John Thornhagh (1648–1723), of Fenton and Osberton, Nottinghamshire, was an English Whig politician who sat in the English and

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 mem ...

between 1689 and 1710. Thornhagh was baptized on 27 January 1648 at St Mary's Nottingham, the only son of Francis Thornhagh, MP for East Retford and his wife Elizabeth St Andrew, daughter of John St Andrew of Gotham, Nottinghamshire. He succeeded his father in 1648. He was admitted at Jesus College, Cambridge on 1 June 1664. He married Elizabeth Earle, the daughter of Sir Richard Earle, 1st Baronet, of Stragglethorpe, Lincolnshire, on 15 September 1670. Thornhagh was Commissioner for assessment for Nottinghamshire from 1673 to 1680. In February 1688, he was appointed a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

. He was High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire for the year 1688 to 1689 and was a Deputy Lieutenant for Nottinghamshire thereafter. At the

1689 English general election The 1689 English general election, held in January 1689, elected the Convention Parliament (1689), Convention Parliament, which was summoned in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution. 513 Members of Parliament were returned, across 53 counties ...

, he was elected Member of Parliament for East Retford as a Court candidate. He was moderately active in the Convention, sitting on 21 committees. He was Commissioner for assessment for Nottinghamshire again in 1690 and was returned unopposed at the

1690 English general election The 1690 English general election occurred after the dissolution of the Convention Parliament summoned in the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution, and saw the partisan feuds in that parliament continue in the constituencies. The Tories made signi ...

. He was returned unopposed at the

1695 English general election The 1695 English general election was the first to be held under the terms of the Triennial Act of 1694, which required parliament to be dissolved and fresh elections called at least every three years. This measure helped to fuel partisan rivalry ...

and voted for the attainder of Sir John Fenwick on 25 November 1696. At the

1698 English general election After the conclusion of the 1698 English general election the government led by the Whig Junto believed it had held its ground against the opposition. Over the previous few years, divisions had emerged within the Whig party between the 'court' sup ...

, he was returned unopposed for East Retford, but faced a contest in the first general election of 1701. In the second general election of 1701 he stood for Nottinghamshire, where he was defeated, and for East Retford, where he was returned again in a contest. He was returned again for East Retford at the

1702 English general election The 1702 English general election was the first to be held during the reign of Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen Anne, and was necessitated by the demise of William III of England, William III. The new government dominated by the Tories (Britis ...

, but was unseated on petition on 28 November 1702. Thornhagh was returned as Whig MP for Nottinghamshire at a by-election on 29 March 1704. He was returned again as a Whig at the

1705 English general election The 1705 English general election saw contests in 110 constituencies in England and Wales, roughly 41% of the total. The election was fiercely fought, with mob violence and cries of " Church in Danger" occurring in several boroughs. During the pr ...

and on 25 October 1705 he voted for the Court candidate as Speaker. He continued to follow the Whig line, and on 18 February 1706, voted to support the Court over the ‘place clause’ of the regency bill. At the

1708 British general election The 1708 British general election was the first general election to be held after the Acts of Union had united the Parliaments of England and Scotland. The election saw the Whigs finally gain a majority in the House of Commons, and by November ...

he was returned unopposed through an electoral pact with Sir Thomas Willoughby. He voted for the naturalization of the Palatines in 1709 and for the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell in 1710. He faced a contest at the

1710 general election Year 171 ( CLXXI) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Herennianus (or, less frequently, year 924 ''Ab urbe con ...

and came bottom of the poll. He did not stand again. Thornhagh was buried at Sturton, Nottinghamshire, on 17 May 1723. He had three sons and five daughters. He was succeeded by his son St Andrew Thornhagh.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thornhagh, John 1648 births 1723 deaths Deputy Lieutenants of Nottinghamshire High Sheriffs of Nottinghamshire English MPs 1689–1690 English MPs 1690–1695 English MPs 1695–1698 English MPs 1698–1700 English MPs 1701 English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1702–1705 English MPs 1705–1707 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1708–1710