Sir Thomas Barrington, 2nd Baronet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir
Thomas Barrington
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Barrington Hall, Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex
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| Member of Parliament for Colchester |
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| In office November 1640 – September 1644 |
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| Member of Parliament for Essex |
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| In office April 1640 – April 1640 |
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| Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Essex | |
| In office 1629–1643 |
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| Member of Parliament for Newtown |
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| In office January 1621 – March 1629 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1585 Barrington Hall, Essex |
| Died | 18 September 1644 (aged 59) London |
| Resting place | St Mary the Virgin, Hatfield Broad Oak |
| Nationality | English |
| Spouses | Frances Gobert (1611-1623) Judith Smith (born Lytton), (1624-his death) |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | Landowner, politician and Puritan activist |
Sir Thomas Barrington, 2nd Baronet (1585 – 18 September 1644) was an important English politician. He was also a Puritan activist. Puritans were a group of Protestants who wanted to make the Church of England simpler.
Sir Thomas was a member of the House of Commons at different times between 1621 and 1644. During the early part of the First English Civil War, he helped create the Eastern Association. This was a very strong part of the Parliamentarian army.
Contents
Sir Thomas Barrington's Family Life
Thomas Barrington was born in 1585. He was the oldest son of Sir Francis Barrington and Joan Cromwell. His mother, Joan, was the aunt of two future Parliamentarian leaders: Oliver Cromwell and John Hampden.
He was one of nine children who lived. He had three brothers: Robert, Francis, and John. John died in the Netherlands during the Eighty Years War.
His Sisters and Their Marriages
Thomas had five sisters. Three of them married important men:
- Elizabeth married Sir William Masham.
- Mary married Sir Gilbert Gerard.
- Winifred married Sir William Meux.
All three of these brothers-in-law were also MPs. This shows that the Barrington family was part of a big group of Puritan activists.
Marriages and Children
In 1611, Thomas married Frances Gobert. They had three children who lived: Lucy, John (who was born in 1615), and Gobert. Frances died in 1623.
Thomas married again in 1624 to Judith Smith (born Lytton). They did not have any children together, but it was a happy marriage.
Judith Barrington: A Smart Manager
Judith was very good at managing things. She continued to look after her own property from her first marriage. She also took charge of Thomas's properties, even after he inherited more land in 1628.
She had a helper, but she gave all the instructions. She thought of herself as "the manager of all things." Judith was also kind to tenants who had money problems. She knew a lot about trees, especially fruit trees.
When Thomas was in London for Parliament, Judith wrote to him often. She told him what was happening at home and gave him advice. After Thomas died in 1644, Judith had some disagreements with his son, John.
Sir Thomas Barrington's Political Career
Thomas Barrington went to Trinity College, Cambridge in 1601. He then studied law at Gray's Inn in 1602. Studying law was an important part of education back then.
He became a knight around 1621. In the same year, he was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for Newtown.
Serving in Parliament
He was re-elected as an MP for Newtown several times:
- 1624
- 1625
- 1626
- 1628
He served until 1629. At that time, King Charles I decided to rule England without Parliament for eleven years. In 1628, Thomas became a Baronet after his father died.
The "Middle Group" in Parliament
Thomas Barrington was part of a group in Parliament called the "Middle Group." This group was led by a man named Pym. These MPs did not always vote the same way. However, they were very important in getting Parliament to agree to the Solemn League and Covenant. This was an agreement to form an alliance with the Scottish Covenanters.
