Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg facts for kids

Thomas Belasyse, 1st Viscount Fauconberg (born 1577 – died 18 April 1653) was an important English politician. He was known as Baron Fauconberg from 1627 to 1643. Before that, he was Sir Thomas Belasyse, 2nd Baronet, from 1624 to 1627. He served in the House of Commons, which is like a part of today's Parliament, many times between 1597 and 1624. In 1627, he was given a special noble title, becoming a peer.

Thomas Belasyse was a strong supporter of the Royalist side during the English Civil War. This war was a big fight between King Charles I and Parliament. Before the war, Belasyse and his family had disagreements with Sir Thomas Wentworth, who was a close advisor to King Charles I. Their disagreements were mostly about how local government in Yorkshire should be run.

Even with these disagreements, Belasyse remained loyal to the King. Both he and his son Henry strongly supported the King before and during the Civil War. King Charles I rewarded Belasyse for his loyalty. However, near the end of the first part of the Civil War, Belasyse had to leave England. While he was away, Parliament took control of his lands because he was known as a "delinquent" (meaning a Royalist who opposed Parliament). When he returned to England, he refused to take a special oath against the King. Because of this, he was found guilty of recusancy, which meant he did not attend the official Church of England services.

Early Life and Political Beginnings

Thomas Belasyse went to Jesus College, Cambridge in the early 1590s. He had some Roman Catholic beliefs, and he married into a family known for being Catholic. However, he followed the laws of the time and attended the Anglican Church services.

In 1597, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Thirsk. This was a seat his father had held before him. Later, King James I made him a knight. He also served as a justice of the peace in the North Riding, helping to keep law and order. He stayed active in national politics and represented Thirsk again in the Parliaments of 1614, 1621, and 1624.

Conflicts and Royal Support

In the early years of King Charles I's rule, the Belasyse family sided with Sir John Savile. They were against Sir Thomas Wentworth, who was becoming very powerful. The Savile family was friends with the Duke of Buckingham, a powerful figure at court. It might have been through this connection that Thomas Belasyse was given the noble title of Lord Fauconberg of Yarm on 25 May 1627.

After the Duke of Buckingham was killed, Wentworth's power at court grew much stronger. This meant that his opponents in Yorkshire, like Fauconberg, lost some influence. In 1628, Wentworth became president of the council of the north. Soon after, Fauconberg and his son Henry were briefly put in prison. They did not agree with the way Wentworth's influence helped the King rule without Parliament, a period sometimes called the "Eleven Years of Tyranny".

Civil War and Exile

In 1641, Wentworth was put on trial and executed. After this, Fauconberg's political standing improved. Like many nobles and gentry with Catholic leanings, he supported King Charles I in his struggle against Parliament. In the summer of 1642, just before the war began, King Charles was in York. Fauconberg and his sons, Henry and John, were important supporters of the King.

His older son, Henry, tried to make a peace agreement for Yorkshire, but Parliament rejected it. His other son, John, led a group of soldiers for the King. King Charles rewarded Fauconberg for his strong loyalty. On 31 January 1643, he was given the higher title of Viscount Fauconberg. His second son, John, was also made a noble, becoming Baron Belasyse in 1645.

Fauconberg supported William Cavendish, a Royalist leader. He was with Cavendish during the siege of York, where the city was surrounded by Scottish and Parliamentary armies for three months. After the Royalist army lost the Battle of Marston Moor on 2 July 1644, Newcastle and Fauconberg had to escape. They sailed from Scarborough to Hamburg to live in exile.

While he was abroad, Parliament took control of his lands because he was a Royalist who fought against them. He had to pay a large fine of £5012 18 shillings to get his lands back. He returned to England in 1649 but refused to take the special oath against the King. Because of this, he was again found guilty of not attending the official church services. Thomas Belasyse died on 18 April 1653 and was buried in the church at Coxwold, in Yorkshire.

Family Life

Thomas Belasyse married Barbara Cholmley (around 1575 – 28 February 1619). She was the daughter of Sir Henry Cholmley, whose family was known for being Catholic. Their daughter, Barbara Belasyse (born 1609 or 1610 – died 1641), married Sir Henry Slingsby in 1631.

Fauconberg's oldest son, Henry, died before him in 1647. So, the title of Viscount Fauconberg was passed down to Henry's son, Thomas, who was Fauconberg's grandson. Interestingly, unlike his grandfather and father, this Thomas supported the Parliamentary side. He later married Mary, a daughter of Oliver Cromwell, who was the leader of the Parliamentarians. Fauconberg's second son, John, was later made a noble by King Charles II, becoming Baron Belasyse.