Sir Thomas Stanhope (c. 1540 – 3 August 1596) was the son and heir of Sir Michael Stanhope, and a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire.
Thomas Stanhope was the eldest son of Sir Michael Stanhope and Anne Rawson (c.1515 – 20 February 1588), the daughter of Nicholas Rawson, of Aveley, Essex, and Beatrix Cooke (d. 14 January 1554), daughter of Sir Philip Cooke (d. 7 December 1503) and Elizabeth Belknap (died c. 6 March 1504),[1][2] He had six brothers and four sisters, as recorded in the inscription on his mother's monument in Shelford church:[3][4][5] Stanhope was twelve years old when his father was executed in 1552.
In 1586 and 1593 he was elected knight of the shire (MP) for Nottinghamshire.
In 1596 he died in debt, partly caused by the cost of rebuilding Shelford Priory.
Stanhope married Margaret Port, the daughter of Sir John Port of Etwall and Cubley, Derbyshire, by Elizabeth Gifford.