Sir Thomas Gascoigne, 8th Baronet facts for kids
Sir Thomas Gascoigne, 8th Baronet (born March 7, 1745 – died February 11, 1810) was an important figure in British history. He was born in Europe into a wealthy Catholic family from Yorkshire, England.
Even though he had a strong Catholic education in France and Italy, Sir Thomas later changed his religion. He did this to become a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Whig political party. Before this, he traveled a lot around Spain, France, and Italy. These trips were part of a "Grand Tour," which was a common journey for young, wealthy Europeans.
He traveled with a famous writer named Henry Swinburne. Swinburne wrote popular travel books about their adventures. Sir Thomas and Henry visited many royal courts in Europe, especially in Spain and Naples.
Sir Thomas was also a big supporter of new farming methods. He was a member of the Board of Agriculture. He also owned many coal mines and helped develop new technologies for mining. His life shows how new ideas from the Enlightenment period influenced many leading English Catholic families.
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Early Life and European Travels
Sir Thomas Gascoigne was born in Cambrai, France. He was the third son of Sir Edward Gascoigne, 6th Baronet, and his wife, Mary. His family was very Catholic, and Sir Thomas was raised in that faith. He remained Catholic until 1780 when he changed his religion to become a Member of Parliament.
He became the 8th Baronet after his older brother, Sir Edward, died in 1762. Sir Thomas studied at Catholic schools in France. In 1764, he went to an academy in Turin, Italy. This was the start of his first "Grand Tour." This trip was meant to introduce him to important people in Britain and Italy.
In Turin, Sir Thomas met many interesting people. These included the King of Sardinia, Charles Emmanuel III, and the historian Edward Gibbon. After his studies, he traveled more in Italy with two friends.
Sadly, this first trip ended in a difficult situation. In 1765, Sir Thomas was involved in an incident in Rome. The Governor of Rome helped him escape and even got him a special pardon from Pope Clement XIII.
Managing His Estates and New Ideas
After the incident in Rome, Sir Thomas returned to England. He focused on managing his family's estates in Yorkshire. He also got involved in local affairs. From 1770 to 1772, he was the leader of the Freemasons of the York Grand Lodge.
In 1771, he hired a farming expert named John Kennedy. Together, they experimented with growing different plants. They were pioneers in using cabbages and carrots to feed livestock. These new farming ideas were praised internationally.
Sir Thomas also worked to expand his family's mineral businesses. These included limestone quarries and coal mines. He also developed a small spa at Thorpe Arch. Thanks to his efforts, this spa later became the popular resort of Boston Spa.
He loved horse racing and bred racehorses at his home, Parlington. His horses won the St Leger Stakes twice, in 1778 and 1798. Some of his racing trophies can be seen at Lotherton Hall.
Second Grand Tour with Henry Swinburne
After nine years, Sir Thomas returned to Europe in 1774. He was welcomed by important people in society. Between 1774 and 1779, he traveled widely, visiting places like Spain and southern Italy. These areas were not often visited by foreign travelers.
In 1775, he met the travel writer Henry Swinburne in Bordeaux, France. They decided to travel together to Spain. Sir Thomas paid most of the costs for this trip. Swinburne planned to write a travel guide based on their journey.
They arrived in Spain in October 1775 and traveled all over the country. They became good friends with the British ambassador to Spain. They were also welcomed by the Spanish King, Charles III, who helped them with their travels. Swinburne later published a book about their trip, which made him a famous travel writer.
In 1776, Sir Thomas joined Swinburne and his family on a trip to southern Italy, near Naples. They became close to the Neapolitan royal family, including King Ferdinand IV and his wife Maria Carolina. Their shared Catholic faith may have helped strengthen these friendships. Sir Thomas went on several trips with Swinburne, which became the basis for another of Swinburne's travel books.
In 1778, they traveled to Rome. As well-connected Catholics, they met important cultural figures and even Pope Pius VI. They returned to England in July 1779.
Politics and Public Service
When Sir Thomas returned to England, he changed his religion. He became an Anglican to follow the law and become a Member of Parliament. At the time, Catholics could not hold public office. On June 4, 1780, he publicly changed his religion.
It seems he did this mainly to become an MP, not because his religious beliefs changed. He continued to support the Catholic community in Yorkshire privately. He was promised a seat in Parliament and became an MP for Thirsk in September 1780.
Supporting American Independence
Sir Thomas strongly supported the idea of American Independence. He even built a special arch at the entrance to his Parlington Hall estate. This arch celebrated the American victory in the War of Independence.
The arch had a message that read: 'Liberty in N. America Triumphant MDCCLXXXIII'. This clearly showed his support for America. The arch also quietly showed his approval of the Marquess of Rockingham, a politician who had opposed the war. The Parlington arch still stands today.
Parliamentary Work
In Parliament, Sir Thomas was a loyal member of the Whig party. He supported the leaders of his party, first Rockingham and then Earl Fitzwilliam. In the 1784 election, Fitzwilliam asked Sir Thomas to manage the election campaign in Yorkshire.
Sir Thomas also joined Christopher Wyvill's Yorkshire Association in 1782. This group worked to reform Parliament. Even though he supported reform, Sir Thomas had to leave the Association during the election. This was because Wyvill supported a different politician, William Pitt, instead of Sir Thomas's party leader, Charles James Fox. Sir Thomas then became an MP for Malton until 1784.
From 1795 to 1796, Sir Thomas was an MP for Arundel. He was elected thanks to his friend, Charles Howard, the Duke of Norfolk. Sir Thomas and Christopher Wyvill became friends again. They worked together to oppose two new laws, the Treasonable Practices Act and the Seditious Meetings Act. Sir Thomas led a large meeting in York against these laws in December 1795. He continued to support parliamentary reform.
Military Service
In 1788, Sir Thomas became a captain in the 1st West Riding militia. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel in 1794. He resigned from this position in 1798 to support his friend, the Duke of Norfolk. The Duke had been removed from his position for expressing certain political views. Three months later, Sir Thomas took command of a new militia group.
Later Life and Innovations
On November 4, 1784, Sir Thomas married Lady Mary Turner. She was a widow with three children. Mary died in 1786 after giving birth to their son, Thomas Charles Gascoigne. Sir Thomas never remarried. He raised his son and Mary's three children at his Parlington estate.
Estate Management and Mining
Since inheriting his title in 1763, Sir Thomas took a strong interest in managing his estates. He used new and advanced methods in both farming and mining. His property included farmland, limestone quarries, and coal mines.
Sir Thomas was eager to use new technologies to get the most out of his mines. As a result, he managed to double the amount of coal produced. In 1762, his mines produced about 51,000 tons. By 1810, this had increased to 115,950 tons.
In the 1790s and early 1800s, Sir Thomas hired a coal expert named John Curr. Curr advised him on his mines. Curr suggested using iron tramways underground. These were some of the first in Britain. He also recommended installing steam engines to drain the pits and lift the coal. These improvements greatly extended the life of the mines and helped produce more coal.
Death
Sir Thomas Gascoigne died at Parlington Hall on February 11, 1810. He was buried in his family's vault. His only son had died in a hunting accident just four months earlier. Many believed that Sir Thomas's death was made worse by this sad loss.
Since he had no direct descendants, his estate went to Richard Philip Oliver. Richard was married to Sir Thomas's stepdaughter. Richard agreed to change his name to Oliver Gascoigne to inherit the estate.
