Thomas Gladstone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Thomas Gladstone Bt
Member of Parliament for Ipswich
In office June 1842 – August 1842
Preceded by	George Rennie
Succeeded by	Sackville Walter Lane-Fox
Member of Parliament for Leicester
In office 1835–1837
Preceded by	William Evans
Succeeded by	Sir John Easthope
Member of Parliament for Portarlington
In office 1832–1835
Preceded by	Sir William Rae
Succeeded by	George Dawson-Damer
Member of Parliament for Queenborough
In office December 1830 – 1831
Preceded by	Philip Charles Durham
Succeeded by	Sir John Colquhoun Grant
Personal details
Born	(1804-07-25)25 July 1804 Liverpool, Lancashire, England
Died	20 March 1889(1889-03-20) (aged 84) Fasque House, Kincardineshire, Scotland
Resting place	St Andrew's Chapel, Kincardineshire, Scotland
Political party	Tory / Conservative
Spouse	Louisa Fellows (m. 1835–1889)
Children	Sir John Gladstone, 3rd Baronet
Parents	Sir John Gladstone Anne MacKenzie Robertson
Relatives	William Ewart Gladstone (brother)
Education	Eton College
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford
Profession	Politician and landowner

Sir Thomas Gladstone, 2nd Baronet (born July 25, 1804 – died March 20, 1889) was a Tory politician from Liverpool, England. He later moved to the family's home in the Scottish Highlands. Thomas, often called Tom, was known for being honest and giving good advice to his younger brother, William. His brother, William Ewart Gladstone, became a famous Prime Minister. Tom was very careful with money, which was different from his brother, who often had family debts.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Gladstone was the older brother of William Ewart Gladstone, who became a Liberal Prime Minister. Thomas was born in Liverpool. He was the second child and oldest son of Sir John Gladstone, 1st Baronet, a rich Scottish businessman, and his second wife, Anne MacKenzie Robertson.

Thomas went to Eton College, a famous school, starting in 1817. He did not like Eton very much. He found the rules strict and did not enjoy the subjects taught, especially Latin. He even asked his father if he could leave the school, but his father said no. His younger brother, William, joined him at Eton in 1821. The next year, Thomas went to Christ Church, Oxford University.

Political Career

Thomas Gladstone was a Tory politician throughout his life. He first became a Member of Parliament (MP) for Queenborough from 1830 to 1831. He actually lost the election at first, but he won the seat after a special request was made.

In 1832, Gladstone was elected MP for Portarlington in Ireland. However, he did not get along well with the local people there. Because of this, they did not want him to represent them again in the 1835 election.

In 1833, Thomas introduced his brother William to the House of Commons for the first time. Thomas was already an MP at 27 years old. He gave his first speech in Parliament on February 21. In his speech, he defended his father's actions related to local elections in Liverpool.

Thomas then chose to represent Leicester as an MP from 1835 to 1837. During this time, he focused on reducing taxes on certain goods, like spirits and fire insurance. He asked Parliament to remove these taxes.

He tried to win a seat in Peterborough in 1841 but lost. Later that year, he won a special election in Walsall. However, his opponents claimed there were problems with the election, and he lost his seat. He won another special election in Ipswich in 1842. He had to win a second special election for Ipswich that year to keep his seat. He debated many requests from different areas, showing his knowledge. However, another MP claimed that Thomas had acted unfairly in the election. He remained an MP until July 1842, when he lost in a general election.

Family Life

In 1835, Thomas married Louisa Fellows. She was the daughter of a wealthy landowner from Norfolk. They had six daughters and one son. Their son, John Robert, later became the 3rd Baronet.

Thomas became less interested in politics over time. He focused more on managing his family estate. He was a Protestant who believed in living simply and avoiding waste. His father, Sir John, was not happy that Thomas did not help his brother William with election costs.

When his father, Sir John, passed away in December 1851, Thomas inherited the family estate called Fasque House and the title of Baronet. This meant he had financial security for the rest of his life. As Thomas and William grew older, they saw each other less often.

Thomas Gladstone was often seen as less famous than his brother William, who achieved great things in politics. Thomas was never given a special title like a peerage. In 1876, he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Kincardineshire, a special role in his home county, and he held this position until his death.

Thomas Gladstone died at Fasque House on March 20, 1889. His famous brother, the former Prime Minister, attended his funeral the next day. Lady Louisa Gladstone, his wife, passed away at Fasque House in 1901.