Thomas Onslow, 2nd Baron Onslow

Thomas Onslow, 2nd Baron Onslow (27 November 1679 – 5 June 1740) was a British politician and landowner who commissioned the building of Clandon Park in the 1730s.

Political career

He represented a continuous succession of areas in Parliament. He entered Parliament aged 22 or 23 for an underpopulated rural borough that had once had a market in the medieval period, Gatton, Surrey before moving to represent the larger settlement of Chichester, West Sussex. Six years later he began to alternate seats in elections between two rural boroughs which were eventually abolished, and once again Surrey. Seven years later, and only for two years until he succeeded to the family peerage which took place in 1717, he served the gradually urbanising seat of Surrey, which included much of today's Greater London, including for example, Battersea and Lambeth.

He became 2nd Baron Onslow on the death of his father, Richard Onslow.

Personal finances and family life

As Lord Onslow he was a leading participant in an insurance business known as Onslow's Insurance or Onslow's Bubble, which secured incorporation under the Bubble Act as Royal Exchange Assurance Corporation.

The family seat was Clandon Park, East and West Clandon, Surrey the centrepiece of which, a National Trust mansion and gardens was for the most part commissioned by him.

Clandon Park was transformed from a large manor house to a lavish English country house by this Lord Onslow, but the 3rd Lord Onslow had its interiors finished. It features a two-storey Marble Hall and marble chimney and other pieces by the Flemish sculptor Michael Rysbrack.

From this period until the early 20th century the senior branch of the family owned many tens of square miles of farmland scattered across many villages in Surrey from which they derived an income.

References

Parliament of England
Preceded by Thomas Turgis Maurice Thompson	Member of Parliament for Gatton 1702–1705 With: Maurice Thompson	Succeeded by Sir George Newland Paul Docminique
Preceded by William Elson Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt	Member of Parliament for Chichester 1705–1707 With: Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt	Succeeded by Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Parliament of England	Member of Parliament for Chichester 1707–1708 With: Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt	Succeeded by Thomas Carr Sir Richard Farington, Bt
Preceded by George Woodroffe John Fulham	Member of Parliament for Haslemere 1708 With: Theophilus Oglethorpe	Succeeded by Theophilus Oglethorpe Sir Nicholas Carew
Preceded by John Ward George Evelyn	Member of Parliament for Bletchingley 1708–1715 With: George Evelyn	Succeeded by George Evelyn Sir William Clayton
Preceded by Theophilus Oglethorpe Sir John Clerke, Bt	Member of Parliament for Haslemere 1713–1714 With: George Vernon	Succeeded by George Vernon Sir Nicholas Carew
Preceded by Lord Guernsey Sir Richard Onslow, Bt	Member of Parliament for Surrey 1715–1717 With: Lord Guernsey	Succeeded by Lord Guernsey Denzil Onslow
Political offices
Preceded by Unknown	Out-Ranger of Windsor Forest 1715–1717	Succeeded by Denzil Onslow
Preceded by Richard Hampden	Teller of the Exchequer 1718–1741	Succeeded by Horatio Walpole
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Lord Onslow	Lord Lieutenant of Surrey 1717–1740	Succeeded by The Lord Onslow
Preceded by The Earl of Berkeley	Custos Rotulorum of Surrey 1737–1740
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by Richard Onslow	Baron Onslow 1717–1740	Succeeded by Richard Onslow