TYRWHITT DRAKE, Thomas (1783-1852), of Shardeloes, nr. Amersham, Bucks.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1790-1820, ed. R. Thorne, 1986
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

31 Jan. 1805 - 1832

Family and Education

b. 16 Mar. 1783, 1st s. of Thomas Drake Tyrwhitt*, and bro. of William Tyrwhitt Drake*. educ. Westminster; Brasenose, Oxf. 1801. m. 15 Oct. 1814, Barbara Caroline, da. of Arthur Annesley of Bletchington Park, Oxon., 4s. 8da. suc. fa. 1810.

Offices Held

Sheriff, Bucks. 1836-7.

Capt. S. Bucks. yeomanry 1803.

Biography

Tyrwhitt Drake was returned for the family pocket borough in January 1805 in place of his uncle, Charles Drake Garrard, whose name appears in the list of the majority who voted for the criminal prosecution of Melville, 12 June 1805, almost certainly in error for this Member. He was classed as ‘doubtful Pitt’ in the government list of 25 July 1805. Like his father, he supported the ‘Talents’ and voted for the repeal of the Additional Force Act, 30 Apr. 1806. Reckoned a supporter of the government of the day in the Whig list of 1810, he voted with government on the address, 23 Jan. 1810, and the Regency proposals, 1 Jan. 1811. Pressed to come up to vote against Brougham’s motion for inquiry into the orders in council, 3 Mar. 1812, he obliged. On 4 May 1812, however, he voted for the sinecure offices bill.

Ministers counted him among their supporters after the general election of 1812, but he clearly remained an extremely poor attender and his only recorded vote with government in the 1812 Parliament was in support of the renewed suspension of habeas corpus, 23 June 1817. He cast hostile votes on the property tax, 18 Mar., Admiralty salaries, 20 Mar. 1816, and the Duke of Clarence’s allowance, 15 Apr. 1818. His two recorded votes in the 1818 Parliament were both with ministers: on the complaint against Wyndham Quin*, 29 Mar., and against Tierney’s motion for inquiry into the state of the nation, 18 May 1819. Tyrwhitt Drake steadfastly opposed Roman Catholic claims. There is no record of his having spoken in the House before 1820. He died 23 Mar. 1852.

Phipps, Plumer Ward Mems. i. 445.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: David R. Fisher

Notes