Sir Thomas Prendergast, 2nd Baronet (1702 – 23 September 1760) was an Irish politician. His career was helped by influential family connections, but apparently hampered by his own lack of ability. ToJonathan Swift, who detested him, he was "Noisy Tom", while the King called him "that Irish blockhead".
He was the eldest son ofSir Thomas Prendergast, 1st Baronet, and his wife Penelope Cadogan, sister ofWilliam Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan. He was a first cousin ofSarah Lennox, Duchess of Richmond, and was assiduous in using the powerful Lennox connection to further his career. He succeeded his father in the baronetcy in 1709. His mother spent her later years in a state of almost continuous litigation, including a lawsuit against her own brother over young Thomas's inheritance, an almost interminable lawsuit with SirToby Butler and his heirs over the ownership of lands inCounty Galway, and a lawsuit brought by theO'Shaughnessy family over their forfeited estate atGort, which had been acquired by Thomas's father.[citation needed]
He was educated atClare College, Cambridge and theInner Temple.[citation needed]
He was elected to theIrish House of Commons forClonmel (1727–1760) and, with the help of the Richmonds, to theBritish House of Commons as Member of Parliament forChichester from 1733 to 1734. Having been returned as a Government candidate, he promptly infuriated the administration by voting against a Government bill. He lost his seat in the English Commons the following year, and despite his best efforts was never able to obtain another.[citation needed]
His father was born aRoman Catholic but both father and son for the sake of their careers were obliged to conform to theChurch of Ireland. Despite his nominal Protestantism young Thomas was noted for his anti-clerical views, and this earned him the enmity of Swift, who mocked him as "Noisy Tom". Swift also vilified the elder Sir Thomas, describing him as atraitor, informer andassassin. These charges have no foundation, and seem to be a garbled reference to the elder Sir Thomas's role in uncovering theAssassination Plot of 1696, which was admittedly very advantageous to the Prendergast family. KingGeorge II of Great Britain called the younger Thomas "that Irish blockhead", an opinion which seems to have been widely shared.[citation needed]
In 1754, the younger Sir Thomas was madeCustos Rotulorum and Governor of County Galway.[1] He was Postmaster General for Ireland, a post he seems to have performed capably enough, and a member of thePrivy Council of Ireland. He was a leadingFreemason.[citation needed]
In 1739 he married Anne Williams, daughter ofSir Griffith Williams, 6th Baronet of theWilliams-Bulkeley baronets ofPenrhyn and his wife Catherine Anwyl, but they had no children.[citation needed]
After Sir Thomas's death, his widow married his cousin, Terence Prendergast, causing a minor scandal. The baronetcy expired but Prendergast's estates were inherited by his nephew,John Prendergast-Smyth, 1st Viscount Gort, the son of his sister Elizabeth and her husband Charles Smyth.[2] At the time of his death he was apparently expecting to be raised to the peerage as Viscount Clonmel.[citation needed]
See alsoDebrett's Peerage and Baronetage – Gort.
| Parliament of Ireland | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forClonmel 1733–1760 With:Robert Marshall 1733–1756 William Bagwell 1756–1757 Guy Moore 1757–1760 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of Great Britain | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forChichester 1733 –1734 With:James Lumley | Succeeded by |
| Baronetage of Ireland | ||
| Preceded by | Baronet (of Gort) 1709–1760 | Extinct |
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