Thomas Sandys (or ''Sands'' or ''Sandes''; 1600–1658) was an English politician, MP for Gatton. Sandys was born in 1600, the elder son of John Sandys of

Leatherhead Leatherhead is a town in the Mole Valley District of Surrey, England, about south of Central London. The settlement grew up beside a ford on the River Mole, from which its name is thought to derive. During the late Anglo-Saxon period, Leath ...

, Surrey. He was educated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

, matriculating in 1617, aged 17. He became a barrister-at-law at 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 1625, and a

bencher A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales or the Inns of Court in Northern Ireland, or the Honorable Society of King's Inns in Ireland. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can ...

in 1648. In the

Long Parliament The Long Parliament was an English Parliament which lasted from 1640 until 1660. It followed the fiasco of the Short Parliament, which had convened for only three weeks during the spring of 1640 after an 11-year parliamentary absence. In Septem ...

elected in 1640, Sandys was elected MP for Gatton along with Sir

Samuel Owfield Sir Samuel Owfield (1595–1644) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1644. Owfield was the son of Roger Owfield, Fishmonger, of Billiter Lane, London and his wife Thomasine More, daughter o ...

(who died in 1644 and was replaced by his son William Owfield in 1645). A rival candidate for Sandys' seat was returned by the Copley family, a Mr. Sanders, who was declared not duly elected on 5 November 1641. Although Sandys supported Parliament against the King, both he and William Owfield were secluded from Parliament in

Pride's Purge Pride's Purge is the name commonly given to an event that took place on 6 December 1648, when soldiers prevented members of Parliament considered hostile to the New Model Army from entering the House of Commons of England. Despite defeat in the ...

in 1648. Sandys played no part in politics during the ascendancy of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

, and died at the end of 1658.

References

, - 1600 births 1658 deaths People from Leatherhead Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Members of the Middle Temple English MPs 1640–1648 {{17thC-England-MP-stub