Thomas Leigh, 1st Baron Leigh

Thomas Leigh, 1st Baron Leigh (1595 – 22 February 1672) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1628 to 1629. He supported the Royalist cause in the English Civil War and was created a baron in 1643.

Leigh was the son of Sir John Leigh and his first wife Ursula Hoddesdon, daughter of Sir Christopher Hoddesdon, of Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.[1] He matriculated at Magdalen College, Oxford, under entry dated 4 November 1608, aged 13.[2] He succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his grandfather, Sir Thomas Leigh, 1st Baronet, of Stoneleigh, Warwickshire on 1 February 1626. In 1628, he was elected Member of Parliament for Warwickshire and sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years. He was Sheriff of Warwickshire from 1636 to 1637.[1]

During the Civil War, Leigh showed intrepid loyalty to the king whom he entertained at Stoneleigh when the gates of Coventry were shut against him. He was created Baron Leigh of Stoneleigh on 1 July 1643.

Leigh died at the age of about 77.[1]

Leigh married in about 1615 Mary Egerton, daughter of Sir Thomas Egerton, who was son of Thomas Egerton, 1st Viscount Brackley, and his wife Elizabeth Venables.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 George Edward Cokayne Complete Baronetage Volume 1 1900
  2. ↑ 'Alumni Oxonienses, 1500-1714: Lee-Llewellin', Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714 (1891), pp. 892-921. Date accessed: 3 June 2012
Parliament of England
Preceded by
Sir Thomas Lucy
Sir Clement Throckmorton		 Member of Parliament for Warwickshire
1628–1629
With: Sir Thomas Lucy		 Succeeded by
Parliament suspended until 1640
Peerage of England
New creation Baron Leigh
1643–1672 		Succeeded by
Thomas Leigh
Baronetage of England
Preceded by
Thomas Leigh		 Baronet
(of Stoneleigh)
1626–1672 		Succeeded by
Thomas Leigh
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