Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 3rd Baronet (20 November 1655 – 2 July 1700) was an English
Member of Parliament
and an ancestor of the modern day Dukes of Westminster
. He was the first member of the family to build a substantial house on the present site of Eaton Hall in Cheshire
.
on 31 January 1665. His father had been killed in a duel in 1661 and at the time of the succession he was aged eight. He had been born at Eaton Hall, Cheshire
, and his mother was Christian, daughter of Thomas Myddleton of Chirk Castle
, Denbighshire
. He was educated by a private tutor, who also accompanied him when he undertook the Grand Tour
, in his case, a three-year educational tour of France, Italy and the Levant
, starting in 1670. On his return he set about building a new house at Eaton. At that time the family house was a medieval
moat
ed house. The new house was the first substantial one to be built and it was constructed to the north of the older house. Grosvenor appointed the architect William Samwell
to design it and building started in 1675. By 1683 over £1,000 (£ as of ) had been spent on the hall. The money for this venture came partly from the estates, and also from coal and lead mines, and from stone quarries in north Wales, that were owned by the family.
(scribe) and had inherited land to the west of London. This was part of the Manor of Eia (or Ebury) and Mary's portion consisted of "swampy meads" (or meadows). The area was later to become the Mayfair
, Park Lane
and Belgravia
areas of London, a prosperous part of the Grosvenor estate. The couple had three daughters and five sons. Two of the sons, Thomas and Roger, died young; the other three sons all succeeded to the baronetcy, Richard
became the 4th Baronet, Thomas
the 5th, and Robert
the 6th.
and later the same year he became an alderman
. Two years later he was returned as a Member of Parliament
for Chester for the first time, in what became known as the Habeas Corpus Parliament
; in all he was to serve in six parliaments. In 1685 he became Mayor of Chester and later that year raised a troop
of horses to support James II
in the Monmouth Rebellion
. Grosvenor served as sheriff of Cheshire
in 1688–89.
until his death. This occurred in 1700, and he was buried in Eccleston church
. His surviving sons were all under age; Sir Richard Myddelton, 3rd Baronet, and Thomas and Francis Cholmondeley were appointed as guardians
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and an ancestor of the modern day Dukes of Westminster
Duke of Westminster
The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster....
. He was the first member of the family to build a substantial house on the present site of Eaton Hall in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
.
Early life and education
Grosvenor succeeded to the baronetcy on the death of his grandfather Sir Richard Grosvenor, 2nd BaronetSir Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Baronet
Sir Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Baronet was an ancestor of the modern day Dukes of Westminster. He was the son of Sir Richard Grosvenor, 1st Baronet and spent his childhood at Eaton Hall, Cheshire...
on 31 January 1665. His father had been killed in a duel in 1661 and at the time of the succession he was aged eight. He had been born at Eaton Hall, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, and his mother was Christian, daughter of Thomas Myddleton of Chirk Castle
Chirk Castle
Chirk Castle is a castle located at Chirk, Wrexham, Wales.The castle was built in 1295 by Roger Mortimer de Chirk, uncle of Roger Mortimer, 1st Earl of March as part of King Edward I's chain of fortresses across the north of Wales. It guards the entrance to the Ceiriog Valley...
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
. He was educated by a private tutor, who also accompanied him when he undertook the Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
, in his case, a three-year educational tour of France, Italy and the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
, starting in 1670. On his return he set about building a new house at Eaton. At that time the family house was a medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
ed house. The new house was the first substantial one to be built and it was constructed to the north of the older house. Grosvenor appointed the architect William Samwell
William Samwell (architect)
William Samwell was an English architect. He was born in Dean's Yard, Westminster, to Anthony Samwell, son of Sir William Samwell, Auditor of the Exchequer to Queen Elizabeth I....
to design it and building started in 1675. By 1683 over £1,000 (£ as of ) had been spent on the hall. The money for this venture came partly from the estates, and also from coal and lead mines, and from stone quarries in north Wales, that were owned by the family.
