Sir Thomas Rouse, 1st Baronet (27 March 1608 – 26 May 1676) was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, 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 ...

variously between 1654 and 1660 and supported the

Parliamentary In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

cause during the

English Civil War The English Civil War or Great Rebellion was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Cavaliers, Royalists and Roundhead, Parliamentarians in the Kingdom of England from 1642 to 1651. Part of the wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of th ...

Biography

Rouse was the son of Sir John Rouse of Rous Lench, Worcestershire who was MP in 1626. He matriculated at

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The l ...

on 20 October 1626 and was awarded BA from

Corpus Christi College, Oxford Corpus Christi College (formally, Corpus Christi College in the University of Oxford; informally abbreviated as Corpus or CCC) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1517 by Richard Fo ...

on 31 January 1628. Also in 1628, he entered

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

. He was created Baronet Rouse of Rouse Lench on 23 July 1641.W R Williams ''Parliamentary History of the County of Worcestershire''
/ref> Rouse was added to the Committee for Worcestershire in 1645 and was

High Sheriff of Worcestershire This is a list of sheriffs and since 1998 high sheriffs of Worcestershire. The High Sheriff, Sheriff is the oldest Secularity, secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but ove ...

in 1648. In 1654, he was elected Member of Parliament for

Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It is bordered by Shropshire, Staffordshire, and the West Midlands (county), West ...

in the

First Protectorate Parliament The First Protectorate Parliament was summoned by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the terms of the Instrument of Government. It sat for one term from 3 September 1654 until 22 January 1655 with William Lenthall as the Speaker of the H ...

.History of Parliament Online - Rous, Sir Thomas, 1st Bt.
/ref> He was an assessment commissioner in 1656 and was also Custos Rotulorum in 1656. In 1660, Rouse was elected MP for

Evesham Evesham () is a market town and Civil parishes in England, parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, England, Worceste ...

in the Convention Parliament. He became a J.P. on 10 July 1660. Rouse died at the age of 67 and was buried at Rouse Lench, where there is a monument. Rouse married firstly Jane Ferrers daughter of Sir John Ferrers of Tamworth Castle, secondly Frances Murray daughter of David Murray and thirdly Ann.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rouse, Thomas 1608 births 1676 deaths High sheriffs of Worcestershire Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Oxford Members of the Middle Temple People from Evesham English MPs 1654–1655 English MPs 1660 Roundheads Members of the Parliament of England for Worcestershire