General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Thomas Erle PC (1650 – 23 July 1720) of

Charborough Charborough is an historic former parish and manor in Dorset, England. It survives today as a hamlet, situated on an affluent of the River Stour, 6 miles west of Wimborne Minster, but without any of its former administrative powers, and is today ...

, Dorset, was a general in the

English Army The ...

and, thereafter, the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

. He was also a Whig politician who sat in the

House of Commons of England The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England (which incorporated Wales) from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of ...

and of Great Britain from 1678 to 1718. He was Governor of Portsmouth and a

Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance The Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance was a member of the British Board of Ordnance and the deputy of the Master-General of the Ordnance. The office was established in 1545, and the holder was appointed by the crown under letters patent. It w ...

Life

Erle was born in 1650, the second son of

Thomas Erle General Thomas Erle PC (1650 – 23 July 1720) of Charborough, Dorset, was a general in the English Army and, thereafter, the British Army. He was also a Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons of England and of Great Britain from 16 ...

and his wife Susanna Fiennes, daughter of

William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele William Fiennes, 1st Viscount Saye and Sele (28 June 158214 April 1662) was an English nobleman and politician, known also for his involvement in several companies for setting up overseas colonies. Early life He was born at the family home of B ...

, of

. He matriculated at Trinity College, Oxford, on 12 July 1667, aged 17 and was admitted at

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

in 1669. In 1675, Erle married Elizabeth Wyndham (died 1710), daughter of

Sir William Wyndham, 1st Baronet Sir William Wyndham, 1st Baronet (''ca.'' 1632 – 29 October 1683) of Orchard Wyndham, Somerset, was Member of Parliament for Somerset in 1656 and twice for Taunton in 1659 and 1660. He was Sheriff of Somerset in 1679–80. Origins Willia ...

of Orchard Wyndham, Somerset. Erle succeeded his elder brother before 1665 and his grandfather to Charborough in 1665. In February 1679, Erle was returned unopposed as a

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 bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

(MP) for Wareham (a

pocket borough A rotten or pocket borough, also known as a nomination borough or proprietorial borough, was a parliamentary borough or constituency in England, Great Britain, or the United Kingdom before the Reform Act 1832, which had a very small electorat ...

controlled by his family) into the first Exclusion Parliament. He voted for exclusion. At the second general election in 1679, Erle was again returned unopposed, but left no record in the second Exclusion Parliament. He was returned unopposed again at the

1681 English general election The 1681 English general election returned members to the last parliament of Charles II. Dubbed the Oxford Parliament, the body elected sat for one week from 21 March 1681 until 28 March 1681. Party strengths are an approximation, with many MPs ...

but was again inactive. At the

1685 English general election The 1685 English general election elected the only parliament of James II of England, known as the Loyal Parliament. This was the first time the pejorative words Whig and Tory were used as names for political groupings in the Parliament of Englan ...

Erle was returned unopposed again, and was named to committees in Parliament but was called away in response to Monmouth's invasion. On 27 May 1685, he was made Deputy Lieutenant of

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

. Erle took command of the East Dorset militia as major, and fought as a volunteer at the

Battle of Sedgemoor The Battle of Sedgemoor was the last and decisive engagement between the Kingdom of England and rebels led by the Duke of Monmouth during the Monmouth rebellion, fought on 6 July 1685, and took place at Westonzoyland near Bridgwater in Somerse ...

with his friend Thomas Chafin. Subsequently, he was presented to the King by Lord Churchill but received a cold reception from James II. In 1686, Erle hosted a group of conspirators who met at Charborough House to plan the overthrow of "the tyrant race of

Stuart Stuart may refer to: Names * Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) Automobile *Stuart (automobile) Places Australia Generally *Stuart Highway, connecting South Australia and the Northern Territory Northe ...

s". This meeting lead to the

Invitation to William The ''Invitation to William'' was a letter sent by seven notable English nobles, later called "the Immortal Seven", to stadtholder William III, Prince of Orange, received by him on 30 June 1688 (Julian calendar, 10 July Gregorian calendar). In ...

, signed by the ''Immortal seven'', and resulting in the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution; gd, Rèabhlaid Ghlòrmhor; cy, Chwyldro Gogoneddus , also known as the ''Glorieuze Overtocht'' or ''Glorious Crossing'' in the Netherlands, is the sequence of events leading to the deposition of King James II and ...

. Erle was returned again as MP for Warham 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 promoted to colonel of a foot regiment and on 8 March 1689 was sent to Ireland to fight the combined French and Irish Army of the deposed King

James II of England James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Gloriou ...

. For the remainder of his political career he seems to have been a consistent Whig. 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 ...

, Erle was returned as MP for Wareham in a contest. In July 1690, he took part in the Battle of the Boyne and the Siege of Limerick. He also took part in the concluding Battle of Aughrim in July 1691. Erle was infrequently in Parliament and his contributions were usually on military matters. In 1692, he was posted to

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...

and on 3 August 1692 was Colonel of the former Luttrell's Regiment at the

Battle of Steenkerque The Battle of Steenkerque, also known as ''Steenkerke'', ''Steenkirk'' or ''Steinkirk'' was fought on 3 August 1692, during the Nine Years' War, near Steenkerque, then part of the Spanish Netherlands but now in modern Belgium A French force ...

