Thomas Foley was the eldest son of the second marriage (to Alice Brindley) of Richard Foley (1588–1657), a prominent Midlands ironmaster. He took over his father's business and made great profits from it in the 1650s and 1660s, which he used to buy estates. He then handed his business over to his sons, another Thomas Foley, Paul Foley, and Philip Foley. He built Witley Court. In the late 1660s, he founded a bluecoat school at Stourbridge known as Old Swinford Hospital, which he endowed in his will.
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Nicholas Lechmere |
Bewdley (UK Parliament constituency) 1660–1661 |
Succeeded by Sir Henry Herbert |
| Preceded by Sir Henry Herbert |
Bewdley (UK Parliament constituency) 1673–1677 |
Succeeded by Henry Herbert, later 1st Baron Herbert of Chirbury |