Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby

Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby
Lord Grey of Groby
Member of ParliamentforLeicester
In office 1640–1653
Personal details
Born	c. 1623(1623)
Died	April or May 1657 (aged 33–34)
Spouse	Dorothy Bourchier ​ (m.1646)​
Children	Thomas Grey
Parent	Henry Grey(father)
Relatives	William Cecil(grandfather)
Military career
Allegiance	Parliamentarians England
Wars	First English Civil War Third English Civil War

Thomas Grey, Lord Grey of Groby(c. 1623 – 1657), was an elected Member of Parliament forLeicesterduring theEnglishLong Parliament,an active member of the Parliamentary party and aregicide.He was the eldest son ofHenry Grey, 1st Earl of Stamford,using his father's as his owncourtesy title,and Anne Cecil, daughter ofWilliam Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter.

In January 1643, during theFirst English Civil Warhe was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the forces of the Parliament in the Midland Counties and Governor of Leicester.In 1648 he won some credit for his share in the pursuit and capture of theDuke of Hamilton;he assistedColonel PrideinpurgingtheParliamentby helping to identify members to be excluded.Later in 1648, he was madecommissioner of the courtwhich triedKing Charles I.His signature on the death warrant indicates that he was a strong advocate for the execution of the King, because he signed after the President of the courtJohn Bradshawand beforeOliver Cromwell,who was third to sign out of a total of fifty nine commissioners (judges). Grey was the only person of nobility to sign the death warrant.

A member of theCouncil of Stateunder theCommonwealth,Lord Grey of Groby fought against theScotsin 1651 during theThird English Civil War.A supporter of theGood Old Cause,in February 1655 duringthe Protectoratehe was arrested on suspicion of conspiring against Cromwell who was by nowLord Protector,but he was, however, soon released.He predeceased his father in April or May 1657.

Early life

Thomas Grey was born in 1623 to Henry Grey, 2nd Baron Grey of Groby and Anne Cecil daughter of William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter. He spent most of his youth in theBradgate House,construction of which was begun by a late ancestor of his;Sir John Grey of Groby,and in Groby Manor. In 1628 Thomas at the age of five acquired thecourtesy titleof Lord Grey of Groby when his father was created the 1st Earl of Stamford. At the age of either 10 or 11, his family entertainedCharles Iand his wifeHenrietta Maria of Francein theBradgate House.The royal visit was an event that marked a rise within the family fortune. Yet fortune would soon turn on the Grey household. The family, having issues with failed business aspirations and also with both local and national policy, began to turn against the king in 1634. Furthering the rift with the Monarchy was the family's Puritan history. By 1640 a 17-year-old Thomas Grey was in a world where tensions were growing rapidly on a national scale. With theEnglish Civil Warlooming, in 1641 Grey was elected a Member of Parliament forLeicesterin the House of Commons and was admitted toGray's Innlike his father before him. He was also later that same year selected among twelve other members of the same committee to present theGrand Remonstranceand petition to the Monarchy. The petition was in protest to the King for "Oppressions in Religion, Church Government and Discipline." For his actions in the committee he was referred to as "a Lord dear to the House of Commons".

Military career

On 16 January 1643, Thomas, Lord Grey of Groby was appointed commander-in-chief of the midland counties association and then ordered to take special care ofNottinghamduring the second Civil War.He took up headquarters there in June 1643, with a force of approximately 6,000 men. In a letter to his son Thomas, dated 5 March 1643, Henry Grey (Thomas' father) describes a battle to sweep the country, going through such towns asLutterworth,Hinckley,Barwell,Lichfield,andNewark.On 29 August 1643, atAylesbury,he joined theEarl of Essexon the march to relieveGloucester.After the siege was raised, he fought at thefirst battle of Newburyfor which he received thanks. In 1644, he received more appreciation for the reduction of places inDerbyshire.He then leftLeicesterdue to a misunderstanding but was, in 1645, petitioned back to meet a royalist attack. In 1648, Lord Grey raised troops inLeicestershire.After the defeat of the Scots at Preston, he pursued theDuke of Hamiltonand his horse toUttoxeterand took credit for his capture, though Duke Hamilton claimed he surrendered. Until August, Grey held various commands in the militia. In 1651, he was sent to raise volunteers with the commission of commander-in-chief in the counties of Leicester, Nottingham, Northampton and Rutland, to meet the Scottish invasion. In September, SirEdward Massiesurrendered to Lord Grey after thebattle of Worcester.

Regicide

By end of the year 1643, Grey's views began to diverge from his father's moderate ideas and in 1644 he leftLeicesterbecause of misunderstanding with the county.In 1645 Lord Grey was forced to give up command by theSelf-Denying Ordinanceof April 1645 and it was after this that he entered a political alliance with radical and republican politicians, also petitioning to meet the royalist attack. On 6 December 1648 Lord Grey assisted withPride's Purge(pointing out 'obnoxious' members who were to be removed from the house), he was also a supporter of the Leveller Cause. On 16 February 1649 he served as one of the Judges against King Charles I, after which he gained notoriety as regicide.Grey was the second of the59 regicidesto sign and the only aristocrat to sign the death warrant which resulted in King Charles's execution on 30 January 1649.

Imprisonment and death

In 1649 he became the Counselor of State and was nominated for Council of State until an ambiguous disgrace. In 1653, he became disenchanted withOliver Cromwellbecause he dissolved theRumpand on 12 February 1655 Grey joined theFifth Monarchists.He was arrested on suspicion byColonel Hacker,acting on Protector's orders, and despite being "much distempered with gout" was taken prisoner atWindsor Castle.In July 1655 he was released following an application to the Protector. However, from his release until his death in 1657 he took no active part in politics.

Family

On 4 June 1646, at the age of 23, Lord Grey married Dorothy, daughter ofEdward Bourchier, 4th Earl of Bath.In 1654, their only sonThomaswas born, who would succeed his grandfather to theEarldom of Stamford.

Arms

Arms of Grey

The arms of the head of the Grey family areblazonedBarry of six argent and azure in chief threetorteauxgules.

References

• Wards, Peter (June 2001). "Reviewed work(s): Aristocrat and Regicide: The Life and Times of Thomas, Lord Grey of Groby, the Ermine Unicorn (1623-1657) by Jeff Richards".The English Historical Review.116(467): 724, 725.doi:10.1093/ehr/116.467.724.JSTOR579863.
• Underdown, David (1971).Pride's Purge: politics in the Puritan revolution.Great Briton: Clarendon Press.

Attribution

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911). "Stamford, Henry Grey, 1st Earl ofs.v.Thomas, Lord Grey of Groby".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 769.
• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Bradley, Emily Tennyson (1890). "Grey, Thomas (1623?-1657)".InStephen, Leslie;Lee, Sidney(eds.).Dictionary of National Biography.Vol. 23. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 206, 207.sources:
  • Mark Noble'sLives of the Regicides,p. 260;
  • State Papers, 1641–54;
  • Whitelocke'sMemorials,pp. 91, 312, 351, 354, 376–7, 425;
  • Hollis'sMemoirs,pp. 137, 198;
  • Nichols'sLeicestershire,iii. 677, App. 17;
  • Ludlow'sMemorials,ii. 530;
  • ThurloeState Papers,iii. 148, vi. 829;
  • Hutchinson'sMemoirs,i. 179, 221, 363, ii. 131;
  • Rushworth'sHist. Coll.iii. pt. ii. 119, 219;
  • Clarendon,Hist. Rebellion,xiii. 453–4;
  • Gardiner'sHist. of the Great Civil War,vol. i.