Sir Thomas (de) Hungerford (c. 1330–3 December 1397) was the first person to be recorded in the rolls of the Parliament of England as holding the (pre-existing) office of Speaker of the House of Commons.[1]
Biography
Sir Thomas was the son of Thomas Hungerford and Elizabeth Fitzjohn and was born in Farleigh in Somerset.
In 1355, he became sheriff and escheator for Wiltshire. He also served as steward of the household of John of Gaunt and bailiff (Bishop's Bailiff of New Sarum) for the Bishop of Salisbury.
Hungerford bought Farliegh Monford house in Somerset in 1369 and transformed it into Farleigh Hungerford Castle.
He was knighted in 1377 and became Speaker of the "Bad Parliament" through the patronage of his friend John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster.
He married in 1376 Joan Hussey, with whom he had seven children, Grace de Hungerford, Ralph, Robert, Peter, Thomas, John and Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford who would also serve as Speaker of the House of Commons.
References
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Peter de la Mare |
Speaker of the House of Commons 1377 |
Succeeded by Sir James Pickering |
 |
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