Thomas Walpole
Thomas Walpole | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date |
| Died | March 1, 1803 (aged 75) |
| Occupation(s) | Parliamentarian, financier |
| Known for | British parliamentarian and financier operating primarily out of Paris |
Thomas Walpole (6 October 1727 – March 1803), known as The Hon. Thomas Walpole from 1756 onward, was a British parliamentarian and financier who operated primarily out of Paris.
Life
Born into a distinguished political lineage, Thomas Walpole was the second son of the 1st Baron Walpole and Telisha Lombard. He was also the nephew of Sir Robert Walpole, who served as prime minister between 1721 and 1742.
In 1753, Walpole allied himself with merchant Sir Joshua Vanneck through partnership and marriage to his daughter Elizabeth Vanneck; she passed away in 1760.
His parliamentary career included representing Sudbury from 1754 to 1761, Ashburton between 1761 and 1768, and subsequently Lynn from 1768 until 1784, where he took over the seat previously held by his cousin Horace Walpole. In 1762, he played a role in fostering political cooperation between William Pitt the Elder and the Duke of Newcastle. Between 1753 and 1754, he held a directorship at the East India Company. During the early 1770s, Walpole led a group of investors including Benjamin Franklin in efforts to secure a royal land grant in Ohio.
He owned slaves on the islands of Grenada and Tobago.
In 1787, he remarried to Jeanne-Marguerite Batailhe de Montval. From 1799 until his passing, he lived at what is currently known as Walpole House, situated on Chiswick Mall, Chiswick.
His son Thomas (1755–1840) went on to serve as British Ambassador to Munich.