Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st Baronet facts for kids
Sir Thomas Gerard, 1st Baronet (born 1560 – died 16 February 1621) was an English politician. He served as a member of the House of Commons, which is like the main law-making group in England, at different times between 1597 and 1621.
Early Life and Family
Thomas Gerard was the son of Sir Thomas Gerard and Elizabeth Port. His family lived at Bryn Hall. His mother was the daughter of Sir John Port. Thomas had a brother named John Gerard. John later became a Roman Catholic priest and worked secretly in England.
Thomas Gerard started studying at Brasenose College, Oxford in 1578 when he was 18 years old. In 1579, he became a student at the Inner Temple. This was a place where people studied law to become lawyers or judges. His family, including his parents and brother John, were Catholic. Thomas was taught by a Catholic tutor.
Political Career and Honors
In 1597, Thomas Gerard was chosen to be a Member of Parliament for Liverpool. This meant he represented the people of Liverpool in the House of Commons.
In September 1601, he took over his family's estates after his father passed away. He was made a knight on 18 April 1603. Being knighted was a special honor given by the King.
A new special title called "baronet" was created on 22 May 1611. Sir Thomas Gerard was one of the first people to receive this title. He became the 1st Baronet. Usually, people had to pay a lot of money for this title. However, Sir Thomas Gerard did not have to pay. This was because his father had suffered for supporting the King's mother, Mary, Queen of Scots.
Sir Thomas Gerard continued his political work. In 1614, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire. Later, in 1621, he was elected to represent Wigan in Parliament.
Later Life and Family
Sir Thomas Gerard passed away around the age of 60. He was buried at St Margaret's Church in Westminster on 16 February 1621.
Sir Thomas Gerard was married three times. His first wife was Cecily Maney. They married around 1580 and had a son named Thomas, who later became the 2nd Baronet.
After 1606, he married his second wife, Mary Lee. She was the widow of Sir Robert Lee, who had been the Lord Mayor of London. Mary's father, Sir James Hawes, was also a Lord Mayor.
His third wife was Mary Uvedale. She was the widow of Sir Edward Uvedale and the daughter of Sir William Dormer. Sir Thomas Gerard did not have any children with his second or third wives.
