Thomas Erle

For the English lawyer and politician, see Thomas Erle (Parliamentarian).
Thomas Erle
Born 1650
England
Died 23 July 1720(1720-07-23) (aged 70)
England
Buried at Charborough, Dorset
Allegiance
  •  Kingdom of England
  •  Kingdom of Great Britain
Service/branch Army
Rank Lieutenant-General
Battles/wars
Spouse(s) Elizabeth Wyndham
Other work Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset, Governor of Portsmouth, MP, Commander-in-Chief (Ireland), Lord Justice (Ireland), PC

Lieutenant-General Thomas Erle PC (1650 – 23 July 1720) was an English army general and politician who sat in the House of Commons of England and of Great Britain from 1678 to 1718. He was Governor of Portsmouth and a Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance.

Life

Erle was born in 1650, the second son of Thomas Erle and his wife Susanna (née Fiennes) of Charborough, Dorset. In 1678 he became Member of Parliament (MP) for Wareham, then on 27 May 1685 was made Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset.

In 1686 he hosted a group of conspirators who met at Charborough House to plan the overthrow of "the tyrant race of Stuarts". This meeting lead to the Invitation to William, signed by the Immortal seven, and resulting in the Glorious Revolution.

Erle was the colonel of a foot regiment and on 8 March 1689 was sent to Ireland to fight the combined French and Irish Army of the deposed King James II of England.

In 1690 he took part in the Battle of the Boyne, the Siege of Limerick, and, the following year, the Battle of Aughrim. In 1692 he took part in an expedition to Flanders and on 3 August 1692 was Colonel of the former Luttrell's Regiment at the Battle of Steenkerque. Henceforth the regiment he raised in 1689 became the 2nd Battalion of the former Luttrell's Regiment, later the Green Howards. In 1693 Thomas Erle was promoted to Brigadier-General, fighting in the Battle of Landen on 22 March 1693.

In 1694 Erle returned home as Governor of Portsmouth, a position which he held until 1712. In 1696 he was made a Major-General. In 1698 he became MP for Portsmouth.

In 1699 Erle returned to Ireland as second in command to Lord Galway, In 1700 he was both MP for Portsmouth once again and also Commander-in-Chief of Ireland.

In 1702 Erle was made a Lord Justice of Ireland and was MP for Wareham for a second time, then promoted to Lieutenant-General. In 1703, he became MP for Cork City in the Irish Parliament and held this seat until 1713. In 1705 Erle was made Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance, a post which he held until 1712.

In January 1707 Erle took part in an expedition to Spain, fighting in the Battle of Almanza on 23 April 1707 — some reports state that he lost his right hand. In 1708 he was sent on an expedition to France. He then returned home, serving as MP for Wareham once again. In 1714, following the death of Queen Anne, Erle was appointed Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance for a second time. The same year he was also made Governor of Portsmouth, replacing Lord North and Grey, whose loyalty to the new king was in doubt. From 1715 until 1718 he was Father of the House.

Family

Erle married Elizabeth Wyndham, with a single child:

Erle died on 23 July 1720 and was buried at Charborough.

References

Parliament of England
Preceded by
George Pitt
Robert Culliford
Member of Parliament for Wareham
1679–1698
With: George Savage 1679–1685
George Ryves 1685–1689
Thomas Skinner 1689–1690
William Okeden 1690–1695
Thomas Trenchard 1695–1698
Succeeded by
Thomas Trenchard
George Pitt
Preceded by
Nicholas Hedger
Matthew Aylmer
Member of Parliament for Portsmouth
1698–1702
With: Sir George Rooke
Succeeded by
Sir George Rooke
John Gibson
Preceded by
Thomas Trenchard
George Pitt
Member of Parliament for Wareham
1701
With: George Pitt
Succeeded by
George Pitt
Sir Edward Ernle, Bt
Preceded by
George Pitt
Sir Edward Ernle, Bt
Member of Parliament for Wareham
1701–1707
With: George Pitt 1701–1702, 1705–1707
Sir Josiah Child, Bt 1702–1704
Sir Edward Ernle, Bt 1704–1705
Succeeded by
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
Sir George Rooke
John Gibson
Member of Parliament for Portsmouth
1702
With: Sir George Rooke
Succeeded by
Sir George Rooke
William Gifford
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by
Parliament of England
Member of Parliament for Wareham
1707–1718
With: George Pitt 1707–1710, 1713–1715
Sir Edward Ernle, Bt 1710–1713
George Pitt, Jnr. 1715–1718
Succeeded by
George Pitt, Jnr.
Henry Drax
Preceded by
Sir George Rooke
William Gifford
Member of Parliament for Portsmouth
1708
With: George Churchill
Succeeded by
George Churchill
Sir Thomas Littleton, Bt
Preceded by
Sir Richard Onslow
Father of the House
1715–1718
Succeeded by
Edward Vaughan
Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by
Alan Brodrick
Robert Rogers
Member of Parliament for Cork City
1703–1713
With: Alan Brodrick 1703–1710
Edward Hoare 1710–1713
Succeeded by
Edward Hoare
St John Brodrick
Military offices
Preceded by
Francis Luttrell
Colonel of Thomas Erle's Regiment of Foot
1691–1712
Succeeded by
George Freke
Preceded by
Thomas Tollemache
Governor of Portsmouth
1694–1712
Succeeded by
The Lord North
Preceded by
The Lord Granville
Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance
1705–1712
Succeeded by
John Hill
Preceded by
John Hill
Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance
1714–1718
Succeeded by
Thomas Micklethwait
Preceded by
The Lord North
Governor of Portsmouth
1714–1718
Succeeded by
Charles Wills
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