Sir Thomas Colby, 1st Baronet

[2] His father became rich in the last years of his life by supplying a considerable amount of clothing to the army of William III.

[6] He earned a reputation for great wealth, invested mainly in stocks and was cited as an example of avarice by William King, a Jacobite don and satirist.

[7] Colby was Navy Commissioner, and sat as Member of Parliament for Rochester from 1724 to 1727, following the death of Sir Thomas Palmer.

According to King his death was caused when he got up in the middle of the night in a heavy sweat because he was worried the servants might steal a bottle of port as he had left the key lying around.

He had in fact drafted a will bequeathing his house and property in Kensington to his "Kinsman and namesake Thomas Colby late Clerke of the Cheque of His Majesty's Yard at Portsmouth", but failed to sign or date it.