. Henceforth, the regiment Erle raised in 1689 became the 2nd Battalion of the former Luttrell's Regiment, later the Green Howards. In Parliament he spoke against a motion to employ only English officers in the army and became involved in mutiny bills. In 1693, Erle was promoted to

Brigadier-General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

, and was wounded in the Battle of Landen in 1693. Erle returned home and carried up the mutiny bill on 27 February 1694. He was appointed Governor of Portsmouth in July 1694, and held the position until 1712. He was returned unopposed for Warham 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 ...

. Erle was again involved in the management of the mutiny bill, he signed the Association, and voted with the Court in March 1696 to fix the price of guineas at 22 shillings. In 1696, Erle was made a Major-General. He voted for the attainder of Sir John Fenwick on 25 November 1696 and spoke against a reduction of the military establishment on 8 January 1698. 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 ...

, under a sharing agreement with a Tory, George Pitt, he had his nephew returned at Warham and was himself returned unopposed as MP for

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

on the government interest. Erle was a Court supporter and spoke and voted against the third reading of the disbanding bill on 18 January 1699. In 1699, Erle lost one of his regiments and returned to Ireland as second in command to

Lord Galway Viscount Galway is a title that has been created once in the Peerage of England and thrice in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1628 in favour of Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde. He was made Earl ...

. He was appointed an Irish Privy Councillor. He was returned again as MP for Portsmouth in the two elections of 1701. However at the second election of that year, Erle was also returned as MP for Wareham and chose to sit there. He brought in the mutiny bill on 5 February 1702, and told against an amendment to it on 16 February. Erle was given leave to go to Ireland on 4 March 1702, having been appointed Commander-in-Chief of the land forces in Ireland under the Earl of Rochester. He was made a Lord Justice of Ireland and then promoted to Lieutenant-General. Erle stood again at Warham and Portsmouth 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 ...

and chose to sit for Wareham again. In 1703, Erle became MP for Cork City in the Irish Parliament and held this seat until 1713. He was given command of a newly raised regiment of dragoons in June 1704 and did not vote for the Tack on 28 November 1704. In 1705, Erle was appointed

, a post which he held until 1712. He was also returned again as MP for Wareham 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 ...

. Erle supported the Court choice of Speaker on 25 October 1705 and was named to the drafting committee on the mutiny bill on 23 January 1706. He voted with the government over the regency bill on 18 February 1706. Erle managed the mutiny bill through the House, and chaired the committee of the whole on 6 March 1706. In January 1707, Erle took part in an expedition to Spain, fighting in the

Battle of Almanza The Battle of Almansa took place on 25 April 1707, during the War of the Spanish Succession. It was fought between an army loyal to Philip V of Spain, Bourbon claimant to the Spanish throne, and one supporting his Habsburg rival, Archduke Charle ...

on 23 April 1707 – some reports state that he lost his right hand. and remained there until September. During the debate on the deficiency of English troops at Almanza, Erle defended Lord Galway, the commander, in the Commons on 24 February 1708. At the

1708 general election Seventeen or 17 may refer to: *17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18 * one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017 Literature Magazines * ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine * ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...

, he was returned for Wareham and Portsmouth and sat as Whig MP for Wareham. Erle was then told that he was to be commander-in-chief of an attack on the French coast. He was annoyed with the posting, especially as his pay had been stopped when he came back from Spain. Erle was awarded arrears of pay and given a further £1,500 in consideration of his services. The expedition was late in starting and the plan to land at St Valery to capture Abbeville was abandoned. The force eventually landed at Ostend and set up an outpost at Leffingham, which fell to the French without a fight on 16 October 1708. In spite of the failure, when Erle returned home in December 1708, he was appointed commander-in-chief of land forces in England. He voted for the naturalization of the Palatines in 1709, and for the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell in 1710. In January 1711, he was promoted to full general. Erle was returned at Wareham again in

1710 In the Swedish calendar it was a common year starting on Saturday, one day ahead of the Julian and ten days behind the Gregorian calendar. Events January–March * January 1 – In Prussia, Cölln is merged with Alt-Berlin b ...

and

1713 Events January–March * January 17 – Tuscarora War: Colonel James Moore leads the Carolina militia out of Albemarle County, North Carolina, in a second offensive against the Tuscarora. Heavy snows force the troops to take ref ...

. In 1714, following the death of Queen Anne, Erle was appointed

for a second time. The same year, he was also made Governor of Portsmouth, replacing Lord North and Grey, whose loyalty to the new king was in doubt. Erle was returned as MP for Wareham at the

1715 general election Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire i ...

. From 1715 until 1718 he was

Father of the House Father of the House is a title that has been traditionally bestowed, unofficially, on certain members of some legislatures, most notably the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. In some legislatures the title refers to the longest continuously- ...

. He was forced to resign all his posts and his seat in Parliament in March 1718 and received in return a pension of £1,200 a year. Erle died on 23 July 1720 and was buried at Charborough. He left a daughter Frances, who married Edward Ernle and died on 14 May 1728. Charborough House thus passed to the Ernle family. , -

References

External links

Papers of Thomas Erle
held at Churchill Archives Centre {{DEFAULTSORT:Erle, Thomas 1680 births 1720 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford Members of the Middle Temple British Army generals English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1685–1687 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 British MPs 1707–1708 British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 British MPs 1715–1722 English generals British military personnel of the War of the Spanish Succession Irish MPs 1703–1713 Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for Cork City Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain Members of the Privy Council of Ireland Whig (British political party) MPs Williamite military personnel of the Williamite War in Ireland Deputy Lieutenants of Dorset