Thomas Gage MP (abt. 1687 - 1754)

Born about 1687 in England

Ancestors

Husband of Jane Godfrey — married 26 Dec 1750 in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England

Descendants

Died 21 Dec 1754 at about age 67 in Firle Place, Sussex, England

Biography

Thomas Gage, 1st Viscount Gage, 8th Baronet Gage, (c.1687-1754) was a wealthy British landowner who renounced his family's Roman Catholic faith and subsequently built a successful political career.

Early Life

There is some uncertainty about when Thomas Gage was born. The History of Parliament puts it at 1695.^[1] However, two other sources state that his mother died on 5th December 1693.^{[2] [3]} As Thomas was the third of at least five children his birth was probably much earlier. A 2015 biography of his brother, Joseph Edward Gage, puts Thomas' birth at 1687. ^[4]

Thomas' parents were Joseph Gage and Elizabeth Penruddock, daughter and eventually co-heir of Sir George Penruddock of Hale, Hants.^{[1] [5]}

Shirburn Castle, Oxfordshire.

He probably spent his earliest years at Shirburn Castle, which he father had inherited in 1682, and which remained in the family until Thomas sold it in 1716 to Thomas Parker, later the 1st Earl of Mansfield, for £25,696 8s. 5d. ^[6]

Around 1702, and like many sons of the Catholic gentry of the time, Thomas and his brother Joseph were sent to the continent to be educated and raised in the Catholic faith. They adopted the aliases of Isaac and Thomas Donne, quite probably because of a punitive law reintroduced by William III in 1700, which imposed a fine of £100 on anyone convicted of 'sending his child beyond the sea to be educated in Popery'.^{[4] [7]}

Renunciation of Catholicism

Thomas' family had long continued to practise as Catholics long after England converted to protestantism. This carried great risk as it was during a period when loyalty to Rome was considered by most Englishmen a sign of treason, and the Gage family commonly came under suspicion. Although they acquired a baronetcy in 1622, public and political careers were barred to most Gages. ^[5] In the early 1700s there was also a significant increase in legislation that discriminated against Catholics including potential bans on inheritance. ^[8]

Events came to a head in 1715 when the Old Pretender, the son of James II, invaded Scotland and attempted to seize the throne vacated by the death of his half sister Anne. Once again all English Catholics were suspect. Thomas' cousin, Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet, decided to convert to the Church of England at this point. Thomas followed suit the same year. ^[5]

Political & Cultural Activities

After his renunciation of Catholicism, Thomas was able to enter politics. He became a Member of Parliament (M.P.) for Minehead in April 1717, but was unseated by a petition the following month, May 1717. On 14 September 1720, King George I created him Baron Gage of Castlebar in the county of Mayo, and Viscount Gage of Castle Island in the county of Kerry of the Kingdom of Ireland. Although styled as Viscount and eligible to sit in the Irish House of Lords, this did not prevent him from continuing to sit in the British House of Commons. He was elected M.P for Tewkesbury in 1721 and continued to serve as Tewkesbury's MP until 1754. ^[1]

Thomas also had strong cultural and scientific interests. He clearly enjoyed music and in 1719 was one of the original backers of the Royal Academy of Music company, a London opera enterprise which commissioned numerous works from Handel and others. ^[9]

He was also admitted a Fellow of the Royal Society on 1 November 1731. ^[10]

In 1747 he was appointed Steward of the cultured Household of Frederick, Prince of Wales and held the post until 1751.^[1] The Prince was a major patron of the arts, and during time Thomas would have met the most eminent architects and artists of the time. This quite probably resulted in his including some fairly sophisticated architectural features, such as the Serlian Window, when it came to his turn to re-model Firle Place. ^[11]

First Marriage

Thomas married Benedicta Maria Theresa, daughter & heiress of Henry Benedict Hall of High Meadow, Gloucestershire. The Halls were also a notable Catholic family.^[5] Thomas and Benedicta's marriage settlement was dated 3rd Oct 1713, ^{[12] [13]} when Benedicta was 18 years old,^[14] and the marriage presumably occurred sometime between 1713 and early 1716 (see Research Notes).

High Meadow, the seat of Thomas, 1st Viscount Gage, 1725

A few years afterwards, in 1719, Benedicta's father died, and through her, Thomas acquired wealthy estates in Gloucestershire.^{[15] [1]} This included High Meadow house, which became his principal residence, and the sinecure of Verderer of the Forest of Dean. ^[1]

^[10] Their marriage, though unhappy,^[10] produced two sons and one daughter.^[1]

1. Hon. Benedicta Maria Teresa Gage, born sometime between 1714-1716 (see Research Notes). She is named as an 'only child' in a 1718 court case between her maternal grandfather and her parents.^[16] Married on 6th Mar 1755, at St George's, Hanover Square, a Catholic, George Tasburgh of Bosney, Norfolk, died without issue. ^{[17] [12] [18]}

2. William Hall Gage, 2nd Viscount Gage, born on 6 Jan 1717/18 and christened 29 Jan 1717/18 at Westminster St James, Middlesex, England. ^[19]. ^[20]

3. General, the Hon. Thomas Gage, born on 10 March 1718/19 at Firle and christened 31 March 1719 at Westminster St James, Middlesex, England. ^{[21] [22]}

Benedicta died at Bristol on 25th Jul 1749, and was buried on 30th Jul 1749 at Newland, Gloucestershire ^{[23] [24]} ,^[12], having long been separated from Thomas, who married Jane Bond within a year of Benedicta’s death. ^{[10] [1]}.

Second Marriage

He married secondly on 26th December 1750, Jane Bond 'daughter of one Godfrey', and widow of Henry Jermyn Bond, Esq. of Bury St. Edmunds.^[24] Her first husband Henry was a nephew (via his wife) of a Gage cousin, Sir William Gage, 2nd Baronet of Hengrave. Jane died without issue,^{[1] [12]} shortly after Thomas, on 8th October 1757 in Dover St, Piccadilly, London. Her will was proved 1757,^[24] and she buried in Hengrave Church, Sussex (Suffolk?).^[18]

Inherits Firle Place & Gage Baronetcy

On 23 April 1744, his cousin, Sir William Gage, 7th Baronet, died without children, and Thomas inherited the baronetcy (becoming the 8th Baronet) as well as the family estate of Firle Place. ^[1]

Firle Place, & Serlian Window, East Front

At this point Thomas quietly resumed practising Roman Catholicism, although his children had all been raised in the Church of England. Between 1744 and 1754 he also appears to have completed the extensive Georgian re-modelling of Firle Place, in particular adding the Serlian window, an unusual exemplar in Britain, and the long gallery on the west front to display his collection of paintings. ^[10] He was also involved in a number of land rights disputes regarding windfall trees, soil rights, and manorial waste. ^[25]

Death

He died on 21st Dec 1754 at Firle Place, Sussex,^{[1] [18]} and was buried there a week later on 28th December 1754. ^{[24] [26]}

Research Notes

Date of First Marriage & First Child. There are conflicting dates given for this and no definitive answer. Although the marriage settlement is clearly dated 3rd October 1713 ^[13] (when Benedicta was around 18, and Thomas perhaps 26), the only sources we have cite a marriage year, but with no documentary evidence to back this up. The History of Parliament online suggests a marriage in 1713/14 when it says Thomas 'suc. fa.-in-law to High Meadow, Dec. 1714'.^[1] A 19th century genealogy also states the father-in-law died in Dec 1714.^[12] However, Alden, the biographer of Thomas son, General Gage, states that Benedict Hall died in August, 1719. ^[27] This is further clearly supported by Benedict's own will, which is dated 7 August 1719.^[15] So the marriage could have taken place later than 1714.

Other sources cite 1717 as the marriage year, but again with no evidence.^[24] However this is not possible, as Thomas' daughter Benedicta Maria Theresa was referred to as an 'only child' in the 1718 court case. ^[16] Her brother William was also born on 6th Jan of that year (1717/18),^[19], suggesting he was conceived nine months earlier in April 1717. Assuming six months between each child this suggests that she was born no later than October 1716, and therefore conceived no later than January 1716. So the marriage must have taken place sometime between October 1713 and January 1716 (assuming she was conceived in wedlock).

