Thomas (1688-1741), of Mells, Som. and Melbury, Dorset.
/ref> In accordance with the terms of his wife's inheritance from her childless brother in 1726, Thomas Horner adopted for himself and his descendants the surname and arms of Strangways. Their only surviving child and sole heiress was Elizabeth Strangways (born 1722), who in 1735 at the age of 13 entered into an

arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures a professional matchmaker may be us ...

with

Stephen Fox Sir Stephen Fox (27 March 1627 – 28 October 1716) of Farley in Wiltshire, of Redlynch Park in Somerset, of Chiswick, Middlesex and of Whitehall, was a royal administrator and courtier to King Charles II, and a politician, who rose from ...

(1704-1776), a 31-year-old homosexual, the eldest surviving son of Sir

(1627-1716), the first Paymaster of the Forces, deemed the "richest commoner in the three kingdoms". In accordance with the marriage Fox also adopted the additional surname of Strangways and the arms of that family, and was later created Earl of Ilchester. The couple had many children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strangways, Thomas (1643-1713) 1643 births 1713 deaths Politicians from Dorset Onslow, Richard, 2nd Baronet Tory MPs (pre-1834) English MPs 1661–1679 English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1681 English MPs 1685–1687 English MPs 1689–1690 English MPs 1690–1695 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 1707–1708 British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713