Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st Baronet (1560 - 1621) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
at various times between 1597 and 1621.
Gerard was the son of Sir Thomas Gerard, of Bryn and his wife Elizabeth Port, daughter of Sir John Port
, of Etwall
, Derbyshire. He matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford
on 20 July 1578, aged 18. In 1579 he was a student of the Inner Temple
. His parents and brother John were Catholics and he was tutored by a Catholic. His first wife was a recusant and he employed a "notorious recusant" to educate his child and was described as "of evil affection in religion" in 1590. Nevertheless, in 1597, he was elected Member of Parliament
for Liverpool
. He succeeded his father to the family estates in September 1601. He was knighted on 18 April 1603. When the order of baronet was first instituted on 22 May 1611, he was created a baronet
and the £1,000, that was due to the Crown for such creation, was returned in consideration of his Father's sufferings in the cause of the King's mother Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1614 he was elected MP for Lancashire
. He was elected MP for Wigan
in 1621.
Gerard died at the age of about 60 and was buried at St Margaret's, Westminster on 16 February 1621.
Gerard married firstly Cecily Maney, daughter of Sir Walter Maney, of Staplehurst in about 1580. He married secondly, after 1606, Mary Lee, widow of Sir Robert Lee
, Lord Mayor of London, and formerly of William Smith, of London and daughter of Sir James Hawes who was also Lord Mayor. His third wife was Mary Uvedale, widow of Sir Edward Uvedale and formerly of the Hon. Anthony Browne and daughter of Sir William Dormer, of Wing, Buckinghamshire. He had no children by his second and third wives.
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England 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 Great Britain...
at various times between 1597 and 1621.
Gerard was the son of Sir Thomas Gerard, of Bryn and his wife Elizabeth Port, daughter of Sir John Port
John Port (the younger)
Sir John Port 'the Younger' was an English Knight of the Bath and Justice of the Common Pleas. He founded Repton School, an almshouse at Etwall and also has a secondary school named after him.-Biography:...
, of Etwall
Etwall
Etwall is a civil parish and village in Derbyshire, England. It is located southwest from Derby on the A50.-Geography:Etwall is squeezed between the A516, which bypassed the village in February 1992, and the A50. The A516 draws a lot of heavy traffic heading for the M1 north.The village has its...
, Derbyshire. He matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
on 20 July 1578, aged 18. In 1579 he was a student of the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. His parents and brother John were Catholics and he was tutored by a Catholic. His first wife was a recusant and he employed a "notorious recusant" to educate his child and was described as "of evil affection in religion" in 1590. Nevertheless, in 1597, he was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Liverpool
Liverpool (UK Parliament constituency)
Liverpool was a Borough constituency in the county of Lancashire of the House of Commons for the Parliament of England to 1706 then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885. It was represented by two Members of Parliament...
. He succeeded his father to the family estates in September 1601. He was knighted on 18 April 1603. When the order of baronet was first instituted on 22 May 1611, he was created a baronet
Gerard Baronets
There have been three Baronetcies created for descendants of the ancient Lancashire family of Gerard.The Baronetcy of Gerard of Bryn Lancashire was created in the Baronetage of England in 1611 for Thomas Gerard, MP...
and the £1,000, that was due to the Crown for such creation, was returned in consideration of his Father's sufferings in the cause of the King's mother Mary, Queen of Scots. In 1614 he was elected MP for Lancashire
Lancashire (UK Parliament constituency)
Lancashire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England from 1290, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
. He was elected MP for Wigan
Wigan (UK Parliament constituency)
Wigan is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
in 1621.
Gerard died at the age of about 60 and was buried at St Margaret's, Westminster on 16 February 1621.
Gerard married firstly Cecily Maney, daughter of Sir Walter Maney, of Staplehurst in about 1580. He married secondly, after 1606, Mary Lee, widow of Sir Robert Lee
Robert Lee (Lord Mayor)
Sir Robert Lee was an English merchant who was Lord Mayor of London in 1602.Lee was a city of London merchant and a member of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors. On 18 December 1593, he was elected an alderman of the City of London for Dowgate ward. He was Sheriff of London from 1594 to...
, Lord Mayor of London, and formerly of William Smith, of London and daughter of Sir James Hawes who was also Lord Mayor. His third wife was Mary Uvedale, widow of Sir Edward Uvedale and formerly of the Hon. Anthony Browne and daughter of Sir William Dormer, of Wing, Buckinghamshire. He had no children by his second and third wives.