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Thomas Foley, 1st Baron Foley (1716–1777)

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Witley Court

Thomas Foley, 1st Baron Foley (8 August 1716 – 18 November 1777), was a British landowner and politician.[1]

Early life

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Foley was the son of Thomas Foley MP and his wife Hester (née Andrews) Foley and was educated at Westminster School (1724–732) and Trinity College, Cambridge (from 1732). The Foley family descended from the prominent ironmaster Thomas Foley.

Career

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He succeeded his father in 1749, inheriting the Stoke Edith estate in Herefordshire. Foley was also the cousin, namesake and heir of Thomas Foley, 2nd Baron Foley (a title which became extinct on the latter's death in 1766), thus also inheriting Witley Court and the extensive Great Witley estate. This included ironworks at Wilden and Shelsley Walsh, which were leased about at the end of his life.

Stoke Edith

He was elected to the House of Commons for Droitwich in 1741, a constituency he represented until 1746 and again from 1754 to 1768, followed by election to represent Herefordshire between 1768 and 1776. The latter year the title previously held by his cousin was revived when Foley was raised to the peerage as Baron Foley of Kidderminster in the County of Worcester.

Personal life

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Lord Foley married Grace (d. 1769), daughter of George Granville, 1st Baron Lansdowne, in 1740. They had seven children:

Foley died in November 1777, aged 61. He was succeeded in the barony by the eldest son, Thomas.

References

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  1. ^ "FOLEY, Thomas (1716-77), of Stoke Edith, Herefs. and Witley, Worcs". History of Parliament. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Droitwich
1741–1747
With: Thomas Winnington 1741–1742
Lord George Bentinck 1742–1747
Francis Winnington 1747
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Droitwich
1754–1768
With: Robert Harley
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Herefordshire
1768–1776
With: Thomas Foley 1768–1774
Sir George Cornewall 1774–1776
Succeeded by
Peerage of Great Britain
New creation Baron Foley
2nd creation
1776–1777
Succeeded by