Marriage
In 1677 Grosvenor married; he was aged 21 and his wife, Mary Davies, was only 12. She was the daughter of a scrivenerScrivener
A scrivener was traditionally a person who could read and write. This usually indicated secretarial and administrative duties such as dictation and keeping business, judicial, and history records for kings, nobles, temples, and cities...
(scribe) and had inherited land to the west of London. This was part of the Manor of Eia (or Ebury) and Mary's portion consisted of "swampy meads" (or meadows). The area was later to become the Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, Park Lane
Park Lane (road)
Park Lane is a major road in the City of Westminster, in Central London.-History:Originally a country lane running north-south along what is now the eastern boundary of Hyde Park, it became a fashionable residential address from the eighteenth century onwards, offering both views across Hyde Park...
and Belgravia
Belgravia
Belgravia is a district of central London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Noted for its immensely expensive residential properties, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world...
areas of London, a prosperous part of the Grosvenor estate. The couple had three daughters and five sons. Two of the sons, Thomas and Roger, died young; the other three sons all succeeded to the baronetcy, Richard
Sir Richard Grosvenor, 4th Baronet
Sir Richard Grosvenor, 4th Baronet was an English Member of Parliament and an ancestor of the modern day Dukes of Westminster....
became the 4th Baronet, Thomas
Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 5th Baronet
Sir Thomas Grosvenor, 5th Baronet was an English Member of Parliament and an ancestor of the modern day Dukes of Westminster....
the 5th, and Robert
Sir Robert Grosvenor, 6th Baronet
Sir Robert Grosvenor, 6th Baronet was an English Member of Parliament and an ancestor of the modern day Dukes of Westminster....
the 6th.
Public life
Grosvenor played his part in public life. In 1677 he was granted the freedom of ChesterChester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
and later the same year he became an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
. Two years later he was returned as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Chester for the first time, in what became known as the Habeas Corpus Parliament
Habeas Corpus Parliament
The Habeas Corpus Parliament, also known as the First Exclusion Parliament, was a short-lived English Parliament which assembled on 6 March 1679 during the reign of Charles II of England, the third parliament of the King's reign. It is named after the Habeas Corpus Act, which it enacted in May,...
; in all he was to serve in six parliaments. In 1685 he became Mayor of Chester and later that year raised a troop
Troop
A troop is a military unit, originally a small force of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron and headed by the troop leader. In many armies a troop is the equivalent unit to the infantry section or platoon...
of horses to support James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
in the Monmouth Rebellion
Monmouth Rebellion
The Monmouth Rebellion,The Revolt of the West or The West Country rebellion of 1685, was an attempt to overthrow James II, who had become King of England, King of Scots and King of Ireland at the death of his elder brother Charles II on 6 February 1685. James II was a Roman Catholic, and some...
. Grosvenor served as sheriff of Cheshire
High Sheriff of Cheshire
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
in 1688–89.
Later life
Mary, Lady Grosvenor, converted to Roman Catholicism shortly after her marriage. Because of this, and because Eaton Hall was used as a meeting place for Catholics, Grosvenor's loyalty to the king was questioned. However he continued openly as an AnglicanChurch of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
until his death. This occurred in 1700, and he was buried in Eccleston church
St Mary's Church, Eccleston
St Mary's Church, Eccleston, is in the village of Eccleston, Cheshire, England, on the estate of the Duke of Westminster south of Chester. The church is designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican parish church in the diocese of Chester, the...
. His surviving sons were all under age; Sir Richard Myddelton, 3rd Baronet, and Thomas and Francis Cholmondeley were appointed as guardians
Legal guardian
A legal guardian is a person who has the legal authority to care for the personal and property interests of another person, called a ward. Usually, a person has the status of guardian because the ward is incapable of caring for his or her own interests due to infancy, incapacity, or disability...
.