Sir Thomas Chicheley (25 March 1614 – 1 February 1699) was a politician in England in the seventeenth century who fell from favour in the reign of James II. His name is sometimes spelt as Chichele.
Chicheley, who came from Wimpole in Cambridgeshire, was related to the founder of All Souls College, Oxford. He was High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire in 1637, and in 1640 was elected to the Long Parliament as one of the MPs for Cambridgeshire; however, being a strong Royalist, he was "disabled from sitting" (in other words expelled) soon after the outbreak of the Civil War. After the Restoration, he was elected once more for Cambridgeshire in the Parliament of 1661–1679, and subsequently sat for the city of Cambridge until his retirement in 1689.
In 1670 he was knighted, made a member of the Privy Council and appointed Master-General of the Ordnance. He held that office until 1674, when he was succeeded by his son. In 1679 he became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, but was ejected from office and expelled from the Privy Council on 2 March 1687.
According to Pepys, Chicheley lived extravagantly in London, and this was probably the reason that he sold his estate at Wimpole thirteen years before his death.
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas Wendy Isaac Thornton |
Member of Parliament for Cambridgeshire with Thomas Wendy 1661–1674 Sir Thomas Hatton, Bt 1674–1679 1661–1679 |
Succeeded by Gerard Russell Edward Partherich |
| Preceded by The Lord Alington Roger Pepys |
Member of Parliament for Cambridge with The Lord Alington 1679–1685 Sir William Wren 1685–1689 Sir John Cotton 1685–1689 1679–1689 |
Succeeded by Sir John Cotton Granado Pigot |
| Political offices | ||
| Vacant
Title last held by
Sir John Cutts |
Custos Rotulorum of Cambridgeshire 1642–1689 |
Succeeded by Edward Russell |
| Preceded by Sir Robert Carr |
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 1682–1687 |
Succeeded by seal in commission |
| Military offices | ||
| Preceded by In Commission |
Master-General of the Ordnance 1670–1674 |
Succeeded by Thomas Chicheley |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by Sir John Carleton, Bt |
High Sheriff of Cambridgeshire 1637 |
Succeeded by Thomas Wendy |
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