Thomas Thompson (1754–1828)

Thomas Thompson was born 5 April 1754, in relatively humble beginnings, his father was a yeoman in Owborough Grange, Swine, East Riding of Yorkshire.

[3] In 1807 Thompson became MP to the borough of Midhurst in 1807, a constituency controlled by Abel Smith's son Lord Carrington (Robert Smith, 1st Baron Carrington), in the role of MP he followed the line of his promoters.

He claimed to have been ill-suited for the role, affirming that Carrington had "... spoiled a very good banker and made a very bad MP".

[2] By the beginning of the 19th century Thompson had become very wealthy, a large house known as Cottingham Castle was built for his family by 1816.

[1] His son Thomas Perronet Thompson (1783–1869) was a Parliamentarian, a Governor of Sierra Leone and a radical reformer.