# Thomas Whetham

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{{Short description|English soldier and politician}}
{{One source|date=January 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2017}}
'''Thomas Whetham''' ({{circa}} 1665 – 28 April 1741) was an English soldier and politician who sat in the [House of Commons](/source/House_of_Commons_of_England) between 1722 and 1727.

==Family and early life==
Whetham was born circa 1665, the first son of the [barrister](/source/barrister) Nathaniel Whetham, of the [Inner Temple](/source/Inner_Temple). His grandfather was Colonel [Nathaniel Whetham](/source/Nathaniel_Whetham), who had served in the [parliamentary army](/source/parliamentary_army) during the [English Civil War](/source/English_Civil_War).<ref name = HoP>{{cite web |url =http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/whetham-thomas-1665-1741|title= Whetham, Thomas (c.1665-1741), of Turnham Green, Mdx.|publisher= History of Parliament|accessdate = 16 August 2016}}</ref>

Thomas Whetham's mother was Elizabeth, daughter of Adrian Scrope of [Wormsley](/source/Wormsley), [Oxfordshire](/source/Oxfordshire) (now [Wormsley Park](/source/Wormsley_Park), [Buckinghamshire](/source/Buckinghamshire)). His father died in 1667, and he went on to enter military service, joining the [1st Foot](/source/1st_Foot) as an [ensign](/source/Ensign_(rank)) in 1685.<ref name = HoP/>

==Military and political career==
He transferred to [Sir James Lesley's Regiment of Foot](/source/Sir_James_Lesley's_Regiment_of_Foot) in 1694 with the rank of [captain lieutenant](/source/captain_lieutenant), and was promoted to [captain](/source/Captain_(British_Army_and_Royal_Marines)) later that year. He was serving with the [11th Foot](/source/11th_Foot) as [major](/source/Major_(United_Kingdom)) sometime prior to 1700, and was then with the [27th Foot](/source/27th_Foot) with the rank of [colonel](/source/Colonel_(United_Kingdom)) between 1702 and 1705.<ref name = HoP/> He was promoted to [brigadier-general](/source/Brigadier-general_(United_Kingdom)) in 1707. He became [Commander-in-Chief, Canada](/source/Commander-in-Chief%2C_Canada), in 1709, was promoted to [major-general](/source/Major-general_(United_Kingdom)) in 1710 and was then appointed [Commander-in-Chief, Scotland](/source/Commander-in-Chief%2C_Scotland), in 1712. His service had taken him to Scotland, the West Indies and Spain by this stage.<ref name = HoP/>

Whetham served under the [Duke of Argyll](/source/John_Campbell%2C_2nd_Duke_of_Argyll) during the [Jacobite rising of 1715](/source/Jacobite_rising_of_1715), commanding the left wing of the government army at the [Battle of Sheriffmuir](/source/Battle_of_Sheriffmuir) on 13 November 1715.<ref name = HoP/> He entered politics in 1722, contesting and being returned to sit for [Barnstaple](/source/Barnstaple_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) in 1722. He relinquished the seat in 1727 and did not stand for parliament again.<ref name = HoP/> He was appointed colonel of the [12th Foot](/source/12th_Foot) in 1725, holding the appointment until his death. Further promotions followed, to [lieutenant-general](/source/Lieutenant-general_(United_Kingdom)) in 1727 and then [general](/source/General_(United_Kingdom)) in 1739. He acquired the manors of [Kirklington](/source/Kirklington%2C_Nottinghamshire) and [Hockerton](/source/Hockerton) in [Nottinghamshire](/source/Nottinghamshire) for the sum of £25,000 some time around 1739, and in 1740 he became [Governor of Berwick and Holy Island](/source/List_of_Governors_of_Berwick-upon-Tweed).<ref name = HoP/> He had married Mary, daughter of Edward Thompson of Marston, Yorkshire, with whom he had one son and one daughter. General Thomas Whetham died on 28 April 1741.<ref name = HoP/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef |before=[Thomas Stanwix](/source/Thomas_Stanwix)}}
{{s-ttl |title=Colonel of [Whetham's Regiment of Foot](/source/Suffolk_Regiment) |years=1725–1741}}
{{s-aft |after=[Scipio Duroure](/source/Scipio_Duroure)}}
{{s-par|gb}}
{{succession box 
| title=[Member of Parliament](/source/Member_of_Parliament) for [Barnstaple](/source/Barnstaple_(UK_Parliament_constituency)) 
| before= [John Rolle](/source/John_Rolle_(1679%E2%80%931730))  
| before2=  [Sir Hugh Acland](/source/Sir_Hugh_Acland%2C_6th_Baronet)
| with=  [Sir Hugh Acland](/source/Sir_Hugh_Acland%2C_6th_Baronet)
| years=1722–1727
| after=  [Richard Coffin](/source/Richard_Coffin_(1684-1766))
| after2= [Theophilus Fortescue](/source/Theophilus_Fortescue) 
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whetham, Thomas}}
Category:1660s births
Category:1741 deaths
Category:British MPs 1722–1727
Category:British Army generals
Category:People of the Jacobite rising of 1715
Category:Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Barnstaple
Category:Royal Scots officers
Category:Devonshire Regiment officers
Category:27th Regiment of Foot officers
Category:Suffolk Regiment officers
Category:East Yorkshire Regiment officers

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Thomas Whetham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Whetham) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Whetham?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.