Sir Thomas Hanmer, 4th Baronet facts for kids
Sir Thomas Hanmer, 4th Baronet (born September 24, 1677 – died May 7, 1746) was an important British politician. He served as the Speaker of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1714 to 1715. He was known for being fair in his role. Sir Thomas Hanmer is also remembered for being one of the first people to edit the plays of William Shakespeare.
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Early Life and Education
Thomas Hanmer was born in Wales, at Bettisfield Park, near Wrexham. His birth took place between 10 and 11 p.m. on September 24, 1677. His father was William Hanmer, and his mother was Peregrine.
Sadly, his father passed away when Thomas was young. Thomas went to school in Bury St Edmunds. He also studied at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. He started at Oxford University in 1693 when he was 17 years old.
Later, in 1705, he earned a law degree (LL.D.) from Cambridge University.
Becoming a Baronet and Member of Parliament
In 1701, Thomas Hanmer became the 4th Baronet. This happened after his uncle, Sir John Hanmer, died without having any children.
Sir Thomas Hanmer was a Tory politician. He was elected as a Member of Parliament (M.P.) for different areas. He represented Thetford from 1701 to 1702 and again from 1705 to 1708. He also represented Flintshire from 1702 to 1705. From 1708 to 1727, he was the M.P. for Suffolk.
Speaker of the House of Commons
In February 1714, Sir Thomas Hanmer was chosen to be the Speaker of the House of Commons. Everyone agreed on his election. This was during the last Tory government for over 100 years.
At that time, the Tory party had different ideas. Some, like Hanmer, wanted to keep the Protestant royal family in Britain. Others supported James Stuart, who was known as the 'Old Pretender'.
After Queen Anne died in August 1714, King George I took the throne. He formed a government made up only of Whigs. The House of Commons was dissolved in January 1715. Sir Thomas Hanmer was not chosen to be Speaker again. However, he continued to serve as an M.P. until 1727.
Helping Others
Sir Thomas Hanmer cared about people in need. In 1739, he became one of the first leaders of the Foundling Hospital. This charity helped children in London who had been abandoned. The hospital also became a place for art and music.
He also built a home for elderly people who were poor. This home was in Mildenhall, his mother's village. He built it in 1722. The home is called Bunbury Rooms today and still helps elderly people.
Editing Shakespeare's Works
Sir Thomas Hanmer is well-known for his work on William Shakespeare's plays. His edition of Shakespeare's works was published in Oxford from 1743 to 1744. It included almost forty pictures by artists Francis Hayman and Hubert Gravelot.
His book was very fancy and expensive. It looked magnificent with its printing and binding.
However, Hanmer's editing style was a bit different. He made changes to Shakespeare's text based on other editions and his own ideas. He didn't always tell readers which parts were original and which he had changed. Because of this, his edition is not highly praised by experts today.
Even so, some of the changes Hanmer made to Shakespeare's text were good. These changes have been used in later editions of Shakespeare's plays.
See also
- Shakespeare's editors
