Thomas Foley, 4th Baron Foley
Thomas Henry Foley, 4th Baron Foley of Kidderminster DL (11 December 1808 – 20 November 1869), was a British peer and Liberal politician. He held office in every Whig/Liberal government between 1833 and 1869.
Family and estate
Foley was the son of Thomas Foley, 3rd Baron Foley, and Lady Lucy Anne FitzGerald. James FitzGerald, 1st Duke of Leinster, and Emily FitzGerald, Duchess of Leinster, were his maternal great-grandparents.
Lord Foley married Lady Mary Charlotte Howard, daughter of Henry Howard, 13th Duke of Norfolk, in 1849. He died in November 1869, aged 60, and was succeeded in the barony by his eldest son Henry Foley. Lady Foley died in 1897.
In 1837, he sold Witley Court and the heavily encumbered Great Witley estate to trustees of Lord Ward for £890,000. No longer having to pay interest on the debts charged on that estate, he was left considerably better off, as a result of the sale.
Political career
He was elected to the House of Commons for Worcestershire in 1830, a seat he held until 1832, when he was returned for the newly created constituency of West Worcestershire. In April the following year he succeeded as fourth Baron Foley on the early death of his father and took his seat in the House of Lords. He also succeeded his father as Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms, despite being only 24 years of age.
He remained in this post until the government fell in 1834, and held the same office under Lord Melbourne from 1835 to 1841, under Lord John Russell from 1846 to 1852 and 1865 to 1866, under Lord Aberdeen from 1852 to 1855, under Lord Palmerston from 1859 to 1865 and under William Ewart Gladstone from 1868 to 1869. However, Lord Foley was never a member of the cabinet. Apart from his political career he was also Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire between 1837 and 1839.
References
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990,
- Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
- Lundy, Darryl. "FAQ". The Peerage.
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Thomas Foley
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hon. Henry Lygon Sir Thomas Edward Winnington |
Member of Parliament for Worcestershire 1830–1832 With: Hon. Henry Lygon 1830–1831 Frederick Spencer 1831–1832 |
Constituency abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for West Worcestershire 1832–1833 With: Hon. Henry Lygon |
Succeeded by Hon. Henry Lygon Henry Jeffreys Winnington |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by The 3rd Lord Foley |
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms 1833–1834 |
Succeeded by The Viscount Hereford |
| Preceded by The Viscount Hereford |
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms 1835–1841 |
Succeeded by The Lord Forester |
| Preceded by The Lord Forester |
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms 1846–1852 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Sandwich |
| Preceded by The Earl of Sandwich |
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms 1852–1858 |
Succeeded by The Earl Talbot |
| Preceded by The Earl Talbot |
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms 1859–1866 |
Succeeded by The Lord Ossulston |
| Preceded by The Marquess of Exeter |
Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms 1868–1869 |
Succeeded by The Marquess of Normanby |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by The Lord Lyttelton |
Lord Lieutenant of Worcestershire 1837–1839 |
Succeeded by The Lord Lyttelton |
| Peerage of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by Thomas Foley |
Baron Foley 2nd creation 1833–1869 |
Succeeded by Henry Thomas Foley |