Thomas Watson-Wentworth facts for kids
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Thomas Watson, who later became known as Thomas Watson-Wentworth, was an important English landowner and politician. He lived from 1665 to 1723. He owned the large Wentworth Woodhouse estate in Yorkshire and was a member of the House of Commons, which is part of the British Parliament, for many years.
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Family Background and Early Life
Thomas Watson was born on June 17, 1665. He was the third son of Edward Watson, 2nd Baron Rockingham. His mother was Anne Wentworth. Anne was the only daughter of Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford. She was also the heiress of her brother, William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford, who had no children.
Thomas's older brother was Lewis Watson, 1st Earl of Rockingham. Lewis later became the first Earl of Rockingham in 1714. Thomas went to Christ Church, Oxford university in 1683 to study.
Marriage and Children
On July 18, 1689, Thomas Watson married Alice Proby. Alice was the daughter of Sir Thomas Proby, 1st Baronet. Thomas and Alice had children together. Their most famous child was:
- Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1st Marquess of Rockingham (1693–1750). He was a Whig politician. In 1725, he rebuilt the grand Wentworth Woodhouse house that you can still see today.
Inheriting Wentworth Woodhouse
In 1695, Thomas Watson inherited a huge fortune. This came from his mother's brother, William Wentworth, 2nd Earl of Strafford. The inheritance included the enormous Wentworth Woodhouse estate in Yorkshire. It also included other lands in Northamptonshire and Ireland.
William Wentworth chose Thomas Watson as his heir. This was instead of another relative, Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1672–1739). This choice caused a big rivalry between the two families. As part of the inheritance, Thomas Watson had to add "Wentworth" to his name. So, he became known as Thomas Watson-Wentworth.
Political Career in Parliament
Thomas Watson-Wentworth became a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is a person elected to represent an area in the House of Commons. He was first elected for Bossiney in 1701. He was a member of the Whig political group.
He later became the MP for Higham Ferrers in 1703. He was re-elected for Higham Ferrers several times. He also served as an MP for Malton.
During his time in Parliament, he sometimes voted with the Whigs and sometimes with the Tories. The Whigs and Tories were the two main political parties at the time. He was known for supporting the Church. He continued to serve as an MP until his death.
Death and Burial
Thomas Watson-Wentworth passed away on October 6, 1723. He was buried in York Minster. You can still see his impressive monument there today. It has a marble statue of him and was created by the sculptor Giovanni Battista Guelphi.
