Thomas Postlethwaite (MP) facts for kids
Thomas Postlethwaite was a British politician from Great Britain. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the town of Haslemere in Surrey. He was an MP from 1784 to 1786.
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Who Was Thomas Postlethwaite?
Thomas Postlethwaite's early life is not fully known. He might have been the son of Rev. James Postlethwaite from Fleckney, Leicestershire. Another idea is that he came from a family in Cumberland.
He was closely connected to James Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale. Lord Lonsdale was a very powerful noble. He was known for trying to control who got elected to Parliament. He wanted to pick the MPs himself.
What Was a Pocket Borough?
Haslemere was known as a "pocket borough". This meant that one person, like Lord Lonsdale, had almost complete control over who was elected there. Lord Lonsdale bought up properties called "burgages" in Haslemere in 1780. Owning these properties gave him total power over the elections.
Lord Lonsdale's Influence
Thomas Postlethwaite was one of "Lord Lonsdale's ninepins". This was a nickname for the MPs Lord Lonsdale controlled. These MPs were expected to always vote and act as Lord Lonsdale wished. At that time, this meant supporting the government led by Prime Minister William Pitt.
Serving in Parliament
Lord Lonsdale helped Postlethwaite get elected in the 1784 British general election. As an MP, Postlethwaite had to follow Lord Lonsdale's political views. This included supporting the government's plans and laws.
Leaving Parliament
In 1786, Thomas Postlethwaite left his seat in Parliament. He did this by taking the "Chiltern Hundreds". This was a special way for an MP to resign from Parliament.
He left to make room for John Lowther. John Lowther was a relative of Lord Lonsdale. He had lost his seat in Parliament for Carlisle after an "election petition". An election petition is a formal complaint about an election result.
Thomas Postlethwaite did not serve in Parliament again after 1786. He might have been a banker who passed away in 1829.
