Sir Thomas Lea, 1st Baronet
Thomas Lea | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for South Londonderry | |
| In office 1886–1900 | |
| Preceded by | Timothy Michael Healy |
| Succeeded by | John Gordon |
| Member of Parliament for Donegal | |
| In office 15 December 1879 – 1885 Serving with
| |
| Preceded by | William Wilson |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Member of Parliament for Kidderminster | |
| In office 1868–1874 | |
| Preceded by | Albert Grant |
| Succeeded by | Albert Grant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 January 1841 The Larches, Worcestershire, England |
| Died | 9 January 1902 (aged 60) Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England |
| Party | |
| Spouse |
Louisa Birch (m. 1864) |
| Children | 3 |
Sir Thomas Lea, 1st Baronet (17 January 1841 – 9 January 1902) was an English carpet manufacturer from Kidderminster, and a Liberal Party politician.
Family history
Thomas Lea was born at The Larches, near Kidderminster, in 1841, the eldest son of George Butcher Lea. He came from a family which had manufactured Kidderminster stuff and bombazine in the 17th and 18th centuries. His ancestor Francis Lea with son John Lea went over to carpet weaving in 1781. When Francis retired from this firm, he and his second son Thomas Lea set up a worsted spinning business in Callows Lane, Kidderminster. Francis' daughter married William Butcher, and their son George Butcher later joined the firm. In 1831 George formed the firm of Butcher, Worth and Holmes to manufacture carpets. In 1835 Thomas gave his spinning business to his nephew George Butcher, who later took the name George Butcher Lea.[1]
George Butcher Lea withdrew from the carpet business in 1838, and his son Thomas grew up in the business and then took control of it. He then built Slingfield Mills at Kidderminster in 1864. He retired in favour of his sons (who formed a company) in 1892 (they later sold the company in 1920).[1]
Politics
Lea was chosen as the Liberal candidate for Kidderminster in 1868, only 27 years old, and won by a large margin. He held the seat until 1874, and later represented Donegal from 1880 to 1885, and South Londonderry as a Liberal Unionist from 1886 to 1900.[2][3] While in Ireland, Lea expressed hostility to the Irish language; he proposed an amendment to the draft of the second Home Rule Bill that would have prevented the passing of laws which would increase Irish language use in state schools, legal courts and other public spheres.[4] He was a Justice of the Peace. In 1892, he was created a baronet, of The Larches in Kidderminster in the County of Worcester and of Sea Grove in Dawlish in the County of Devon.
Family
Lea married, in 1864, Louisa Birch, daughter of William Birch, of Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire. They had two sons and a daughter. The eldest son, Sir Thomas Sydney Lea (1867-1946) succeeded as baronet, and was a barrister. The younger son, Rev. Percy Lea, was a priest.[3]
Lea died at Kidderminster on 9 January 1902, aged 60.[3][2]
References
- ^ a b Thompson, Melvyn (2002). Woven in Kidderminster: An Illustrated History of the Carpet Industry in the Kidderminster Area 1735 to 2000. Kidderminster: David Voice Associates. pp. 144–145. ISBN 9780952993735.
- ^ a b "Death of Sir Thomas Lea". The Irish Times. 10 January 1902. p. 5. Retrieved 23 January 2026 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ a b c "Obituary - Sir Thomas Lea". The Times. No. 36661. London. 10 January 1902. p. 4.
- ^ Andrews, Liam (26 October 2017). "So what's the Irish for déjà vu then?". Belfast Media Group. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- Kidd, Charles, Williamson, David (editors). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage (1990 edition). New York: St Martin's Press, 1990.
- Leigh Rayment's list of baronets
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs