Thomas Willoughby (11 June 1694 – 2 December 1742) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

landowner 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. T ...

from 1720 to 1734. Birdsall House - geograph

Willoughby was the second son of Thomas Willoughby, 1st Baron Middleton and his wife Elizabeth Rothwell, daughter of Sir Richard Rothwell, 1st Baronet, MP. He was educated at

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

and was admitted at

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's full name is The College of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint John the Evangelist and the glorious Virgin Saint Radegund, near Cambridge. Its common name comes fr ...

on 1 November 1711. He matriculated there in 1712 and was awarded MA in 1720. In 1719, he married Elizabeth Sotheby, the daughter and heiress of Thomas Sotheby of Birdsall of Birdsall, North Yorkshire. Through his marriage, he inherited Birdsall House Willoughby was elected 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 bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

for

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

at a by-election on 19 December 1720. He was returned unopposed again for the university at the 1722 general election. At the 1727 general election, Willoughby stood for Parliament at Tamworth on his father's interest and was elected MP. There is little record of his activities in Parliament and he did not stand in 1734. Willoughby died on 2 December 1742 and his wife ten years later on 25 April 1752. They had seven children: *

Henry Willoughby, 5th Baron Middleton Henry Willoughby, 5th Baron Middleton (19 December 1726 – 14 June 1800), was an English nobleman, the son of Hon. Thomas Willoughby. He was born at York in 1726 and entered Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1745. He succeeded his father in 1742, ...

(1726–1800) *Francis Willoughby (b. 1727), of Hesley Hall, married on 25 May 1762 Octavia Fisher and had issue *Rev. James Willoughby (1731–1816), rector of Guiseley, married Eleanor Hobson and had issue *Cassandra Willoughby *Elizabeth Willoughby, married in 1750 Rev. Edmund Garforth *Emma Willoughby (d. 1781), married Rev. N. Hodgson *Antonina Willoughby, married in 1765 Rev. Henry Hewgill Birdsall House became the chief residence of the Barons Middleton in 1923.

References

1694 births 1742 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies British MPs 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Cambridge University Younger sons of barons {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub