Thomas Nelson, 2nd Earl Nelson, born Thomas Bolton (7 July 1786 – 1 November 1835), was the 2nd Earl Nelson. He was the son of Thomas Bolton of Wells, Norfolk, and Susannah Nelson, daughter of the Rev. Edmund Nelson. He was educated at Norwich High School and from 1807 at

Peterhouse, Cambridge Peterhouse is the oldest Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, founded in 1284 by Hugh de Balsham, Bishop of Ely. Peterhouse has around 300 undergraduate and 175 graduate stud ...

, graduating MA in 1814. He was the nephew of Admiral

Horatio Nelson Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte ( – 21 October 1805) was a Royal Navy officer whose leadership, grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics brought about a number of decisive British naval victories during the French ...

. He married Frances Elizabeth Eyre, daughter of John Maurice Eyre of

Landford Landford is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish southeast of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. To the south and east of the parish is the county of Hampshire and the New Forest National Park. The parish includes the small villa ...

, Wiltshire, on 21 February 1821. They had eight children: *

Horatio Nelson, 3rd Earl Nelson Horatio Nelson, 3rd Earl Nelson, (7 August 1823 – 25 February 1913), was a British politician. He was the son of Thomas Nelson, 2nd Earl Nelson, Thomas Bolton (a nephew of Vice Admiral (Royal Navy), Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount ...

(1823–1913) * John Horatio Nelson (1825–1917) * Frances Catherine Nelson (1826–1877) * Elizabeth Anne Nelson (1827–1830) * Caroline Nelson (1828–1829) * Susannah Nelson (1829–1900) * Rear-Admiral Maurice Horatio Nelson (2 January 1832 – 6 September 1914) * Edward Foyle Nelson (1833–1859) * Henry Nelson (1835–1863) He was

High Sheriff of Wiltshire This is a list of the sheriffs and (after 1 April 1974) high sheriffs of Wiltshire. Until the 14th century, the shrievalty was held ''ex officio'' by the castellans of Old Sarum Castle. On 1 April 1974, under the provisions of the Local Go ...

in 1834. He inherited the title of Earl Nelson of Trafalgar and of Merton from his uncle

William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson William Nelson, 1st Earl Nelson, 2nd Duke of Bronte (20 April 1757 – 28 February 1835), was an Anglican clergyman and an older brother of Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson. Life Nelson was born in Burnham Thorpe, into a family that ha ...

, who died on 28 February 1835 without surviving male issue. Bolton changed his name to Nelson on inheriting the earldom, but died later that year. He died at Brickworth House,

Downton, Wiltshire Downton is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish on the River Avon, Hampshire, River Avon in southern Wiltshire, England, about southeast of the city of Salisbury. The parish is on the county boundary with Hampshire and is clos ...

, on 1 November 1835 and was buried at Standlynch Chapel on 9 November. Frances outlived him by more than forty years and died in 1878 at Trafalgar Park, Wiltshire. His sister Catherine married Captain Sir William Bolton.

References

1786 births 1835 deaths High sheriffs of Wiltshire Earls Nelson Alumni of Peterhouse, Cambridge {{UK-earl-stub