Sir Thomas Aston, 1st Baronet facts for kids

Sir Thomas Aston, 1st Baronet (born September 29, 1600 – died March 24, 1645) was an English politician. He was a member of the House of Commons in 1640. Sir Thomas fought for the King's side, known as the Royalists, during the English Civil War. He is also remembered for a special painting he asked John Souch to create of his first wife, Magdalene Aston, after she passed away. This painting is now in the Manchester Art Gallery. Sir Thomas was also known for strongly supporting the Church of England.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Aston was born in Shropshire. He was the oldest son of John Aston and Maud Needham. His uncle was a soldier named Arthur Aston. When he was 16, Thomas started studying at Brasenose College, Oxford in 1617. He earned his first degree in 1619. In 1620, he became a lawyer after studying at Lincoln's Inn.

Becoming a Baronet

In 1628, King Charles I of England made Thomas Aston a baronet of Aston, in Cheshire. This was a special title of honor. In 1635, he became the High Sheriff of Cheshire, which was an important local official role. In April 1640, he was chosen to represent Cheshire in a short meeting of Parliament.

Role in the English Civil War

When the First English Civil War began between the King and Parliament, Sir Thomas Aston joined the Royalist side. He was in charge of troops at Middlewich in March 1643.

First Battle of Middlewich

At Middlewich, Sir Thomas's forces were defeated by Sir William Brereton. The Royalists lost two cannons and 500 weapons. Not many people died, but many important Royalist leaders were captured. The town of Middlewich was also affected by the fighting. Sir Thomas Aston managed to escape. A few days later, when he returned to Chester, he was put under arrest. While under arrest, he wrote a detailed report defending his actions during the battle.

Capture and Death

Sir Thomas Aston was later cleared of any blame and rejoined the King's army. He is said to have faced another defeat from Brereton at Macclesfield in 1643. Later, he was captured during a small fight in Staffordshire. While he was a prisoner in Stafford, he tried to escape. However, a soldier discovered his plan and hit him on the head. This injury, along with other wounds he received during the war, caused him to get a fever. Sir Thomas Aston died from this fever in Stafford on March 24, 1645, when he was 44 years old.

Family Life and Legacy

Sir Thomas Aston had two marriages and several children.

Marriages and Children

The family crest of the Pulteney family.

In 1627, Sir Thomas Aston married Magdalene Pulteney. They had two sons and two daughters, but sadly, all of them passed away when they were young. Magdalene herself died in 1635. She is remembered because of a famous painting Sir Thomas asked John Souch to create. This painting shows Sir Thomas by Magdalene's deathbed.

Sir Thomas married again in 1639 to Anne Willoughby. She was the daughter of Sir Henry Willoughby, 1st Baronet. With Anne, he had two daughters and another son named Willoughby. This son later took over his father's title as the 2nd Baronet. Sir Thomas's second wife, Anne, lived until 1688.