Thomas Palmer, FRS ( fl. 1700–1735) of Fairfield Stoke Coursey, was a British lawyer and Tory politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

between 1715 and 1735. Palmer was the son of

Nathaniel Palmer Nathaniel Brown Palmer (August 8, 1799June 21, 1877) was an American seal hunter, explorer, sailing captain, and ship designer. He gave his name to Palmer Land, Antarctica, which he explored in 1820 on his sloop ''Hero''. He was born in Stoning ...

, MP of Fairfield, Stoke Coursey, Somerset, and his wife, Frances Wyndham, 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 ...

. He matriculated at

New College, Oxford New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...

in 1700 and then entered the

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 1702. He married Elizabeth Wroth, daughter of

Sir Thomas Wroth, 3rd Baronet Sir Thomas Wroth, 3rd Baronet (c.1674-1721) of Petherton Park, Somerset was an English High Sheriff and Member of Parliament. He was born the only surviving son of Sir John Wroth, 2nd Baronet, of Petherton Park. He succeeded his father in 1677 as ...

, MP of Petherton Park, near Bridgwater Somerset. Palmer was returned unopposed as

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 ...

for

Bridgwater Bridgwater is a large historic market town and civil parish in Somerset, England. Its population currently stands at around 41,276 as of 2022. Bridgwater is at the edge of the Somerset Levels, in level and well-wooded country. The town lies alon ...

, Somerset at the 1715 general election and was elected at a contest 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 ...

. In 1725, he was involved in the impeachment of

Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield Thomas Parker, 1st Earl of Macclesfield, (23 July 1666 – 28 April 1732) was an English Whig politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1705 to 1710. He was Lord Chief Justice from 1710 to 1718 and acted briefly as one of the regents befo ...

. He did not stand in the 1727 general election. He was returned for Bridgwater again at a by-election on 5 February 1731 and elected in a contest at 1734 general election, sitting until his death in 1735. Palmer was Recorder of Bridgwater from 1720 until 1734 and was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in May 1726. Palmer died of an unknown illness and left directions for his body to be autopsied so that "the calamitous illness which I have been so long afflicted with, and to which all the persons I have applied to have been unable to find the cause or the cure, may after my death be of use to some other unhappy persons who may be in the same condition, and may be helped by the knowledge." He had no children and left all his property to his wife.

References

1735 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Fellows of the Royal Society Alumni of New College, Oxford Year of birth unknown British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub