Thomas Cheek
Sir Thomas Cheek or Cheke (died March 1659) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons in every parliament between 1604 and 1653.
Cheek was the son of Sir Henry Cheek and his wife Frances Radclyffe daughter of Sir Humphrey Radclyffe of Elstow and sister of Edward Radclyffe, 6th Earl of Sussex. He was educated at York where his school fellows included Thomas Morton, afterwards Bishop of Durham, and Guy Fawkes. He lost his father while a minor as he wrote a Greek letter and Latin verses to the Lord Treasurer in 1586 in which he called himself an orphan, and spoke of his father being gone to the joys of heaven. In it he prays his Lordship, that as he was always a help and a sanctuary unto his father, so he would be to him.[1] Cheek was knighted by King James I on 11 May 1603.[2]
In 1604, Cheek was elected Member of Parliament for Harwich and was re-elected MP for Harwich in 1614 and in 1621. In 1624 he was elected MP for both Bere Alston and Essex, and chose to sit for Essex. He was MP for Bere Alston again in 1625 and was elected MP for Maldon in 1626. In 1628 he was elected MP for Colchester where he sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.[3] He was awarded MA from Cambridge University in 1629.[4]
Cheek was elected MP for Harwich in April 1640 for the Short Parliament and was re-elected for Harwich again in the Long Parliament in November 1640.[3] He survived at least until Pride's Purge.[5]
Cheek purchased Pirgo Park in Havering Essex from the Grey family. He died at "a great age", and was buried on 25 March 1659 in St Alban, Wood Street in the north chapel near his grandfather.[1]
Cheek married firstly a daughter of Peter Osborn. They were married nearly twenty years, but had no issue. He married secondly Lady Essex Rich, third daughter of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick. They had three sons, Robert, Thomas, Charles and five daughters, Frances, Essex, Anne, Isabel, and Elizabeth.
- Robert Cheeke
- Thomas Cheeke
- Charles Cheeke
- Frances Cheeke; married Lancelot Lake.[6]
- Essex Cheeke (d. 1658), later Dame Essex Bevil and then Countess of Manchester; she married firstly Sir Robert Bevil, KB, and secondly 30 December 1642 as his third wife Edward Montagu, 2nd Earl of Manchester (1602-1671), widower of her cousin Lady Anne Rich (d. 1641/2), daughter of the 2nd Earl of Warwick.[1][7] One of her daughters Lady Anne Montagu (d. circa 1689) married her second cousin (as his 2nd wife) Robert Rich, 5th Earl of Warwick, the son of Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland (a younger son of the 1st Earl of Warwick.
- Anne Cheeke, later Countess of Warwick and then Countess of Clanricarde; married 1stly Richard Rogers; married 2ndly her cousin (as his 2nd wife) Robert Rich, 3rd Earl of Warwick (1611-1659) and had issue, three daughters who were raised by their uncle the 4th Earl (d. 1673) and his second wife Lady Mary Boyle (d. 1678). She married thirdly Richard Burke, 8th Earl of Clanricarde
- Isabel Cheeke, later Dame Isabel Gerard; married Sir Francis Gerard, 2nd Baronet (1617-1680).
- Elizabeth Cheeke Jane Cheek, Lucie Cheeke, Anthony Cheeke.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 John Strype, William Elstob, Sir John Cheke The life of the learned Sir John Cheke, kt., first instructor, afterwards Secretary of State, to King Edward VI
- ↑ Knights of England
- 1 2 Willis, Browne (1750). Notitia Parliamentaria, Part II: A Series or Lists of the Representatives in the several Parliaments held from the Reformation 1541, to the Restoration 1660 ... London. pp. 229–239.
- ↑ "Cheeke, Thomas (CHK629T)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- ↑ The parliamentary or constitutional history of England;: being a faithful account of all the most remarkable transactions in Parliament, from the earliest times. Collected from the journals of both Houses, the records, ..., Volume 9 p27
- ↑ Tate Gallery - Two Ladies of the Lake Family circa 1660 by Sir Peter Lely
- ↑ Lady Anne Rich was Manchester's second wife, and the mother of his heir. Her son Robert Montagu, 3rd Earl of Manchester (b. 1634)was father of the 1st Duke of Manchester.