Thomas Mansel, 1st Baron Mansel PC (9 November 1667 – 10 December 1723) was a Welsh nobleman and politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1689 until 1712, when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Mansel as one of Harley's Dozen and sat in the House of Lords.
The Lord Mansel | |
|---|---|
_-_Sir_Thomas_Mansel_(1667%E2%80%931723),_1st_Baron_Mansel_of_Margam_-_653184_-_National_Trust.jpg) Portrait by Michael Dahl | |
| Member of Parliament for Cardiff | |
| In office 1689–1698 | |
| Preceded by | Francis Gwyn |
| Succeeded by | Sir Edward Stradling |
| Member of Parliament for Glamorganshire | |
| In office 1699–1712 | |
| Preceded by | Bussy Mansell |
| Succeeded by | Robert Jones |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 November 1667 |
| Died | 10 December 1723 (aged 56) |
| Political party | Tories |
| Education | Jesus College, Oxford (BA) New Inn Hall, Oxford (MA) |
Early life edit
Mansel was the second and first surving son of Sir Edward Mansel, 4th Baronet, of Margam Abbey, Glamorgan, Wales, sometime Member of Parliament for Glamorganshire, and his wife Martha Carne. Mansel's great-grandfather was Henry Montagu, 1st Earl of Manchester.[1] He received his BA in 1686 from Jesus College, Oxford and by 1699 he was awarded his MA from New Inn Hall, Oxford.[2][3] On 18 May 1686 he married Martha Millington, daughter of Francis Millington, merchant, of London and Newick Place, Sussex.[1]
Political career edit
Mansel won the Welsh seat of Cardiff as a Tory MP in the 1689 Parliamentary election. Although he held the seat until 1698, it wasn't until he won the seat of Glamorgan in 1699 that he began to gain higher political offices. In 1701 he held the office of High Sheriff of Glamorgan. In 1714 he was appointed Comptroller of the Household to Queen Anne, a position he held until 1708. Whilst Comptroller of the Household, Mansel was invested as a Privy Council.[2]
On the death of his father on 17 November 1706, he succeeded to the baronetcy and inherited a life interest in the Briton Ferry estate.[1] On account of the death of his father, as well as the death of his cousin Thomas Mansel II, he was largely inactive in the period 1706 to 1707. From 1710 to 1711 he was a Commissioner of the Treasury. His interests were attracted by the South Sea Company and Royal African Company.[2]
On 1 January 1712, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Mansel of Margam, and vacated his seat in the House of Commons to sit in the House of Lords. [4] From 1712 to 1714, he was Teller of the Exchequer[5] and from 1714 to 1715 he was Vice-Admiral of South Wales and Governor of Milford Haven. He also held the office of Chamberlain of South Wales from circa 1714. Mansel reduced his participation in politics in 1715, with a proxy attending Parliament in his stead.[2]
Death and legacy edit
Mansel died on 10 December 1723 and was buried at Margam.[6] He and his wife had six children.
- Robert Mansel MP (1695–1723), who married Anne Shovell, daughter of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell, and predeceased his father by a few months
- Mary Mansel (1697–1735), who married John Ivory-Talbot
- Christopher Mansel, 3rd Baron Mansel (died 1744)
- Bussy Mansel, 4th Baron Mansel (1701–1750), who married firstly Lady Elizabeth Hervey, daughter of John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol, and secondly Barbara Villiers, daughter of William Villiers, 2nd Earl of Jersey
- Martha Mansell
Known for his amorous exploits, Mansel had three illegitimate children by Mrs. Catherine Thomas of Margam at Penrice Castle. One daughter, Elizabeth, married Edward Hancorne, son of Thomas Hancorne, who was agent and solicitor to Lord Mansel.[2]
Ancestry edit
| Ancestors of Thomas Mansel, 1st Baron Mansel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arms edit
  |
|
References edit
- ^ a b c George Edward Cokayne Complete Baronetage 1900
- ^ a b c d e D. W. Hayton (1964). "MANSEL, Thomas I (1667-1723), of Penrice Castle, Gower, Glam.; Margam Abbey, Glam.; and Soho Square, Westminster". In Namier, Sir Lewis; Brooke, John (eds.). The House of Commons 1754-1790. The History of Parliament Trust. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
- ^ Foster, Joseph. "Mab-Marygold in Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714 pp. 956-982". British History Online. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- ^ Holmes, 264; Boyer, Anne Annals, ix. App. p. 60; Jenkins, 69, 150–4, 201; Beaufort mss at Badminton House, Beaufort to James Gunter*, 10 Jan. 1712; Swift Stella, i. 201, 228–9, 245, 247; ii. 464, 524; Hervey Letter Bks. i. 289; J. Steegman, Portraits in Welsh Houses, ii. 113–14; Orig. Pprs. ed. Macpherson, ii. 631; Feiling, 470.
- ^ "MANSEL, Thomas I (1667–1723), of Penrice Castle, Gower, Glam.; Margam Abbey, Glam.; and Soho Square, Westminster". History of Parliament Online (1690–1715). Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- ^ "MANSEL, Thomas II (1667–1723), of Gerard Street, Westminster and Margam Abbey, Glam". History of Parliament Online (1660–1690). Retrieved 1 July 2019.