Thomas James Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley, later Warren-Bulkeley, (12 December 1752 – 3 June 1822) was a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

aristocrat and 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 ...

from 1774 to 1784 when he was raised to the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks. Peerages include: A ...

Early life

Thomas James Bulkeley was the posthumous son and heir to

James Bulkeley, 6th Viscount Bulkeley James Bulkeley, 6th Viscount Bulkeley (17 February 1716/17 – 23 April 1752) of Baron Hill, Anglesey, was a Welsh landowner and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1739 to 1752. Early life Bulkeley was the second son of Ric ...

, who died aged 35 in 1752,Brydges, Sir S. E., A biographical peerage of the empire of Great Britain, 4 vols, 1808-17 and Emma Rowlands, daughter and heiress of Thomas Rowlands of Caerau,

Caernarvonshire Caernarfonshire (; , ), previously spelled Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire, was one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It was located in the north-west of Wales. Geography The county ...

. In 1760, his mother married Sir Hugh Williams, 8th Baronet, MP for

Beaumaris Beaumaris (; ) is a town and community (Wales), community on the Anglesey, Isle of Anglesey in Wales, of which it is the former county town. It is located at the eastern entrance to the Menai Strait, the tidal waterway separating Anglesey fro ...

from 1768 to 1780 and from 1785 to 1794. From his mother's second marriage, he had two half-sisters and two half-brothers, including

Sir Robert Williams, 9th Baronet Sir Robert Williams, 9th Baronet (20 July 1764 – 1 December 1830) was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1790 to 1830. Biography Williams was the son of Sir Hugh Williams, 8th Baronet and his wife Emma Rowland. Willia ...

. He was educated as

fellow commoner A commoner is a student at certain universities in the British Isles who historically pays for his own tuition and commons, typically contrasted with scholars and exhibitioners, who were given financial emoluments towards their fees. Cambridge ...

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship ...

, before making the Grand Tour with the

Marquess of Buckingham Marquess of Buckingham was a title that has been created two times in the peerages of England and Great Britain. The first creation of the marquessate was in 1618 for George Villiers, a favourite of James I of England. He had previously been ...

;Wilson, J., ''A biographical index to the present House of Lords'', 1808 he gave a copy of

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian Baroque painter, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious works, but al ...

's ''St Michael subduing the Devil'', acquired in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, to Jesus College chapel.

Career

Like several of his ancestors, Bulkeley became member of parliament for the county of

Anglesey Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...

, returned in

1774 Events January–March * January 21 – Mustafa III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dies and is succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I. * January 27 ** An angry crowd in Boston, Massachusetts seizes, tars, and feathers British customs ...

and

1780 Events January–March * January 16 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of Cape St. Vincent: British Admiral Sir George Rodney defeats a Spanish fleet. * February 19 – The legislature of New York votes to all ...

. Though he voted against

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

's East India Bill in 1783, he attended a 1784 meeting of the

St. Alban's Tavern group The St. Alban's Tavern group was an informal association of 78 United Kingdom, British Member of Parliament, Members of Parliament who aimed to bring about a reconciliation of William Pitt the Younger and Charles James Fox in a unified Ministry. The ...

of MPs interested in uniting Fox and Pitt. In May 1784 he was created an English peer,

Baron Bulkeley Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knight, ...

, of Beaumaris and had to vacate his seat in the House of Commons. Bulkeley supported Pitt on the regency question in 1788. He spoke in the Lords on the election treating act in 1796. He opposed the 'Adultery bill' in 1800. In the 1806 impeachment trial of

Viscount Melville Viscount Melville, of Melville in the County of Edinburgh, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Origins The title was created on 24 December 1802 for the notable lawyer and politician Henry Dundas. He was created Baron Dunira, ...

, Bulkeley voted Melville guilty on the sixth and seventh charges. During the

French Revolutionary War The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted France against Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia, and several other countries ...

he raised the 'Loyal Anglesea (''sic'') Volunteers' of four companies in 1797 and commanded them as

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

-Commandant until they was stood down after the

Peace of Amiens The Treaty of Amiens (, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France, the Spanish Empire, and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it set t ...

in 1802. When the peace broke down in 1803 he re-raised the unit as the Anglesey Loyal Volunteers of two battalions and commanded them with the rank of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

. When the volunteers declined after the crisis was over, Bulkeley and most of his officers transferred to the Anglesey Local Militia in 1809.

Beaumaris Castle

Lord Bulkeley bought

Beaumaris Castle Beaumaris Castle ( ; , ), in Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales, was built as part of Edward I of England, Edward I's Conquest of Wales by Edward I of England, campaign to conquer north Wales after 1282. Plans were probably first made to construct t ...

from the Crown in 1807 for £735, incorporating it into the park that surrounded his local residence, Baron Hill. Some of the castle's stones may have been reused in 1829 to build the nearby

Beaumaris Gaol Beaumaris Gaol () is a disused gaol, or prison, located in Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales. Although no longer in use it remains largely unaltered and is now a museum open to visitors, with around 30,000 visiting each year. History The jail was desi ...

Personal life

On 26 April 1777 he married Elizabeth Harriet Warren, only daughter and heir of Sir George Warren. In 1802 Bulkeley legally changed his name by Royal Licence to Thomas James Warren-Bulkeley. He died without issue in 1822 in

Englefield Green Englefield Green is a large village in the Borough of Runnymede, Surrey, England, approximately west of central London. It is home to Runnymede Meadow, The Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial, The Savill Garden,and Royal Holloway, University of L ...

. His estate was inherited by his nephew, Sir Richard Williams, 10th Baronet (the son of his half-brother), who assumed the additional surname of Bulkeley, by Royal licence. His wife died in 1832; her will left property to a relation George Fleming Leicester, under the condition he change his surname to Warren.

Legacy

The chancel north wall of

St Mary's and St Nicholas's Church, Beaumaris St Mary and St Nicholas Church, Beaumaris, an Anglican church, is a fourteenth century Grade I listed building in Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales. History The church was founded around 1330, initially as a chapel of ease to Llandegfan, to serve the n ...

contains a medieval brass plaque and a monument to Bulkeley.

References

Sources

External links

*
Thomas James Warren-Bulkeley, 7th Viscount Bulkeley (1752-1822)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bulkeley, Thomas Bulkeley, 7th Viscount 1752 births 1822 deaths Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford British MPs 1774–1780 British MPs 1780–1784 Lord-lieutenants of Caernarvonshire Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Welsh constituencies Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland

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 A ...

Peers of Great Britain created by George III Anglesey Militia officers