Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon

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Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon PC (1709-11 December 1786), was a British politician and diplomat.

Clarendon was the second son of William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey and his wife Judith Herne, daughter of Frederick Herne. In 1752 he married Charlotte Capell, daughter of William Capell, 3rd Earl of Essex and his wife Jane Hyde, daughter of Henry Hyde, 4th Earl of Clarendon (of the 1661 creation). Clarendon sat as a Member of Parliament for Tamworth from 1747 to 1756. The latter year the barony of Hyde held by his wife's ancestors the Earls of Clarendon was revived when Villiers was raised to the peerage as Baron Hyde, of Hindon in the County of Wiltshire. Clarendon later served as Postmaster General from 1763 to 1765 and as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1771 to 1782 and again from 1783 to 1786. In 1763 he was admitted to the Privy Council. He was also Ambassador to Saxony, Poland, Austria and Prussia. In 1776 the earldom of Clarendon, which had become extinct in 1753, was revived and he was made Earl of Clarendon. In 1782 he was also made a Baron of the Kingdom of Prussia, an honour which he received Royal license to use in Great Britain.

Lord Clarendon died in December 1786, aged 77. He was succeeded in the earldom by his eldest son Thomas.

Political offices
Preceded by -	Postmaster General 1763–1765	Succeeded by -
Preceded by The Lord Strange	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1771–1782	Succeeded by The Lord Ashburton
Preceded by The Earl of Derby	Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1783–1786	Succeeded by The Lord Hawkesbury
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by New creation	Earl of Clarendon	Succeeded by Thomas Villiers