Thomas Bere (1652 – 22 June 1725) of

Huntsham Huntsham is a small village and civil parish, formerly a manor and ecclesiastical parish, in the Mid Devon district of Devon, England. The nearest town is Tiverton, about south-west of the village. The parish is surrounded clockwise from the ...

, near Tiverton, in Devon, was an English landowner and Whig politician who sat in the

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 ...

and British House of Commons in two periods between 1690 and 1725.

Early life

Bere was the eldest son of Thomas Bere,

lord of the manor Lord of the Manor is a title that, in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to the landholder of a rural estate. The lord enjoyed manorial rights (the rights to establish and occupy a residence, known as the manor house and demesne) as well as seig ...

, Devon, by his first wife Margaret Davie, daughter of

Sir John Davie, 1st Baronet Sir John Davie, 1st Baronet (1588–1654) of Creedy in the parish of Sandford, near Crediton, Devon, was a member of the Devonshire gentry and served as Member of Parliament for Tiverton in 1621-2 and as Sheriff of Devon (1629–1630). He was ...

. He matriculated at

Exeter College, Oxford (Let Exeter Flourish) , old_names = ''Stapeldon Hall'' , named_for = Walter de Stapledon, Bishop of Exeter , established = , sister_college = Emmanuel College, Cambridge , rector = Sir Richard Trainor ...

on 4 March 1670. He succeeded to Huntsham on the death of his father in 1680. In about 1686, he married Mary Stedman, widow of George Stedman of Midsomer Norton, Somerset and daughter of Robert Lang of Stanton Prior, Dorset.Eveline Cruickshanks
BERE, Thomas (1652-1725), of Huntsham, nr. Tiverton, Devon.
at

The History of Parliament The History of Parliament is a project to write a complete history of the United Kingdom Parliament and its predecessors, the Parliament of Great Britain and the Parliament of England. The history will principally consist of a prosopography, in w ...

Online (1690-1715). Accessed 20 July 2014.

Political career

Bere was elected unopposed as Whig

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 Tiverton, 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 ...

. He presented a petition to Parliament from Tiverton on 8 January 1692 complaining about Irish woollen manufacture, which was taking away many Devon workers. He was returned unopposed again for Tiverton 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 ...

and signed the Association in February 1696 and voted tofix the price of

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from the Guinea region in West Africa, from where m ...

at 22 shillings in March. He was returned unopposed at the 1698 English general election, at the two general elections of 1701 and at the 1702 English general election, being involved mainly in small private bills. 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 pre ...

, he was again returned unopposed as a Whig and voted for the Court candidate for speaker on 25 October 1705. After supporting the Court over the ‘place clause’ of the regency bill, he was appointed Commissioner for victualling the navy in 1706, holding the post for the rest of his life. He was returned unopposed as a Whig at the

1708 British general election The 1708 British general election was the first general election to be held after the Acts of Union had united the Parliaments of England and Scotland. The election saw the Whigs finally gain a majority in the House of Commons, and by November ...

and voted for the naturalization of the Palatines in 1709 and for the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell in 1710. At the 1710 British general election he was caught up in a triple return for Tiverton, and after the poll was declared void, he lost the seat at a by-election. Bere was returned unopposed as MP for Tiverton at the general elections of

1715 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 ...

and

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), a ...

, and retained the seat until his death.Shirley Matthews
BERE, Thomas (1652-1725), of Huntsham, nr. Tiverton, Devon.
at

Online (1715-1754). Accessed 20 July 2014.

Death and legacy

Bere died on 22 June 1725 leaving two sons.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bere, Thomas 1652 births 1725 deaths Alumni of Exeter College, Oxford People from Mid Devon District Whig (British political party) MPs for English constituencies 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 1715–1722 British MPs 1722–1727 Whig members of the pre-1707 English Parliament