Thomas Denton
Encyclopedia
Thomas Denton was an English lawyer and politician, a Member of Parliament
from 1536 until his death in 1558. He was elected, consecutively, by six parliamentary consituencies: Wallingford
(1536), Oxford
(1539), Berkshire
(1547), Banbury
(April 1554), Buckinghamshire
(November 1554) and Oxfordshire
(1558). Denton and Henry Stafford
sponsored the creation of the parliamentary constituency in Banbury (1554). Denton's "electoral mobility" was, most likely, influenced by his speculation in land.
, and junior brother to Sir John Denton, settled for a career in law. He was sent to the Middle Temple
shortly before his father's death. Details of his admission and graduation were lost, but it known that in 1540 he was summoned to report the affairs of the Inns of Court
to King Henry VIII
. Denton, Nicholas Bacon and Robert Cary proposed creation of a new educational college
financed with the revenues of former monastic properties, but the king withheld the money and the plan did not take off. Presumably, his earlier services to the King and Thomas Cromwell
were rewarded by his first parliamentary appointment in 1536. Denton, who owned property in Wallingford, and was presumably the mayor of the town, replaced former MP Sir Edward Chamberlain. Denton, like Chamberlain, served without wages.
Three years later Denton became an MP for Oxford. The records for 1542 and and 1545 elections for Oxford and Wallingford were lost, and, accordng to Bindoff et al., it is very likely that Denton represented either of these constituencies. It is known, however, that in 1547 he was chosen to represent Berkshire, and remained MP for Berkshire until his voluntary leave of absence in February 1552.
Denton stayed aside from the political crisis of 1553. Instead of active politics, he and Sir Henry Stafford
quietly worked towards creation of a new parliamentary contituency for Banbury. It was officially created in January 1554, and in April Denton and Sir Edmund Peckham became the first MPs for Banbury. One year later they both failed to show up for a House session and were prosecuted at the King's Bench
, with no lasting consequences for Denton. He actively participated in the Middle Temple affairs and was elected its treasurer in 1556.
In 1558 Denton won his last election, for Oxfordshire, where his brother was the returning officer
.
According to archival records, Denton possessed properties in London, Berkshire, Buckingamshire, Cheshire
, Gloucestershire
, Norfolk
, Northamptonshire
and Oxfordshire. He eventually settled in Hillesden
, Buckinghamshire and passed his fortunes to his only son Alexander. The Dentons of Hillesden routinely represented Buckhinghamshire in the Parliament during the 17th century, were prosecuted as royalist
s and became extinct in 1714.
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,...
from 1536 until his death in 1558. He was elected, consecutively, by six parliamentary consituencies: Wallingford
Wallingford (UK Parliament constituency)
Wallingford was a constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.It was a parliamentary borough created in 1295, centred on the market town Wallingford in Berkshire . It used to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons; this was cut to one in 1832, and...
(1536), Oxford
Oxford (UK Parliament constituency)
Oxford was a parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom. It comprised the city of Oxford in the county of Oxfordshire, and elected two Members of Parliament from its creation in 1295 until 1881...
(1539), Berkshire
Berkshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Berkshire was a parliamentary constituency in England, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of England until 1707, then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885...
(1547), Banbury
Banbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Banbury is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is a strongly Conservative seat.The constituency was created January 26, 1554 through the efforts of Henry Stafford and Thomas Denton...
(April 1554), Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Buckinghamshire is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1885.Its most prominent member was...
(November 1554) and Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Oxfordshire was a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England 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. In 1832 this was increased to three...
(1558). Denton and Henry Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford was born in Penshurst, Kent, England the eldest son of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Eleanor Percy, Duchess of Buckingham. Eleanor was the daughter of Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland and Maud Herbert, Countess of Northumberland...
sponsored the creation of the parliamentary constituency in Banbury (1554). Denton's "electoral mobility" was, most likely, influenced by his speculation in land.
Biography
Thomas Denton, second son of Thomas Denton of CaversfieldCaversfield
Caversfield is a village and civil parish about north of the centre of Bicester. In 1844 Caversfield became part of Oxfordshire, but until then it was always an exclave of Buckinghamshire entirely surrounded by Oxfordshire.-Early history:...
, and junior brother to Sir John Denton, settled for a career in law. He was sent to the Middle Temple
Middle Temple
The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers; the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn and Lincoln's Inn...
shortly before his father's death. Details of his admission and graduation were lost, but it known that in 1540 he was summoned to report the affairs of the Inns of Court
Inns of Court
The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. All such barristers must belong to one such association. They have supervisory and disciplinary functions over their members. The Inns also provide libraries, dining facilities and professional...
to King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. Denton, Nicholas Bacon and Robert Cary proposed creation of a new educational college
Proposals for an English Academy
During the early part of the 17th century, and persisting in some form into the early 18th century, there were a number of proposals for an English Academy: some form of learned institution, conceived as having royal backing and a leading role in the intellectual life of the nation...
financed with the revenues of former monastic properties, but the king withheld the money and the plan did not take off. Presumably, his earlier services to the King and Thomas Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, , was an English statesman who served as chief minister of King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540....
were rewarded by his first parliamentary appointment in 1536. Denton, who owned property in Wallingford, and was presumably the mayor of the town, replaced former MP Sir Edward Chamberlain. Denton, like Chamberlain, served without wages.
Three years later Denton became an MP for Oxford. The records for 1542 and and 1545 elections for Oxford and Wallingford were lost, and, accordng to Bindoff et al., it is very likely that Denton represented either of these constituencies. It is known, however, that in 1547 he was chosen to represent Berkshire, and remained MP for Berkshire until his voluntary leave of absence in February 1552.
Denton stayed aside from the political crisis of 1553. Instead of active politics, he and Sir Henry Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford
Henry Stafford, 1st Baron Stafford was born in Penshurst, Kent, England the eldest son of Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham and Eleanor Percy, Duchess of Buckingham. Eleanor was the daughter of Henry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland and Maud Herbert, Countess of Northumberland...
quietly worked towards creation of a new parliamentary contituency for Banbury. It was officially created in January 1554, and in April Denton and Sir Edmund Peckham became the first MPs for Banbury. One year later they both failed to show up for a House session and were prosecuted at the King's Bench
King's Bench
The Queen's Bench is the superior court in a number of jurisdictions within some of the Commonwealth realms...
, with no lasting consequences for Denton. He actively participated in the Middle Temple affairs and was elected its treasurer in 1556.
In 1558 Denton won his last election, for Oxfordshire, where his brother was the returning officer
Returning Officer
In various parliamentary systems, a returning officer is responsible for overseeing elections in one or more constituencies.-Australia:In Australia a returning officer is an employee of the Australian Electoral Commission or a State Electoral Commission who heads the local divisional office...
.
According to archival records, Denton possessed properties in London, Berkshire, Buckingamshire, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
and Oxfordshire. He eventually settled in Hillesden
Hillesden
Hillesden is a village and is also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the very north of the county, about four miles south of Buckingham.The village name is Anglo Saxon in origin, and means 'Hild's hill'...
, Buckinghamshire and passed his fortunes to his only son Alexander. The Dentons of Hillesden routinely represented Buckhinghamshire in the Parliament during the 17th century, were prosecuted as royalist
Royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of government, but not necessarily a particular monarch...
s and became extinct in 1714.
See also
- William Denton, unrelated to Dentons of Caversfield, MP for MidhurstMidhurst (UK Parliament constituency)Midhurst was a parliamentary borough in Sussex, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1311 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the constituency was abolished...
in 1553–1565