Thomas Lewis (1690–1777)

Thomas Lewis (18 October 1690 – 5 April 1777), was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons for 46 years from 1715 to 1761.

Memorial to Thomas Lewis in St Stephen's Church, Old Radnor

Lewis was the son of Colonel Thomas Lewis of Radnor and matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford on 25 May 1709, aged 17.^[1]

He was first elected Member of Parliament for New Radnor on 2 February 1715 and then sat in eight parliaments until he was eventually unseated in November 1761.^[2]

From 1768 he tried to effect the return of his nephew John Lewis as MP for New Radnor, but he was twice elected and then unseated on petition. On the first occasion it was found there were technical irregularities in the historical creation of freemen in the borough. On the second occasion there was a dispute over the eligibility of non-residents to vote.^[3]

Lewis lived at Harpton Court, Harpton, where he died in 1777. He had married Ann, the daughter and heiress of Sir Nathan Wright, 3rd Bt., of Cranham Hall, Essex. They had no children.

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