Thomas Cornwallis
Encyclopedia
Thomas Cornwallis was an English
politician
and colonial administrator. Cornwallis served as one of the first Commissioners of the Province of Maryland
(Proprietary Colony
of Maryland
) and Captain of the colony’s military during the early years of settlement. In 1638, in a naval engagement with Virginian colonists, he captured Kent Island
for Maryland.
of Beeston, Norfolk
(d. 1629), an ambassador and brother of Elizabeth Cornwallis and Sir William Cornwallis of Brome, the direct ancestor of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
. Thomas was the brother of the author William Cornwallis
.
As the second son, he could not hope to inherit his father’s land. The Cornwallis family were Roman Catholic Recusants and therefore George Calvert's project of an autonomous colony in the New World for English Catholics appealed to him. In 1634 he accompanied Leonard Calvert
to what was then Virginia and became a Commissioner to the Governor. This put him in a powerful advisory position to Leonard Calvert. In 1635 Cornwallis fought the Virginian colonist William Claiborne
over the jurisdiction of Kent Island, and captured it in 1638. In 1643 he defended the colony against a Native American attack.
In 1644, however, Richard Ingle
sailed into Chesapeake Bay
with his ship Reformation and fired on St. Mary’s City
. Cornwallis’ land was occupied and many of the buildings he had constructed were destroyed. As a result of these losses and his loss of influence in the colony, Cornwallis returned to England, where he died at some point after 4 March 1675.
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and colonial administrator. Cornwallis served as one of the first Commissioners of the Province of Maryland
Province of Maryland
The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...
(Proprietary Colony
Proprietary colony
A proprietary colony was a colony in which one or more individuals, usually land owners, remaining subject to their parent state's sanctions, retained rights that are today regarded as the privilege of the state, and in all cases eventually became so....
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
) and Captain of the colony’s military during the early years of settlement. In 1638, in a naval engagement with Virginian colonists, he captured Kent Island
Kent Island, Maryland
Kent Island is the largest island in the Chesapeake Bay, and a historic place in Maryland. To the east, a narrow channel known as the Kent Narrows barely separates the island from the Delmarva Peninsula, and on the other side, the island is separated from Sandy Point, an area near Annapolis, by...
for Maryland.
Life
Thomas was probably the second son of Sir Charles CornwallisCharles Cornwallis (diplomat)
Sir Charles Cornwallis was an English courtier and diplomat.-Life:He was the second son of Sir Thomas Cornwallis, controller of Queen Mary's household, who had been imprisoned by Elizabeth in 1570. He was probably born at his father's house of Brome Hall, Suffolk.Nothing is known of him till 11...
of Beeston, Norfolk
Beeston, Norfolk
Beeston is a village in the county of Norfolk, England, in the civil parish of Beeston with Bittering, west of East Dereham and south of Fakenham...
(d. 1629), an ambassador and brother of Elizabeth Cornwallis and Sir William Cornwallis of Brome, the direct ancestor of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
. Thomas was the brother of the author William Cornwallis
William Cornwallis
Admiral the Honourable Sir William Cornwallis GCB was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was the brother of Charles Cornwallis, the 1st Marquess Cornwallis, governor-general of India...
.
As the second son, he could not hope to inherit his father’s land. The Cornwallis family were Roman Catholic Recusants and therefore George Calvert's project of an autonomous colony in the New World for English Catholics appealed to him. In 1634 he accompanied Leonard Calvert
Leonard Calvert
Leonard Calvert was the 1st Proprietary Governor of Maryland. He was the second son of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, the first proprietary of the Province of Maryland...
to what was then Virginia and became a Commissioner to the Governor. This put him in a powerful advisory position to Leonard Calvert. In 1635 Cornwallis fought the Virginian colonist William Claiborne
William Claiborne
William Claiborne was an English pioneer, surveyor, and an early settler in Virginia and Maryland. Claiborne became a wealthy planter, a trader, and a major figure in the politics of the colony...
over the jurisdiction of Kent Island, and captured it in 1638. In 1643 he defended the colony against a Native American attack.
In 1644, however, Richard Ingle
Richard Ingle
Richard Ingle was an English colonial seaman and tobacco trader in the American colonies who took over the government of the colony of Maryland in 1645....
sailed into Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
with his ship Reformation and fired on St. Mary’s City
St. Mary's City, Maryland
St. Mary's City, in St. Mary's County, Maryland, is a small unincorporated community near the southernmost end of the state on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is located on the eastern shore of the St. Mary's River, a tributary of the Potomac. St. Mary's City is the fourth oldest...
. Cornwallis’ land was occupied and many of the buildings he had constructed were destroyed. As a result of these losses and his loss of influence in the colony, Cornwallis returned to England, where he died at some point after 4 March 1675.