Thomas Shirley (1542-1612)

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Sir Thomas Shirley (1542 – 1612), of Wiston in Sussex, was an English Member of Parliament and government official, who is said to have suggested the creation of the rank of baronet.

Shirley was knighted in 1573, and served as Sheriff of Surrey and Sussex in 1578. Also in 1573, he began rebuilding the family seat of Wiston House, which he turned into a massive country house. (It is now the site of the government's Wilton Park conference centre.)

However, soon afterwards Shirley found himself in considerable financial difficulties which eventually swallowed the family fortune. In 1586 Queen Elizabeth I appointed Sir Thomas Treasurer-at-War to the English forces serving in the Netherlands during the Dutch Revolt. This gave him the power to speculate with the funds that passed through his hands (a normal perk of office at this period), but he so mishandled them that he contracted massive debts to the Crown and found himself accused of fraud. His estate, including Wiston House, was sequestered in 1602, though he continued to live at Wiston until his death in 1612.

Sir Thomas was elected to Parliament as MP for Sussex in 1584, representing the county for many years; he was apparently not distinguished as a member, but drew upon an MP's privilege of immunity from arrest in 1604 when his debts grew too pressing to meet. He was freed from the Fleet Prison by the sergeant-at-arms of the Commons, who was carrying the mace and accompanied by six other MPs. His release set a constitutional precedent on the rights of MPs, and was cited as Sir Thomas Shirley's Case for centuries afterwards.

His sons Sir Thomas Shirley and Sir Robert Shirley were both noted adventurers.