Sir Thomas Hales, 2nd Baronet (24 February 1665/66 – 7 January 1748), of Bekesbourne and Brymore in

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

, was an English politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1701 and 1747. Hales was the eldest son of Thomas Hales of Howletts, Bekesbourne and his wife Mary Wood, daughter of Richard Wood of Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire. He was baptised on 1 March 1665/66 at

Saint Peter ) (Simeon, Simon) , birth_date = , birth_place = Bethsaida, Gaulanitis, Syria, Roman Empire , death_date = Between AD 64–68 , death_place = probably Vatican Hill, Rome, Italia, Roman Empire , parents = John (or Jonah; Jona) , occupa ...

's, Bekesbourne,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

He was admitted at

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and W ...

in 1683 and subsequently travelled abroad in France. His father died in 1692, and in December 1693, he inherited the

baronetcy A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

on the death of his grandfather Sir Robert Hales, who had been created a baronet at the Restoration. Hales was returned as a Tory

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

for

at the first general election of 1701. He topped the poll in a contest at the second general election of 1701 and was returned unopposed at the 1702 English general election. He did not stand in 1705. He stood for Nottinghamshire at a by-election in June 1711, but was unsuccessful. At the

1715 British general election The 1715 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 5th Parliament of Great Britain to be held, after the 1707 merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. In October 1714, soon after ...

Hales was returned as Whig MP for

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

and was then rewarded with an appointment to the commission for forfeited estates with a salary of £1,000 a year. He supported the Administration, except in 1719, when he voted against the Peerage Bill. He was re-elected for Canterbury in

1722 Events January–March * January 27 – Daniel Defoe's novel ''Moll Flanders'' is published anonymously in London. * February 10 – The Battle of Cape Lopez begins off of the coast of West Africa (and present-day Gabon), as ...

and

1727 Events January–March * January 1 – (December 21, 1726 O.S.) Spain's ambassador to Great Britain demands that the British return Gibraltar after accusing Britain of violating the terms of the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Britain ...

. Hales voted for the excise bill and at the

1734 British general election The 1734 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. Robert Walpole's inc ...

, he was defeated in the poll, but was returned on petition on 11 April 1735. He was defeated at the

1741 British general election The 1741 British general election returned members to serve in the House of Commons of the 9th Parliament of Great Britain to be summoned, after the merger of the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland in 1707. The election saw supp ...

and was not returned until a by-election on 23 January 1746. He was defeated at the

1747 general election Events January–March * January 31 – The first venereal diseases clinic opens at London Lock Hospital. * February 11 – King George's War: A combined French and Indian force, commanded by Captain Nicolas Antoine II Coul ...

and did not stand again. Hales married Mary Pym (d. 1729), daughter of Sir Charles Pym, 1st Baronet of Brymore, in 1688, and their children included: * Sir Thomas Hales (c. 1694–1762), who succeeded to the baronetcy * Mary Hales, who married

Sir Brook Bridges, 1st Baronet Sir Brook Bridges, 1st Baronet, FRS (12 August 1679 – 16 March 1728) was a British barrister. He was the son of Brook Bridges and Mary Lewen. Brook Bridges senior had held the office of Auditor of the Imprest of the Treasury from 1672 to 1705 ...

(d. 1728), of Goodneston * Catherine Hales, who married Edward Cook of Canterbury * Anne Hales * Elizabeth Hales, who married (first) Benjamin Lethiemillier of East Shen and (second) Charles Pyott of St. Martin's His younger brother

Stephen Hales Stephen Hales (17 September 16774 January 1761) was an English clergyman who made major contributions to a range of scientific fields including botany, pneumatic chemistry and physiology. He was the first person to measure blood pressure. He a ...

was a curate who became a famous scientist, inventor and philanthropist.

References

External links

Hales genealogy

England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 @ FamilySearch

Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry Baptisms Image @ Findmypast
*Robert Beatson, ''A Chronological Register of Both Houses of Parliament'' (London: Longman, Hurst, Res & Orme, 1807

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hales, Thomas 1666 births 1748 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of England Whig (British political party) MPs English MPs 1701 English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1702–1705 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 Politics of Canterbury People from Bekesbourne