Thomas Leighton (died 1600)

Thomas Leighton (ca. 1554 - 17 May 1600) was an English politician.

He was the eldest son of Edward Leighton of Wattlesborough Castle, educated at Shrewsbury School (1566) and studied law at the Inner Temple in 1571. He succeeded his father in 1593.

As a young man he was a soldier and may have served in the Low Countries. By 1588 he had become captain of the county's trained military units.

He was a Justice of the Peace from c.1592 and a Deputy Lieutenant of Shropshire from 1596. He was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Shropshire in 1597.

He died in 1600 and was buried at Alberbury. He had married Elizabeth, the daughter of Sir William Gerard; they had 4 sons and 3 daughters.

References

• "LEIGHTON, Thomas (c.1554-1600), of Wattlesborough, Salop.". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 22 April 2013.