Thomas Henry Sutton Sotheron-Estcourt
PC DL JP (4 April 1801 – 6 January 1876), known as Thomas Bucknall-Estcourt until 1839 and as Thomas Sotheron from 1839 to 1855, was a British
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
politician.
Background and education
Sotheron-Estcourt was the eldest son of
Thomas Grimston Estcourt
Thomas Grimston Estcourt (1775–1853), of New Park, near Devizes, Wiltshire, later known as Thomas Grimston Bucknall Estcourt, was an English politician.
He was the eldest son of Thomas Estcourt, Member of the Parliament of Great Britain (MP ...
, Member of Parliament (MP) for
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century civil war between ...
and
Oxford University
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to th ...
, son of
Thomas Estcourt, Member of Parliament for
Cricklade
Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire, England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester. It is the first downstream town on the Thames. The parish population at the 2011 census was 4,227.
History
Cricklade ...
. His mother was Eleanor, daughter of James Sutton. He was educated at
Harrow and
Oriel College, Oxford.
Political career
Estcourt was elected to Parliament as MP for
Marlborough
Marlborough may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Marlborough, Wiltshire, England
** Marlborough College, public school
* Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England
* The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England
Austral ...
in 1829. He was elected to parliament again in 1835 as MP for
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. It developed around Devizes Castle, an 11th-century Norman castle, and received a charter in 1141. The castle was besieged during the Anarchy, a 12th-century civil war between ...
, switched to
North Wiltshire
North Wiltshire was a local government district in Wiltshire, England, formed on 1 April 1974, by a merger of the municipal boroughs of Calne, Chippenham, and Malmesbury along with Calne and Chippenham Rural District, Cricklade and Wootton Bas ...
in 1844, and continued in the Commons until 1865. Sotheron resumed the name Estcourt in 1855, and entered
Lord Derby's second government in 1858 as
President of the Poor Law Board The Poor Law Board was established in the United Kingdom in 1847 as a successor body to the Poor Law Commission overseeing the administration of the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834. The new body was headed by a President, and with the Lord President of ...
. The next year, he became
Home Secretary
The secretary of state for the Home Department, otherwise known as the home secretary, is a senior minister of the Crown in the Government of the United Kingdom. The home secretary leads the Home Office, and is responsible for all national s ...
, but the government soon fell. He had been sworn of the
Privy Council in 1858.
Family
Sotheron-Estcourt married Lucy Sarah, daughter of Admiral
Frank Sotheron, in 1830. In 1839 he assumed by Royal licence the surname of Sotheron in lieu of his patronymic in order to inherit his father-in-law's property. However, in 1853 he resumed by Royal licence the surname of Estcourt in addition to that of Sotheron. He retired from public life in 1863 after a paralytic seizure. He died in January 1876, aged 74. His wife had died in 1870. Sotheron-Estcourt's estates passed to his nephew
George Bucknall-Estcourt, who assumed the surname of Sotheron-Estcourt and was created
Baron Estcourt
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...
in 1903.
References
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sotheron-Estcourt, T. H. S.
1801 births
1876 deaths
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
People educated at Harrow School
UK MPs 1835–1837
UK MPs 1837–1841
UK MPs 1841–1847
UK MPs 1847–1852
UK MPs 1852–1857
UK MPs 1857–1859
UK MPs 1859–1865