Whilst we do not have an exact date of Benedicta Maria Theresa's birth (e.g.1714-1718), we do know she married in 1755.^[17] Given the typically young age of marriage for women at the time, this would have made her 37-41 when she married - relatively old for the time.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11} The History of Parliament Online GAGE, Thomas (c.1695-1754), of High Meadow, Glos, accessed 1 December 2021
2. ↑ Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900 Vol 20, entry for Joseph Gage, (1678?-1753) accessed 4 December 2021
3. ↑ County Genealogies: Pedigrees of the Families in the County of Sussex, By William Berry, 1830 p295, accessed 4 December 2021
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} The Duchess of Rio Tinto. The story of Mary Herbert and Joseph Gage, by Martin Murphy, St Clements Press, 2015, p5
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} General Gage in America : being principally a history of his role in the American Revolution, by Alden, John Richard, 1908, Internet Archive, free subscription, p 4, accessed 1 December 2021
6. ↑ A History of the County of Oxford: Volume 8, Lewknor and Pyrton Hundreds. Originally published by Victoria County History, London, 1964, Shirburn Parish, p178-198, accessed 4 December 2021
7. ↑ Marwoods's Diary, Catholic Record Society, Records Series, vol. 6 (1909), p96, accessed 11 December 2021
8. ↑ The Duchess of Rio Tinto, Murphy (2015), p8
9. ↑ Wikipedia entry, footnote 3 for Thomas Gage, citing Thomas McGeary. The Politics of Opera in Handel's Britain. Cambridge University Press, 2013. p. 254, accessed 11 December 2021
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4} Firle Estate Website, The Gage Family, accessed 1 December 2021
11. ↑ The Georgian Group Journal, Vol XVI, 2008, p148, 'Firle Place, Syria in Sussex', by Richard Hewlings
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4} MacLean, J. (1883). "Pedigree of Hall and Gage, of Highmeadow." Transactions, 7, pp. 266. Bristol and Gloucester Archaeological Society. Google Books.p266, accessed 1 December 2021
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Forfeited Estates Commission: abstracts of estates of Popish recusants, The National Archives, FEC 1/1160, England & Wales, Roman Catholics, 1717,Thomas Gage, Esq, Sherbourne, 1717, database Findmypast, subscription only, accessed 4 December 2021
14. ↑ Westminster, London, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1558-1812, City of Westminster Archives Centre; London, England; Westminster Church of England Parish Registers; Reference: STM/PR/8/8 'Benedicta Teresa Hall ', born 14 Dec 1693, baptised 1 January 1693, dau of Benedict Hall & Jane, FHL Film No. 560371, database Ancestry.co.uk, subscription only, accessed 4 December 2021
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} Gloucestershire, England, Wills and Inventories, 1541-1858, Consistory Court of Gloucester, citing Benedict Hall, Esquire, of HighMeadow, Staunton, Will No. 150, Will date, 7 Aug 1719, database Ancestry.co.uk, subscription only, accessed 16 December 2021
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} The National Archives, C - Records created, acquired, and inherited by Chancery, and also of the Wardrobe, Royal Household, Exchequer and various commissions, Short title: Hall v Gage, 1718. Document type: Bill only. Plaintiffs: Benedict Hall, esq of..., Reference: C 11/1129/29, accessed 16 December 2021
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} The register book of marriages belonging to the parish of St. George, Hanover square, in the county of Middlesex, Chapman & Arymtage, 1886 Marriage entry, accessed 4 December 2021
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2} General Gage in America : being principally a history of his role in the American Revolution, by Alden, John Richard, 1908, Internet Archive, free subscription, p 8, accessed 1 December 2021
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} Church of England, Westminster St James (Middlesex) Parish Register, vol. 2 (1699–1723), n.p., baptism of William Hall Gage, 31 January 1717/18. , source: Wikipedia, footnote 1, accessed 1 December 2021
20. ↑ England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 [database on-line]. , database Ancestry.co.uk, subscription only, "William Hall Gaga, male, Born 6 Jan 1717, Baptized at Westminster, St James, Middlesex, England, 29th Mar 1717, Father, Thomas Gaga; Mother, Benedicta Maria Tereza", accessed 1 December 2021
21. ↑ Church of England, Westminster St James (Middlesex) Register, vol. 2 (1699–1723), n.p, baptism of Thomas Gage, 31 March 1719, source: Wikipedia, footnote 1, accessed 1 December 2021
22. ↑ England & Wales, Christening Index, 1530-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2008, database Ancestry.co.uk, subscription only, "Thomas Gage, male, Birth Date 10 Mar 1718, Christening Date 31 Mar 1718, Father, Thomas Gage; Mother, Benedicta Teresia Mary Gage", accessed 1 December 2021
23. ↑ Gloucestershire, Bigland's Monumental Inscriptions, Page number: 921, Pages: 1584, Parish: Newland, citing Right Hon. Lady Viscountess Gage, died 25 July 1749, database Findmypast.co.uk, subscription only, accessed 16 December 2021
24. ↑ ^{24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4} G.E. Cokayne's Complete Peerage, Vol 5, 1926, Gage of Castle Island, Castle Bar, Firle & High Meadow, p596/7, accessed 4 December 2021
25. ↑ Wikipedia entry, footnote 3, accessed 13 December 2021
26. ↑ "England, Sussex, Parish Registers, 1538-1910," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJD6-LK1Q : 7 December 2017), Thomas Lord Viscount Gage, 28 Dec 1754; citing Burial, West Firle, Sussex, England, 00343, The Keep, East Sussex Record Office; West Sussex County Record Office, Chichester, accessed 1 December 2021
27. ↑ General Gage in America, Alden (1908) page 8, accessed 13 December 2021

See also:

• Wikipedia: Thomas Gage, 1st Viscount Gage
• Wikidata: Item Q3525145, en:Wikipedia
• https://firle.com/

Acknowledgements

• To Deborah Gage, Curator for and on behalf of Firle Estate Trustees; for generously sharing digital images of the portraits of Thomas Gage and his first wife Benedicta Hall, digital images of Firle Place, and information relating to Thomas' cultural interests and his improvements to Firle Place, December 2021.
• This profile has been improved by a member of the England Project Orphan Trail