Life History

Other facts

Notes

• Sir William Willoughby
  Monument in Wollaton church, Nottinghamshire, with the following inscriptionin black capitals, on a white marble:
  _____________________________________________________________
  This monument is here placed in memory of Sir William Willoughby of Selston, in the county of Nottingham, to his kinsman, Francis Willoughby, of Wollaton, Esq; By whole order of his will, this is here set up by Sir Thomas Willoughby, his son, that Sir William's kindness therein may be ever acknowledged by the family.
  He married Margaret, the sole daughter of George Abbot, Esq; by whom he left no issue.
  He died at Selston Feb. 10, 1670, in the 50th year of his age.
• Thomas was the second son of Francis Willughby the naturalist and his wife Emma, and was initially brought up on the family estate at Middleton in Warwickshire.
  His father died when he was still an infant. His mother married Sir Josiah Child, in 1676 and the family moved to Wanstead in Essex.
  In 1683 Thomas was removed from his stepfather's house by his older brother Sir Francis Willoughby, in conspiracy with their sister Cassandra, and was placed at St Catharine's College in Cambridge.
  In 1685 he entered Jesus College in Cambridge under the tutorship of his father's friend Dr Man.
  Thomas succeeded his brother Sir Francis Willoughby as 2nd Baronet in 1688.
  After coming to a settlement with Sir Josiah, Sir Thomas settled down to life as a country gentleman at Wollaton Hall, restoring and re-furnishing the house, and taking an interest in local political affairs. In 1689 he became a J.P. for Nottinghamshire, and acted as High Sheriff in 1695-1696.
  He was Deputy Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire in 1692, and took the same role in Lincolnshire in 1699.
  Sir Thomas entered Parliament in 1698 as M.P. for Nottinghamshire and served until 1702.
  He did not stand in the 1702 election, possibly because of the troublesome and expensive lawsuits he was engaged in with the widow of Sir Beaumont Dixie, over estates willed to him by Sir William Willoughby of Selston.
  He served again for Nottinghamshire from 1705-1710, and for Newark from 1710, acting as a consistent supporter of the Tories.
  He was raised to the peerage as Baron Middleton of Middleton, co. Warwick, by the Lord Treasurer, Lord Oxford, on 1 January 1711/2, upon which he pressed for his son, the Hon. Francis Willoughby, to be elected to Parliament.
  He died on 2 April 1729 at Middleton.