Thomas Paget, Lord Paget facts for kids

Thomas Catesby Paget (born in 1689, died in 1742) was an English writer and politician. He was known as Lord Paget later in his life. He worked in the government, serving in the House of Commons from 1715 to 1727. He also worked for King George II.

Early Life and Education

Thomas Catesby Paget was born in 1689. His father was Henry Paget, who later became the Earl of Uxbridge. His mother was Mary Catesby.

He went to two famous universities. He started at Clare College, Cambridge in 1705. Then, in 1707, when he was 18, he went to Trinity College, Oxford.

In 1710, something exciting happened. Thomas was captured by French soldiers. This happened during a big war called the War of the Spanish Succession. He was trying to travel through Germany to Italy at the time. His father worked hard to get him released.

Political Career

Thomas Paget became a Member of Parliament (MP) in 1715. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the House of Commons. He represented the area of Staffordshire. He won this election without anyone running against him.

In 1719, he got a special job. He became a Gentleman of the Bedchamber to George, Prince of Wales. This meant he worked closely with the future king.

He was re-elected as an MP for Staffordshire in 1722, again without a challenge. In 1727, he tried to become an MP for a different area, Middlesex. He ran as a Whig, which was a political group at the time, but he lost.

Even though he didn't win that election, he got a promotion. He became a Lord of the Bedchamber to King George II in 1727. This was an even more important job in the King's household. In 1736, he stopped working for the King because he was not well.

Literary Works

Besides being a politician, Thomas Paget was also a writer. He wrote both poems and other types of writing. A famous writer named Horace Walpole said that Paget wrote "in the intervals of bad weather in hunting seasons." This means he wrote when he couldn't go hunting.

His writings were known for being a bit tough and realistic. Walpole also said that his works had a lot of good ideas, but maybe not the best poetry.

Some of his well-known works include:

• An Essay on Human Life, published in London in 1734. This poem was very similar to the style of another famous poet, Alexander Pope.
• An Epistle to Mr. Pope, in Anti-heroics, published in London in 1737.
• Some Reflections upon the Administration of Government, published without his name in London in 1740.

All his writings were put together in a book called Miscellanies in Prose and Verse in 1741.

Death and Family

Thomas Catesby Paget passed away on February 4, 1742. He was buried at Westminster Abbey in London.

He married Lady Elizabeth Egerton on May 6, 1718. They had two sons:

• Henry Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge (1719–1769)
• Hon. George Paget (1720–1737), who died when he was young.