Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet (c. 1621 – 14 April 1681) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons
variously between 1640 and 1681.
Littleton was the son of Sir Adam Littleton, 1st Baronet of Stoke St. Milborough
, Shropshire and his wife Audrey Poyntz daughter of Thomas Poyntz. He studied at Jesus College, Oxford
, but did not graduate.
Littleton was elected Member of Parliament
for the borough of Wenlock
in April 1640 for the Short Parliament
and was re-elected for the borough in November 1640 for the Long Parliament
. As a Royalist, he was disabled from sitting in 1644. He inherited the baronetcy on the death of his father in 1647. In 1652 he sold the Stoke St. Milborough estate to Henry Bernard.
After the Restoration, Littleton sat for Wenlock again in the Cavalier Parliament
from 1661-1679. He was subsequently elected MP for East Grinstead
in 1679 and MP for Yarmouth
(Isle of Wight) in 1681, a month before he died.
In October 1637, Littleton married his cousin Anne, daughter of Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttleton of Mounslow
. Their son and heir, Sir Thomas Littleton, 3rd Baronet
, became Speaker of the British House of Commons
.
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...
variously between 1640 and 1681.
Littleton was the son of Sir Adam Littleton, 1st Baronet of Stoke St. Milborough
Stoke St. Milborough
Stoke St. Milborough is a parish located in Shropshire, England.-History:Stoke and Stanton manors were settled by 1086. There was a church at Stoke c. 1200, which seems to have incorporated vestiges of an earlier one. There was a mill at Stoke by 1334. Wool and woollen cloth seem to have been...
, Shropshire and his wife Audrey Poyntz daughter of Thomas Poyntz. He studied at Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
, but did not graduate.
Littleton 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 the borough of Wenlock
(Much) Wenlock (UK Parliament constituency)
Wenlock was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It was founded in 1468 as borough constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800,...
in April 1640 for the Short Parliament
Short Parliament
The Short Parliament was a Parliament of England that sat from 13 April to 5 May 1640 during the reign of King Charles I of England, so called because it lasted only three weeks....
and was re-elected for the borough in November 1640 for the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
. As a Royalist, he was disabled from sitting in 1644. He inherited the baronetcy on the death of his father in 1647. In 1652 he sold the Stoke St. Milborough estate to Henry Bernard.
After the Restoration, Littleton sat for Wenlock again in the Cavalier Parliament
Cavalier Parliament
The Cavalier Parliament of England lasted from 8 May 1661 until 24 January 1679. It was the longest English Parliament, enduring for nearly 18 years of the quarter century reign of Charles II of England...
from 1661-1679. He was subsequently elected MP for East Grinstead
East Grinstead (UK Parliament constituency)
East Grinstead was a parliamentary constituency in the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the United Kingdom. It first existed as a Parliamentary borough from 1307, returning two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons elected by the bloc vote system...
in 1679 and MP for Yarmouth
Yarmouth (Isle of Wight) (UK Parliament constituency)
Yarmouth was a borough constituency of the House of Commons of England then of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1832...
(Isle of Wight) in 1681, a month before he died.
In October 1637, Littleton married his cousin Anne, daughter of Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttleton of Mounslow
Edward Littleton, 1st Baron Lyttleton of Mounslow
Edward, Baron Littleton , from Munslow in Shropshire, was a Chief Justice of North Wales. He was descended from the judge and legal scholar, Thomas de Littleton. His father, also Edward, had been Chief Justice of North Wales before him.-Education and career:He was educated at Oxford before...
. Their son and heir, Sir Thomas Littleton, 3rd Baronet
Sir Thomas Littleton, 3rd Baronet
Sir Thomas Littleton, 3rd Baronet , often Thomas de Littleton, was a British statesman. He was the son of Sir Thomas Littleton, 2nd Baronet and his wife and cousin Anne Littleton....
, became Speaker of the British House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
.