Thomas Anson, 1st Viscount Anson (14 February 1767 – 31 July 1818) was a British politician and peer from the

Anson family ) , type = , country = * , estates = Shugborough HallBirch Hall , titles = * Earl of Lichfield * Viscount Anson * Baronet Anson , founded = , founder = George Anson , current head ...

Background and career

Thomas Anson was born 14 February 1767, the first son of George Anson, of Shugborough and Mary Vernon, the daughter of George Venables Vernon. The family's surname was Adams until 1773, when his father inherited the Anson estates upon the death of his maternal uncles and his unmarried older brother, Thomas. He was the brother of Mary Anson (born 1759), who married Sir Francis Ford, 1st Baronet, in 1785. Thomas's brothers included army generals Sir George Anson and Sir William Anson. 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, C ...

in 1779 and

Oriel College, Oxford Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, wh ...

, in 1784. On his father's death in 1789, Thomas Anson succeeded him 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

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west of B ...

, which he represented until 17 February 1806, when he was succeeded by his brother,

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

. On leaving 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. ...

on 17 February 1806, Anson was created Viscount Anson, of Shugborough and Orgrave, Co. Stafford, and Baron Soberton, of

Soberton Soberton is a village in the Meon Valley, Hampshire, England, east of the A32 and a few miles south of the village of Droxford. It appears in the Domesday Book as "Sudbertone" or "Sudbertune". For administration, it is in the Hampshire County C ...

, Co. Southampton, in the

Peerage of the United Kingdom The Peerage of the United Kingdom is one of the five Peerages in the United Kingdom. It comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801, when it replaced the ...

Marriage and children

On 15 September 1794, Anson married Lady Anne Coke, the daughter of the 1st Earl of Leicester of Holkham. They had thirteen children: * Hon. Thomas William Anson (1795–1854), who became 1st Earl of Lichfield. *Hon. Anna Margaret Anson (3 Oct 1796 – 19 Aug 1882), married the 4th Earl of Rosebery. * Hon. George Anson (1797–1857) *Hon. Charles Littleton Anson (1799–1812, killed by an exploding gun aboard HMS ''Bacchante'') *Hon. William Anson (26 Feb 1801 – 19 Oct 1830) *Georgiana Anson (b. and d. 1802) *Hon. Henry Anson (15 May 1804 – May 1827) *Edward Anson (21 Jun 1805 – died an infant) *Hon. Georgiana Anson (3 Jan 1807 – 1821) *Hon. Edward Harcourt Anson (1808–1817) *Hon. Frances Elizabeth Anson (9 Jan 1810 – 25 Dec 1899), married (1) Hon. Charles Murray, a son of the 4th Earl of Mansfield and Mansfield, (2) Ambrose Isted. *Hon. Frederica Sophia (24 Aug 1814 – 11 Oct 1867), married Hon.

Bouverie Francis Primrose Bouverie Francis Primrose (1813–1898) was a British landowner and administrator. Life He was born on 19 September 1813 near Edinburgh the second son of Archibald Primrose, 4th Earl of Rosebery and his wife Harriett Bouverie. In 1817 the ...

, second son of the 4th Earl of Rosebery. ::Their children included Henry William Primrose (1846–1923) who became chairman of the Board of the

Inland Revenue The Inland Revenue was, until April 2005, a department of the British Government responsible for the collection of direct taxation, including income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporation ta ...

from 1899 to 1907. *Hon. Elizabeth Jane Anson (26 Feb 1816 – 15 Sep 1894), married the 3rd Baron Waterpark.

Death

He died on 31 July 1818. His papers and correspondence are held at the Staffordshire County Record Office of the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Archive Service.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Anson, Thomas, 1st Viscount Anson 1767 births 1818 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom UK MPs 1801–1802 UK MPs 1802–1806 UK MPs who were granted peerages British MPs 1784–1790 British MPs 1790–1796 British MPs 1796–1800 Place of birth unknown Place of death unknown

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

Peers of the United Kingdom created by George III