Thomas Snagge
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Snagge was an M.P.
, lawyer
and wealthy landowner who served as Speaker of the English House of Commons
, Attorney General for Ireland and as the Queen's Sergeant.
. He was the son of Thomas Snagge, the well-to-do lord of the manor of Marston Moretaine
in Bedfordshire
. He studied law at Gray's Inn
, and after being called to the Bar in 1554, practiced law in London
.
Snagge became MP for Bedfordshire
in 1571. He was chosen by Queen Elizabeth to be Attorney General for Ireland and he held this appointment from 1577 to 1580.. The Queen chose him because " the public service had been not a little hindered through the default and insufficiency of the law officers " and "her Majesty thought that a person well-chosen in England might be sent over. " Snagge in fact was not particularly well-chosen: like most English settlers he disliked life in Ireland ,and according to a modern writer his official correspondence is simply a long list of complaints. In particular he complained of the inefficiency of the Master of the Rolls in Ireland
, Nicholas White
, and went so far as to make an official complaint against him to the Privy Council.
In 1586 he was again returned as MP for Bedfordshire and in 1589 as MP for Bedford
borough and in 1589 elected Speaker of the House of Commons. He was later promoted to Serjeant-at-law
(1580) and Queen's Serjeant (1590). As well as owning numerous areas of land in Bedfordshire, his home seat was at Marston Moretaine
.
Snagge was buried at Marston Moretaine, in St. Mary's Church, where there is an alabaster
tomb with effigies of both him and his wife. He had married Elizabeth, daughter and coheiress of Thomas Dickons of Marston Moretaine; they had five sons and 2 daughters. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Thomas, also an MP for Bedford.
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,...
, lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and wealthy landowner who served as Speaker of the English 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...
, Attorney General for Ireland and as the Queen's Sergeant.
Life
Thomas Snagge was born in 1536 in LetchworthLetchworth
Letchworth Garden City, commonly known as Letchworth, is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The town's name is taken from one of the three villages it surrounded - all of which featured in the Domesday Book. The land used was first purchased by Quakers who had intended to farm the...
. He was the son of Thomas Snagge, the well-to-do lord of the manor of Marston Moretaine
Marston Moretaine
Marston Moretaine is a large village and civil parish located on the A421 between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It has a population of 3,684, and is served by Millbrook railway station, which is about a mile away, on the Marston Vale Line....
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
. He studied law at Gray's Inn
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, 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...
, and after being called to the Bar in 1554, practiced law in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Snagge became MP for Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Bedfordshire was a United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency, which elected two Members of Parliament from 1295 until 1885, when it was divided into two constituencies under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885.-History:...
in 1571. He was chosen by Queen Elizabeth to be Attorney General for Ireland and he held this appointment from 1577 to 1580.. The Queen chose him because " the public service had been not a little hindered through the default and insufficiency of the law officers " and "her Majesty thought that a person well-chosen in England might be sent over. " Snagge in fact was not particularly well-chosen: like most English settlers he disliked life in Ireland ,and according to a modern writer his official correspondence is simply a long list of complaints. In particular he complained of the inefficiency of the Master of the Rolls in Ireland
Master of the Rolls in Ireland
The office of Master of the Rolls in Ireland originated in the office of the keeper of the Rolls in the Irish Chancery and became an office granted by letters patent in 1333. It was abolished in 1924....
, Nicholas White
Nicholas White
Sir Nicholas White was an Irish lawyer and government official during the reign of Elizabeth I.-Background and early career:...
, and went so far as to make an official complaint against him to the Privy Council.
In 1586 he was again returned as MP for Bedfordshire and in 1589 as MP for Bedford
Bedford (UK Parliament constituency)
Bedford is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The seat was established in its current form in 1997, restoring a centuries old name. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election...
borough and in 1589 elected Speaker of the House of Commons. He was later promoted to Serjeant-at-law
Serjeant-at-law
The Serjeants-at-Law was an order of barristers at the English bar. The position of Serjeant-at-Law , or Sergeant-Counter, was centuries old; there are writs dating to 1300 which identify them as descended from figures in France prior to the Norman Conquest...
(1580) and Queen's Serjeant (1590). As well as owning numerous areas of land in Bedfordshire, his home seat was at Marston Moretaine
Marston Moretaine
Marston Moretaine is a large village and civil parish located on the A421 between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It has a population of 3,684, and is served by Millbrook railway station, which is about a mile away, on the Marston Vale Line....
.
Snagge was buried at Marston Moretaine, in St. Mary's Church, where there is an alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
tomb with effigies of both him and his wife. He had married Elizabeth, daughter and coheiress of Thomas Dickons of Marston Moretaine; they had five sons and 2 daughters. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Thomas, also an MP for Bedford.