Thomas Mansel (politician, 1678)

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Thomas Mansel ( May 4, 1678 , † January 7, 1706 ) was a Welsh politician who was elected five times as a member of the House of Commons.

origin

Thomas Mansel came from a branch of the Mansel family . He was the only son of Thomas Mansel , the only son of the politician Bussy Mansel , and his wife Elizabeth, a daughter of Richard Games from Penderyn . Since his father had already died in 1684, when his grandfather died in 1699 he inherited his property at Briton Ferry near Neath in Glamorgan , which also included some coal mines. From these estates he had a substantial annual income of around £ 2000.

Political activity

Since his distant cousin of the same name Thomas Mansel from the main line of the Margam family was abroad, Mansel was elected as a young man after the death of his grandfather in a by-election to succeed his grandfather as Knight of the Shire for Glamorgan for the House of Commons . In the general election in January 1701 he was re-elected, although his cousin had since returned to Wales. This led to a dispute between the two, which was resolved by the fact that Mansel ran for the Cardiff borough in the general election in December 1701, while Thomas Mansel von Margam ran for Glamorgan as Knight of the Shire. The previous MP, Edward Stradling , a relative of the Mansels from Margam was persuaded not to run again for Cardiff. With considerable support from Edward Mansel von Margam, Mansel was able to prevail in the election against Charles Kemys . In addition, Edward Mansel procured him the lucrative office of Constable of Cardiff Castle as a replacement for the not so prestigious constituency , which he also held the office of mayor of the city. In the House of Commons Mansel was assigned to the Tories , but in 1704 he did not support the attempt by some Tories to overthrow the government. In public, however, he resigned against Thomas Mansel von Margam.

Economic competition with Humphrey Mackworth

As an operator of coal mines in Briton Ferry not far from Neath , Mansel increasingly came into competition with Humphrey Mackworth , the leading operator of coal mines near Neath. Mansel tried a variety of means to disrupt Mackworth's operations. Initially, Mansel sent employees, agents or friends to Mackworth's coal mines every day to stop operations there. When Mackworth blocked access to his factories, the gates were broken open on the grounds that he wanted to collect coal due to the citizens. He was supported by his influential relative Edward Mansel of Margam Abbey and his friend Thomas Popkin , who were justice of the peace . Eventually, Mansel tried to ruin Mackworth with the help of his relatives from Margam. In 1704 and 1705, agents commissioned by him scattered rumors in the western ports of England that Mackworth's coal was of poor quality or that he would soon have to close operations. Mansel tried Mackworth to prove smuggling. He was assisted in this by William Noy , the Neath customs officer, who was related to the Margam Mansels and who had Mackworth's residence searched Gnoll House . Neath citizens, instigated by the Mansels, accused Mackworth workers from other parts of the country of being drunk or molesting their daughters. In May 1705 Edward Mansel and Thomas Popkin had twelve Mackworth workers pressed for service in the army or in the navy, although they were exempted from it as skilled workers in war-important companies. As a result, 80 more workers fled from the service of Mackworth. Mackworth resisted at a hearing, but in the summer of 1705 his mines had to close due to a shortage of workers. In August 1705, the Mansels now had Mackworth's railroad, which he had built across a road to the port, destroyed, as it had allegedly been built seven years earlier without a permit. Although city officials argued that Mackworth's railroad was in the best condition, the Popkin-controlled court ordered the railroad to be destroyed. Mackworth now defended himself by sending men to destroy Mansel properties. now defended themselves by destroying the mansels' property. When Mackworth wanted to run against Thomas Mansel , a relative of his rival Thomas Mansel, in the general election in Glamorgan in 1705 , the conflict took on political significance. The Mansels won the election, and in the end it was the death of Thomas Mansel that ensured the survival of Mackworth's businesses.

Death and inheritance

Mansel was seriously ill in London in September 1705, so that he could no longer attend meetings of the House of Commons. He died unmarried in January 1706 and, like his father, was buried in Westminster Abbey , where he received no funeral memorial. He left his possessions for life to his cousin Thomas Mansel from Margam Abbey on the condition that they bequeath them to his godchild, Thomas' younger son Bussy .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Ronald Rees: The black mystery: coalmining in South-West Wales. Y Lolfa, Talybont 2008. ISBN 978-0-86243-967-5 , p. 56
  2. Ronald Rees: The black mystery: coalmining in South-West Wales. Y Lolfa, Talybont 2008. ISBN 978-0-86243-967-5 , p. 57
  3. Ronald Rees: The black mystery: coalmining in South-West Wales. Y Lolfa, Talybont 2008. ISBN 978-0-86243-967-5 , p. 58
  4. ^ History of Parliament Online: Glamorgan, Ref Vol. 1690-1715. Retrieved November 12, 2017 .
  5. ^ Westminster Abbey: Mansell family . Westminster Abbey site. Retrieved January 20, 2015