Thomas Fanshawe, 2nd Viscount Fanshawe (c. 1648 – 1711) was an English landowner and politician who held an Irish peerage. He succeeded to the viscountcy upon his father's death in 1665 and, because the title was in the Peerage of Ireland, he was eligible to sit in the English House of Commons.
Early life and family
- Born around 1648, Thomas was the eldest son of Thomas Fanshawe, 1st Viscount Fanshawe (c. 1590 – 1665) and his wife, Margaret (surname not definitively recorded).
- The Fanshawe family held extensive estates in Hertfordshire, including the manor of Ware.
Succession and titles
- In 1665, upon the death of his father, he inherited the title of Viscount Fanshawe, an Irish peerage created in 1661.
- The Irish nature of the peerage permitted him to remain a member of the English House of Commons.
Parliamentary career
- Fanshawe was elected Member of Parliament for Hertford in the Cavalier Parliament of 1661, serving from 1668 until 1679.
- He was noted as a Royalist supporter during the reign of Charles II and later aligned with the Glorious Revolution of 1688, supporting William III and Mary II.
Public offices
- In 1689, following the accession of William III, Fanshawe was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, a position he held until 1690.
- He also served as a Commissioner of the Great Seal in 1690, though his tenure was brief.
Later life and death
- Fanshawe remained active in local affairs in Hertfordshire, managing his family estates and participating in county administration.
- He died in 1711; his exact date of death is not definitively recorded in major reference works.
- He was succeeded in the viscountcy by his son, Charles Fanshawe, 3rd Viscount Fanshawe (1672 – 1740).
Legacy
Thomas Fanshawe, 2nd Viscount Fanshawe, is remembered for maintaining the political influence of the Fanshawe family during the turbulent Restoration and Glorious Revolution periods, and for his role in local governance in Hertfordshire.
Note: Certain biographical details, such as exact birth and death dates, remain uncertain in the available encyclopedic sources.
