Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath

The Most Honourable The Marquess of Bath KG
Secretary of State for the Northern Department
In office 7 March 1779 – 27 October 1779
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	Lord North
Preceded by	The Earl of Suffolk
Succeeded by	The Viscount Stormont
In office 20 January 1768 – 21 October 1768
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	The Earl of Chatham The Duke of Grafton
Preceded by	Henry Seymour Conway
Succeeded by	The Earl of Rochford
Secretary of State for the Southern Department
In office 9 November 1775 – 24 November 1779
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	Lord North
Preceded by	The Earl of Rochford
Succeeded by	The Earl of Hillsborough
In office 21 October 1768 – 12 December 1770
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	The Duke of Grafton Lord North
Preceded by	The Earl of Shelburne
Succeeded by	The Earl of Rochford
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office 5 June 1765 – 7 August 1765
Monarch	George III
Preceded by	The Earl of Northumberland
Succeeded by	The Earl of Hertford
Personal details
Born	Thomas Thynne 13 September 1734
Died	St George Hanover Square Westminster, Middlesex Great Britain
Political party	Tory
Spouse(s)	Lady Elizabeth Bentinck (m. 1759)
Children	Six
Residence	Longleat
Alma mater	St John's College, Cambridge
Occupation	Politician

Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath KG (1734–1796) was a British politician who held office under George III serving as Southern Secretary, Northern Secretary and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Between 1751 and 1789 he was known as The Viscount Weymouth. He is often best known for his role in the Falklands Crisis of 1770.

Family and Early life

He was the elder son of Thomas Thynne, 2nd Viscount Weymouth (1710—1751), and the great-grandnephew of Thomas Thynne (c. 1640–1714), who was created Baron Thynne and Viscount Weymouth in 1682.

His mother was Louisa (d. 1736), daughter of John Carteret, 1st Earl Granville, and a descendant of the family of Granville who held the earldom of Bath from 1661 to 1711. The Thynnes are descended from Sir John Thynne, the builder of Longleat, the splendid seat of the family in Wiltshire. Sir John owed his wealth and position to the favour of his master, the protector Somerset; he was comptroller of the household of the Lady Elizabeth, and was a person of some importance after that princess became queen. Another famous member of this family was Thomas Thynne (1648–1682), called on account of his wealth "Tom of Ten Thousand." He is celebrated by Dryden as Issachar in Absalom and Achitophel, and was murdered in London by some Swedes in February 1682.

Political career

Born on 13 September 1734, Thomas Thynne succeeded his father as 3rd Viscount Weymouth in January 1751 and was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for a short time during 1765, although he never visited that country. Having, however, become prominent in British politics, he was appointed Secretary of State for the Northern Department in January 1768; he acted with great promptitude during the unrest caused by John Wilkes and the Middlesex election of 1768. He was then attacked and libeled by Wilkes, who was consequently expelled from the House of Commons.

Falklands Crisis

Main article: Falklands Crisis (1770)

Before the close of 1768 he was transferred from the northern to the southern department, but he resigned in December 1770 in the midst of the dispute with Spain over the possession of the Falkland Islands.

American War of Independence

Main article: American War of Independence

In November 1775 Weymouth returned to his former office of secretary for the southern department, undertaking in addition the duties attached to the northern department for a few months in 1779, but he resigned both positions in the autumn of that year.

Later life

In 1789 he was created Marquess of Bath. He died in November 1796. Weymouth was a man of considerable ability, especially as a speaker. According to more modern standards, his habits were very coarse, resembling those of his friend and frequent companion Charles James Fox. Horace Walpole refers frequently to his idleness and his drunkenness, and in early life at least "his great fortune he had damaged: by such profuse play, that his house was often full of bailiffs." He married Elizabeth (died 1825), daughter of William Bentinck, 2nd Duke of Portland, by whom he had three sons and three daughters.

He was High Steward of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield from 1781 until his death.

References

Attribution

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Political offices
Preceded by The Earl Harcourt	Master of the Horse to Queen Charlotte 1763–1765	Succeeded by The Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven
Preceded by The Earl of Northumberland	Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1765	Succeeded by The Earl of Hertford
Preceded by Henry Seymour Conway	Secretary of State for the Northern Department 1768	Succeeded by The Earl of Rochford
Preceded by The Earl of Shelburne	Secretary of State for the Southern Department 1768–1770	Succeeded by The Earl of Rochford
Preceded by The Earl of Rochford	Secretary of State for the Southern Department 1775–1779	Succeeded by The Earl of Hillsborough
Preceded by The Earl of Suffolk	Secretary of State for the Northern Department 1779	Succeeded by The Viscount Stormont
Court offices
Preceded by The Earl of Ashburnham	Groom of the Stole 1782–1796	Succeeded by The Duke of Roxburghe
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Lord Middleton	High Steward of Sutton Coldfield 1781–1796	Succeeded by The Earl of Aylesford
Titles of nobility
New creation	Marquess of Bath 1789–1796	Succeeded by Thomas Thynne
Preceded by Thomas Thynne	Viscount Weymouth 1751–1796