Sir Thomas Bernard Birch, 2nd Baronet DL (18 March 1791 – 3 March 1880) was a British baronet and Whig politician. He was the only son of Sir Joseph Birch, 1st Baronet and his wife Elizabeth Mary, third daughter of Benjamin Heywood. Birch was educated at

Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...

and went then to

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Jesus College was established in 1496 on the site of the twelfth-century Benedictine nunnery of St Radegund's Priory, Cambridge, St ...

, where he graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in 1813 and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

three years later. In 1817, he was called to the bar by

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

and in 1833, he succeeded his father as baronet. From 1827 Birch was private secretary to William Lamb (later Lord Melbourne) in his capacity as

Chief Secretary for Ireland The Chief Secretary for Ireland was a key political office in the British Dublin Castle administration, administration in Ireland. Nominally subordinate to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Lord Lieutenant, and officially the "Chief Secretar ...

. He was appointed

High Sheriff of Lancashire The High Sheriff of Lancashire is an ancient office, now largely ceremonial, granted to Lancashire, a county in North West England. High Shrievalties are the oldest secular titles under the Crown, in England and Wales. The High Sheriff of Lanca ...

in 1841 and served as a Deputy Lieutenant for that county. In 1847, he entered the

British House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

, sitting for

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

until 1852. Birch was unmarried and childless. With his death the baronetcy became extinct.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Birch, Thomas 1791 births 1880 deaths Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Deputy lieutenants of Lancashire High sheriffs of Lancashire Members of Lincoln's Inn Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Liverpool People educated at Rugby School UK MPs 1847–1852