Thomas Gibson (16 March 1667 – 21 September 1744) was an English banker and politician. A younger son of gentry from the

North Riding of Yorkshire The North Riding of Yorkshire is a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point is at Mickle Fell with 2,585 ft (788 metres). From the Restoration it was used as ...

, he made his career as a banker in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

and held finance-related public offices for most of his life. Gibson was the fifth son of John Gibson of Welburn in Yorkshire, whose ancestor Sir John Gibson had bought the manor of Welburn in 1597. Thomas Gibson became a partner in the banking firm of Gibson, Jacob, and Jacomb of

Lothbury Lothbury is a short street in the City of London. It runs east–west with traffic flow in both directions, from Gresham Street's junction with Moorgate to the west, and Bartholomew Lane's junction with Throgmorton Street to the east. History ...

in London, where he financed

coal mines Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

in the north of England. Gibson became surveyor of petty customs in London in 1708. Through the bank he developed a friendship with

Robert Walpole Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, (26 August 1676 – 18 March 1745; known between 1725 and 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole) was a British statesman and Whig politician who, as First Lord of the Treasury, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Leader ...

, the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

from 1721 to 1742, who appointed him in 1714 as cashier to the pay office. Gibson held the office until his death. Walpole brought Gibson into 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. ...

at the 1722 general election as a

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 ...

(MP) for

Marlborough Marlborough may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Marlborough, Wiltshire, England ** Marlborough College, public school * Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England * The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England Austral ...

. He held that seat until he stood down at the 1734 general election, but was brought in two years later at an uncontested by-election for

Yarmouth Yarmouth may refer to: Places Canada *Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia **Yarmouth, Nova Scotia **Municipality of the District of Yarmouth **Yarmouth (provincial electoral district) **Yarmouth (electoral district) * Yarmouth Township, Ontario *New ...

. He held the seat until death on 21 September 1744, aged 67.

References

1667 births 1744 deaths People from Ryedale (district) English bankers Members of Parliament for the Isle of Wight British MPs 1722–1727 British MPs 1727–1734 British MPs 1734–1741 British MPs 1741–1747 {{England-business-bio-stub