John Thornhagh facts for kids

John Thornhagh (born 1648, died 1723) was an important English politician. He came from Fenton and Osberton in Nottinghamshire. John Thornhagh was a member of the Whig party. He served in the English Parliament and later the British Parliament from 1689 to 1710.

Early Life and Family

John Thornhagh was born in 1648 and was baptized on January 27. His father was Francis Thornhagh, who was also a Member of Parliament (MP). John's mother was Elizabeth St Andrew. When his father passed away in 1648, John inherited his family's property. He went to Jesus College, Cambridge in 1664 to study. In 1670, John Thornhagh married Elizabeth Earle. Her father was Sir Richard Earle.

Early Public Service

Before becoming a Member of Parliament, John Thornhagh held several important jobs. From 1673 to 1680, he was a Commissioner for assessment in Nottinghamshire. This meant he helped decide how much tax people should pay. In 1688, he became a Justice of the Peace. This role involved keeping law and order in the local area. He also served as the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire from 1688 to 1689. The High Sheriff was a top legal officer in the county. After that, he was a Deputy Lieutenant, helping to manage the county's military forces.

Time in Parliament

John Thornhagh became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1689. He was elected to represent the area of East Retford. As an MP, he helped make laws and discuss important issues. He was quite active, serving on 21 different committees.

He was re-elected several times without anyone running against him. This happened in the elections of 1690, 1695, and 1698. In 1696, he voted to remove the rights of Sir John Fenwick, a serious political action.

In 1701, he faced a challenge in the election for East Retford but won again. He also tried to become an MP for Nottinghamshire but was not successful. He was re-elected for East Retford in 1702, but he lost his seat later that year after a complaint was made.

Representing Nottinghamshire

John Thornhagh returned to Parliament in 1704. This time, he was elected as a Whig MP for Nottinghamshire. The Whigs were a major political party at the time. He continued to support the Whig party's ideas. For example, in 1705, he voted for the person the King and Queen wanted to be the Speaker of the House. The Speaker leads the debates in Parliament.

In 1706, he supported a law about who would rule if the King or Queen couldn't. He was re-elected without opposition in 1708. This was thanks to an agreement with another important person, Sir Thomas Willoughby. In 1709, he voted to allow people from a region called Palatine to become British citizens. In 1710, he voted to put a religious leader, Dr. Sacheverell, on trial for his sermons.

John Thornhagh ran for election again in 1710 but did not win. After this, he did not try to become an MP again.

Later Life

John Thornhagh passed away in 1723. He was buried in Sturton, Nottinghamshire, on May 17. He had three sons and five daughters. His son, St Andrew Thornhagh, took over the family's responsibilities after him.